Guidance for Heart Meditation
To begin, a daily meditation of 20 minutes is recommended. A morning meditation is very useful in setting the tone for the day. Some may prefer an evening meditation to prepare for high-quality sleep. As you continue your practice, you may want to contact a teacher for guidance and techniques to deepen your meditation. The following guidelines will help you get started.
Create a Sacred Place
You may wish to create a special place in your home where you can be quiet and undisturbed. You may prefer to sit in a location surrounded by nature. Any place of your choosing can become a sacred place.
Sit Comfortably
The optimal position is sitting on the edge of your seat with your back straight and your feet placed on the floor. This allows proper energy flow and encourages you to stay present. After getting comfortable with the instructions, you will want to close your eyes.
Begin the Meditation
Place your attention on the area of your heart. Pretend that you can breathe in and out through an opening in this heart center. This may seem odd at first, but your “pretense” will actually encourage an energetic flow through your heart center. Be very gentle with your heart. The gentler you are, the more willing your heart will be to open.
As you continue your heart focus and heart breathing, make the breath rhythmic. This means that your in-breath is equal to your out-breath. There is no pause at the top or the bottom of the breath.
Continue this rhythmic breath through your heart center. If your mind should wander, gently bring it back to focus on the heart and rhythmic breathing through the heart.
With any meditation, it is best to have no expectations or goals. It is not about “doing it right.” It is about taking the time to sit still and shift your consciousness to your heart. As you deepen your practice, staying heart-centered can become a way of life. There are also practices for purification of the heart that reveal gifts that have yet to be opened.