Love has many faces and forms, from that of a parent for a child or love of friends and family, to romantic love. Plus another that underlies all the rest that we may not even recognize. One that supports all other kinds of love, is the source of all love, and one we find at the heart of every relationship. That is Divine Love.
Divine Love is no abstract concept. On the contrary. Divine Love is reality here and now. Whether you believe only in Jesus as Christ, or only God, Yahweh, or Lord Shiva, the only things stopping you from experiencing it yourself are your own limited thinking and a closed, life-weary heart.
Can we experience it? How? Why would we want to? And why are so many of us stopping it when we want it so much?
Can you experience it? Absolutely. We all have the ability built into our systems. How? There are many paths, some more effective than others, some that resonate more within your heart than your neighbor's. Regardless of which path you choose, the tips in this article will help you start or progress further on your way.
Not everyone is interested, but if you do want to experience Divine Love perhaps you: 1) want to be closer to God; 2) think there is something missing in your life, the "more" you've always hoped for; 3) or maybe you've read, intellectually know, or believe we are all Divine, but it sure doesn't feel like it most of the time!
You're far from alone in your quest. Individuals through the centuries have sought God, both collectively, and in solitude.
The whole aim of life is to bring us closer to God. This is a Truth. Sages have said throughout time that we are all One, all this is That, and we are all part of the Divine, etc. Do you believe it, or want very badly to believe? Belief is more difficult when we only parrot the words, even if we know intellectually that they must be true. What's missing is the true experience, the inner certainty of Divine Love.
Think of Divine Love as a huge reservoir. It feeds into many smaller ponds and streams, some made by nature, others dug and formed by our own intentions. The reservoir never runs dry, but sometimes dams, landslides, or other acts of nature (or man) can block the flow and the love in that particular stream becomes isolated. We forget there was an abundant source feeding it, and begin to see limitations and boundaries where there were none. Then we have trouble in paradise.
This is the answer to another question: why, if you really want to experience it are you stopping it? You may not intend to put up blocks, but they nonetheless go up as you experience life.
All of us have known the surety of Divine Love at birth (whether or not we remember), and unless something happens to change our loving circumstances, that remembrance of Divine Love flows within each of us. The flow moves from us to our parents, and just as the law of physics states, "An object in motion remains in motion until acted upon by an outside force" so goes the flow. It keeps moving from us to others and would continue unimpeded throughout our lives unless something happened to stop it. In an ideal world all children would experience the security of the certainty of parents' love and know, in their hearts that this is a given --deserved and expected.
But when your kindergarten crush doesn't respond in kind, the heart is hurt. You withdraw just a little, to keep from being hurt again. That's a block. When a friend betrays a secret, your trust is shaken, and you grow wary. When your significant other wants space or wants out, you are devastated. The flow of love has been constricted, and must work to forge new paths so it can flow again. With so much twisting of the flow of love, the source is cut off from the smaller avenues.
The good news: No matter how convoluted your path has been, no matter how far from Divine Love you've come, you can re-connect. The first step is incredibly simple: ask for Divine help. ASK FOR DIVINE HELP. It's simple, but powerful. Don't worry about the proper words, the proper time or place. Just ask. You may want to merge with the flow of Love, but the Divine wants it for you even more. But the Divine can't act until you ask for help. Ask. Answers may not come right away, but your prayer has been heard and forces are already at work to help you. Answers may not come in the way you expect, but the Divine has a broader vision than you do. Trust.
There is more you can do. More than living a compassionate life and giving all you can (even if you don't feel like it). Try this spiritual exercise:
Sit quietly and let your attention go to the area of the heart. Not the actual organ. Some call it the Heart Chakra, others the heart center. Simply feel that area and intend to open the heart. Maybe you will feel something, a physical sensation, an emotion, or nothing at all. Let the attention be easy. Don't try to feel anything. Just have the intention to open the heart. Visualize it, if you can, as a flower bud opening, petal by petal, as an ever-widening circle, rippling outward, or imagine physical bonds around your heart that loosen and fall away. Once you've opened, ask that Divine Love flow into your heart. Then accept it.
Five minutes is enough to start. If that feels like too much, start with ten seconds, and work your way up over the next week or two. Repeat the process a couple times a day, and allow whatever happens to unfold. The more you do it, the greater the results. Give it time. Some of those blocks keeping us from experiencing Divine Love are big and ungainly.
There are other things you can do as well. Find a mentor, a spiritual teacher who not only has experienced that Divine Love herself, but one who can teach you how. The two don't always go together.
A word about the Divine. Some lump spirit guides in with God and His helpers. But not all spirit guides are Divine. There are many other beings, some good, some not so good, that can influence us. A spirit could attach themselves to us and give advice freely, but if the spirit is not Divine, their advice is not always beneficial. The spirit of one who is not particularly highly evolved cannot help you to evolve.
Once you have reconnected with the source of Divine Love you will find that all other love is enhanced, a reflection of that higher love. Look at your sweetheart, at your child, etc. and experience any limiting factors fading. Where you once had a large pond of clear water (love) to give, now you do not just love from your own small heart anymore. The container that holds your love has opened to an infinite source, and the power behind your love is being continually renewed from the sweet, deep ocean of Divine Love within your own large Heart.
1. Deep Listening
What we say is often not what we actually mean. Deep beneath the surface layers of our words lies our true message.
How do we listen to our partner's deep meaning?
We listen with our whole body. We relax into our body, take deeper and fuller breaths, and attune to the energy of their entire being. When we do this, we drop down inside ourselves into compassion. We ?bypass? our own fear, and we awaken to who they are in the moment, what they are expressing, what they most want, what they are asking for.
Deep listening involves so much more than our ears. When we listen solely with our ears, we listen in a conditioned way. We listen through our filters, our resentments, our assumptions and our own fears.
When we ?Deep Listen?, our being is recognizing another's being.
This creates more trust. As we ?receive? our partner in a more holistic way, they feel safer and more completely accepted by us. This deepens our intimacy ? as they naturally offer more of themselves to us.
2. ?I am Grateful For ? I Forgive You For?
This is one of the most effective and relationship-transforming practices that my husband brought into the fledgling stages of our relationship. It goes like this ?
As you lie in bed at night ? or sitting together on the sofa if you prefer ? sense together (each evening has a different ?flow?) who will speak first ? and who will listen.
The speaker takes a moment to relax his or her body, letting its weight fall heavily into the sofa or the bed. Taking a few deep breaths, he or she then vocalizes 5 things that ?I am grateful for? pertaining to his or her partner. Then he or she vocalizes 5 things that ?I forgive you for?. During this, the partner remains silent and deeply listens ? without response or reaction.
Then the roles reverse. The listener becomes the speaker, and vice versa.
What develops ? through this practice ? is an opportunity to express and to receive reflections of how deeply we enrich each other's lives (?I am grateful for?). Plus it is an opportunity to express in a safe environment what we wish was different in our partner's way of being and living (?I forgive you for?). In silence as the listener, we have the tremendous opportunity of simply hearing what someone close to us desires we do or be differently.
My husband and I practiced this for approximately two years at the beginning of our relationship. We built such a foundation of love and respect and clear communication through this simple practice. Nothing was out of bounds to communicate or to hear. Our relationship is so incredibly honest and trusting as a result of this.
3. Shared Vision
The ideal relationship is one in which we are complements to each other ? we each bring unique experiences, viewpoints and desires to our shared relationship.
The best relationships are ones in which a ?Shared Vision? grows. This Vision might include a homestead which nourishes both people and fosters greater depth in the relationship. A philanthropic project which gives both people ? together ? an experience of deep sharing with others. A company or business which is a vehicle for both people to share their passionate attributes. A hobby or travel destination which inspires both people and supports them to grow deeper in their love.
A Shared Vision can be anything. It is simply this ? a desire which both people share to create something meaningful together.
This ?Shared Vision? becomes a magnet which draws both people deeper into themselves and simultaneously closer together. It brings out the best in them.
This ?Shared Vision? ? just like the relationship itself ? develops a life of its own. This ? is what makes a relationship so magnificent.
4. Love, Tenderness, and Laughter
No matter how robust two people are. No matter how athletic they are. No matter how much worldly responsibility they share. ... It is vital that you give Tenderness and Laughter more room in your relationship.
Love is borne of Tenderness and Laughter. Like play, it is in this energy field that we let down our guards, soften our underbellies, and expose our most precious elements to our partner.
Taking vacations together is one of the best ? and easiest ? ways to access Tenderness and Laughter.
It's essential, too, to create the time / space for Tenderness and Laughter in our day-to-day at-home lives.
A simple way to ensure its presence is to intend to find at least one moment every day to say a genuine "I Love You" to your partner. Not a rote one ? words that are hollow. A genuine one. This may require you to slow down, let go of judgment and blame, and listen to them deeply.
What drew you to your partner initially? Is that quality or attribute still there? What has grown and opened since you met? What is special or unique about them?
Your not recognizing their greatest assets is not because they don't have them. It may simply be that you've become ? temporarily ? preoccupied with your own pain or frustration to notice them.
Slow down. Take a deep breath. And remember what you love most about your partner. Then say ? ?I love you? ? from the depth of your belly, and the fullness of your heart.
? And notice how your relationship deepens and widens ? how much more bliss flows in.
5. Be In the Now
Most relationships crumble because one or both partners become snagged in the past. Blame, un-communicated challenges, and resentment are the primary causes of this.
If your relationship breaks down, it will likely be that one of these three have existed.
If you have chosen your partner as someone whom you can Respect, Play with, be an Ally in Growth with, Share a Vision with, and Trust, then your relationship will last blissfully long ? as long as you both are growing concurrently.
All relationships end. They naturally end when the benefit of our being together has run its full course.
Most relationships end ?unnecessarily?. They end precisely because one or both people built up resentment over time rather than taking responsibility for communicating something that was irritating them. Or they end because one or both people weren't Self Loving and therefore weren't open to truly giving and receiving love.
Your relationship blossoming into one of unparalleled bliss is completely within your ability.
Take a deep breath.
Go back to when you first met. Skip forward in time, picking up everything about your partner and about being together that still nourishes you. And let everything else go.
This is who you are together as a relationship now. Nothing else matters. Drop it.
Be the love and joy and appreciation that you are now.
Practice this regularly ? every six months at least.
This will ?refresh? your relationship ? just like cleaning a chalk board or refreshing your computer screen.
Your relationship is so precious. Practice these 5 Tips frequently. Keep training your mind to experience your relationship In The Now.
Both Allura Adelson & Ariole K Alei are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Allura Adelson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alternative Medicine, self improvement and motivation. Allura Adelson is president of , which makes Divinely-guided spiritual healing products. This article on. Allura Adelson's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.