This world is a place of duality.

Duality being a situation or a concept that has two parts often with opposite meanings, such as the duality of good and evil, love and fear, hatred and compassion.

And yet I believe that the whole purpose of life on planet Earth is to develop our Loving-Kindness muscles.

To do no harm to another, to treat each other as we would want to be treated, and to remember that we are all part of an evolution called Humanity.

I know there has never been a time that we can pinpoint when the world was in peace. There has never been a time when war was not a reality somewhere. And unless it has been a world war or a war in our own country, many of us have felt removed from the terror, violence and hatred that are war bedfellows.

In the past two days I had a realization. There can be no global harmony unless there is balance and there can be no balance unless there is understanding. And there cant be no understanding unless there is a willingness to make a connection.

And none of this is possible when fear and hatred are stronger than the desire for peace.

As the wife of an Israeli and mother of five Australian/Israeli children I am not overstating the fact that we are all shocked and heartbroken. Everyone in Israel and many people outside of Israel knows someone who was murdered and kidnapped on Saturday. My daughter just received a message from a close friend saying, ” My father was murdered yesterday.”  My son received news that a friend died and his partner was taken hostage.

There are thousands of heartbreaking stories emerging.

This situation can be looked at from a political perspective, but I prefer to look at it from a human perspective because every life is precious. Every human being has the right to life without fear and racism.

So what can we do? We live far from the wars of the world but we are all part of this living breathing planet. Filling our hearts and minds with more hate for our fellow human beings just adds to the bottomless well of anger and hatred that already exists.

Here are two suggestions.They are simple and the energy created by doing something like this will alleviate the power of hatred and tension and help bring a little more balance into the world.

1. The world is completely out of balance at this time. Here is a short meditation to bring yourself into balance. Read it to yourself and record it on your phone and do it when you are ready.

Make yourself comfortable but stay awake. Do not fall asleep. Check your body for any tensions. Get more comfortable if you want and if you feel any tension in any part of your body just let it go.  Let your jaw soften, relax your shoulders and let your arms rest in your lap.

Let go of any thoughts concerns or worries and give yourself a deep breath. Notice I don’t say take a deep breath. We are not taking anything.

Now give yourself another deep breath in, filling your lungs but without forcing anything and then release all the air from your lungs. Give yourself another two deep breaths and with each allow yourself f to go deeper and deeper within.

With every breath bring your awareness up through your body from your feet through your ankles higher and higher up through your knees, thighs up through your pelvis hips and torso. Breath yourself up through your stomach letting any tightness you might still be holding onto go. Just let it go. Breath deeply into your chest  and once again release your shoulders, soften your jaw and allow your energy to move up and out of the crown of your head

Imagine far, far above you the furthest star in the universe.

 Give yourself another deep breath and let this star gently come down towards you stopping about 1 metre above your head. This is the point of integration. The point where you are able to experience yourself in this world but not of it. The point where you can become a witness as well as a participant of your own life.

Bring the light down through your body and into the heart of the planet and feel the breath of Mother Earth as you breathe.

Remain there for as long as you want and when you are ready and feel at peace and in balance you may slowly return to the present moment

2. Many years ago David, who became a King wrote the most beautiful songs and poems that became the psalms that we know.

All psalms have the power to heal and bring good energy if directed to a specific person or situation.

There are three psalm that help to protect soldiers, civilians and send positive energy to the countries that need it.

I am going to write them here and leave it to you to choose to read them once or every day.

Psalm 20

For the conductor, a song of David.

May the Lord answer you on a day of distress; may the name of the God of Jacob fortify you.

May He send your aid from His sanctuary, and may He support you from Zion.

May He remember all your meal offerings and may He accept your fat burnt offerings forever.

May He give you as your heart [desires], and may He fulfill all your counsel.

Let us sing praises for your salvation, and let us assemble in the name of our God; may the Lord fulfill all your requests.

Now I know that the Lord saved His anointed; He answered him from His holy heavens; with the mighty acts of salvation from His right hand.

These trust in chariots and these in horses, but we-we mention the name of the Lord our God.

They kneel and fall, but we rise and gain strength.

 O Lord, save [us]; may the King answer us on the day we call.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents. I lift my eyes to the mountains-from where will my help comes?

My help will come from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot falter; your guardian does not slumber.

Indeed, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.

The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your protective shade at your right hand.

Psalm 122

For the Leader. A Psalm of David.

 The LORD answer thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob set thee  up on high;

 Send forth thy help from the sanctuary, and support thee out of Zion;

Receive the memorial of all thy meal-offerings, and accept the fat of thy burnt-sacrifice; Selah

 Grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel.

 We will shout for joy in thy victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our standards; {N}

the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

 Now know I that the LORD saveth His anointed

He will answer him from His holy heaven with the mighty acts of His saving right hand.

 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;

but we will make mention of the name of the LORD our God.

 They are bowed down and fallen; but we are risen, and stand upright.

 Save, LORD; let the King answer us in the day that we call.

May all our small efforts create a more loving harmonious world to live in.