by Donna Quesada: My spiritual teacher used to talk about how easy it is to be provoked by others and by life, in general…

Then he would say, “Never cross the line of your grace!” And he’d continue,
“Whenever you feel provoked, simply excuse yourself for a moment, go sit down in a quiet
place, and ask yourself, ‘where is my Grace?’”

It seems so easy, but we don’t do it. I think part of the reason why is that we are not accustomed
to associating irritation with lack of grace, in any way. Also, we tend to think of Grace as
something mystical, something distant, something just out of reach… Or perhaps, as something
that only other people have: saintly types or church types. Nonetheless, this particular teacher
would have us repeating to ourselves, “My grace is me! My grace is me!” Like a mantra.

When spiritual teachings proclaim that “the divine is within,” that is exactly what is meant. You
awaken your grace when you realize that you are a part of God. It is what Jesus meant when he
said that “the Kingdom of God is within.” When you get real still, your grace is revived and you
touch the most precious thing about you and everything in your life just seems to work better.
The magic is enkindled… The beauty is aroused… Synchronous moments and serendipity
seem to occur all the time, and things are always finding a way to work out. You feel more
loving. Even prosperity seems to come more easily, and you just feel good.

The only price to pay is a moment of meditation. Every day, if possible. A moment can be just a
couple of minutes, 20 minutes, a half an hour… or more. I have heard it said that what is
happening when we meditate—any kind of meditation—is that “we remember.” We remember
who we are beneath the mask that we ordinarily wear in our day to day lives. We remember our
true nature as soft and compassionate beings. Our identity and our human personality, with all
of the habits that go along with it, begin to soften when we sit quietly. And in that stillness, we
create a sacred space where we are able to touch what is called the soundless sound… our
true nature. Our grace..

In that sweet moment, the energy that is God itself is awakened.

That is where are our true value lies. Our true value is not our knowledge… as there will always
be somebody who knows more. It is not how high we can jump… there will always be
somebody who can jump higher. It is not how much money we have… there will always be
somebody wealthier. It is our grace.

And when he would conclude his thoughts, he would say that “grace can attract the entire
divinity of God to you.” But moreover… A graceful person remains graceful in the face of that
which would ordinarily provoke.

Here is a meditation for you to try!

Meditation for Grace:

Sit comfortably on a pillow or meditation cushion. Place your left hand on your right shoulder.
Raise your right hand, and hold it out, in front of the right shoulder, palm facing forward, and

your elbow relaxed down. Eyes are closed. Make an “O” with your mouth and breathe
powerfully through it, in this pattern:

Inhale with three strokes and exhale with one stroke.

Continue for either three minutes, seven minutes, and eventually work up to 11 minutes,
breathing very strongly during the last two minutes. To end, inhale deeply. Hold the breath, while
you stretch your spine up, reaching up to the sky… Spread your fingers and make them tight
like steel. Exhale. Repeat that inhale/exhale sequence with the stretch, two more times, and
then relax.

Alternate holding the right shoulder with holding the left shoulder in your day-to-day practice.