Meditation Monday - Kairos Time

On this Meditation Monday, I invite you to take and pause and enter into "Kairos Time."

When the world seems to draw us into its chaotic energy, or we notice its woes having a depressive effect upon us, one of the most helpful things we can do is to create sacred space for ourselves. We stop what we are doing and consciously choose to enter “kairos” time, a word coined by the Greeks to imply a sense of timelessness, a period where we are fully engaged in the present moment, in activity that nurtures our souls.

One way we engage kairos time is by pausing to light a candle. The simple act of setting match to wick, conjures up memories for me, of ancient ones in caves drawing close, sequestering themselves from unfriendly elements. Fire represents not only comfort and warmth in most cultures, but a symbolic connection with the Sacred—the Source of all life. Churches and temples worldwide often have an eternal flame burning, a visual reminder of the ever-present nature of Spirit itself.

Before I engage in the act of writing, for example, I always light a candle. Doing so, concretizes my intention to access inner calm and clarity for writing. It also aligns me with the Spirit to whom I dedicate my work.

The ancient Greeks often referred to a ritually lit candle as a “Hestia” or “temenos” candle. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth. The hearth within each home was considered Hestia’s domestic sanctuary. “Temenos” comes from the Greek meaning “safe place” or “sanctuary.” When we consecrate a space with light from a candle, we have created a sanctuary for ourselves; a safe place for us to intimately connect with ourselves or others, and the Divine.

The next time a current challenge threatens to rob you of your peace, you may want to enact a candle lighting ritual. Do so with the intention of reengaging your peaceful self and the Source of your inner light. As you kindle the candle, say, aloud or silently: 

“I light the fire of my soul life and enter my temenos space 

to connect with the Spirit within me.”

Spend the next few moments in silence, feeling your way into this newly sanctified space you have created. Notice how you are being invited into a place of greater calm. You may want to take some time to focus on the flame itself as a form of quieting meditation, to deepen this feeling of peace. Allow the light from the candle’s glow to fill and warm your heart. Here, in this sacred space, you are safe and loved, home in the wholeness of your being. 

Now, does your heart have anything to say?

(Image courtesy of feng-shui-products-decorating-tips.com)