January 22
Dear One,

Right now there is someone praying for you. In fact, there are many people praying for you. Whether they're in a contemplative community praying for the peace and wellbeing of everyone, or in an ashram offering the verse, Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu, (may all beings in all worlds be happy and know peace,) or are in a yoga class nearby practicing metta meditation (the Pali word for loving kindness) and are including you in their prayers.

Spiritual practitioners everywhere are making your happiness and the end of your suffering their business as they offer care, concern, tenderness, loving kindness, friendship to you and others. It's their practice (and probably yours) to soften their hearts and open to deeper and deeper levels of kindness and love.

These beautiful sentiments and prayers coming your way do not depend on your relationship to the practitioner, or what you have done, or what people think of you, instead, you are included because everyone is. They are cultivating genuine concern for you. "May all beings be happy and know peace." That means you. It's important to remember that.
Thank you for putting your spirituality first during this time of deep practice. I am practicing with you.

Love, Sarah

Sarah McLean
Director, Feast for the Soul, Inc.
Meditation Teacher Highlight
If you are going to work today, you might want to take some of these meditations with you. Tony Saccardi is a workplace wellness trainer who shares how to find that sweet spot at work, that feeling of being completely engaged and energetic without the accompanying stress and anxiety.

Tony’s series of meditations is called: From Stalemate to the State of Flow – Workplace Friendly Meditations.


Spiritual Practice Tip
Appreciate Your Life!

During your meditation, cultivate the attitude of appreciation. Not only will will help to create neuropathways that help you to view the world as a more friendly place, gratitude will create more vitality in your life.
Peace and possibility become more real. And, like meditation, being grateful is a practice.

Before I meditate, I make it a practice to bring to my heart and mind the people, places, adn things that support my life. I invite you to do that, too.

RIght now, there are not only people praying for you, but they are tilling the soil for the food you'll be buying at the store in a while. They are working in factories to sew your clothes, or working on technology to keep you connected to your loved ones via your computer or phone. When you look deeply, you'll see so many people working on your behalf. They made the chair you sit in, took away the trash you created, they keep the water flowing through your plumbing so you can shower. These people, and yes, they are people, are working toward creating a better life for you.

As a practice, take a moment to contemplate how many people are serving you and making your way of life possible. When you do, you automatically become aware of a great fullness. Gratefulness. We are all interconnected.
Inspiration
Lynne Twist is a global activist who has devoted her life to bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and spiritually fulfilled human presence on earth.

She is the co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance, and bestselling author of the Soul of Money. Her work has taken her around the world, where she has developed a keen understanding of the relationship of people to money: the psychology of scarcity and sufficiency. Watch her as she shares the call from the indigenous people of the rainforest to change our collective dream.
An original staff member who served The Hunger Project since 1977 to end world hunger, Lynne has traveled the world learning how to work in a multitude of different cultures, Lynne developed profound wisdom about our relationship to money and the way it governs, dominates, and stresses our lives.
Quick links
New to the Feast? Read on.

The Feast is a self-directed 40-day spiritual practice retreat. Many people go to the Feast's website to find out more:  www.FeastfortheSoul.org

The Facebook Group you can sign up to join offers peer and teacher support during the Feast. It's for sharing how you are with others and getting support or talking about your favorite teacher.

Some people like to connect in person with a group practicing near them, so here is the list of area organizers. 

If you can’t find one near you, you can visit the Feast for the Soul Community Group on Facebook and post your city and state and maybe someone will know of a group of people practicing together near you. 

Many of the teachers for the Feast offer meditations that are geared toward beginners. Choose one, listen to their introduction and if you like them, keep listening! You can select from this year's teachers, or check out the previous years' faculty.

Also, you can call me when you need support. +1 (928) 204-0067.

- Sarah McLean, director of the Feast for the Soul