Because when we decide to practice yoga (whatever style we choose), usually, what we are looking for is not merely physical activity but something that helps us “Connect” and get to know ourselves more deeply.
Then, we discovered that there are other bodies such as emotional, mental and energetic, more subtle in addition to our physical, concrete and tangible body. And all these aspects are united in us. Neither party acts without affecting another. If I feel sad about a loss, I will have sensations in the body, such as a closed chest or the famous “Lump in the throat” added to painful thoughts. As well as, if I feel cheerful, my body posture will be more open, the organic smile and possibly my thoughts will also be rather positive. This is something that we can all experience and record as long as we know what is happening to us.
Meditation to activate listening
When we enter the study of yoga, among many other teachings, we find the chakras. These are energy centers, distributed along the spine, linked to certain parts of the physical body, the glandular system, and various areas of our lives.
On this occasion, I would like to focus on the heart chakra, located in the center of the chest. It is related to the heart and the thymus gland. It is where unconditional love and our true identity resides. That deep part of us, that purest and most authentic being. I will also propose a meditation exercise to activate the heart chakra and thus help you to connect with its energy.
Between heaven and earth, the heart
“It is always good to remember where our truth resides, what is our center where we have the answers to everything that worries us and where our soul is.
In heaven is the mind, intuition, communication (the higher chakras). There we can create, visualize, perceive, communicate our wishes, make plans.
On earth are the basic instincts, sexuality, the will to action (the lower chakras). This is where we can carry out everything from heaven, bring it to “Reality,” manifest our dreams and projects in the matter.
Now, if heaven and earth do not pass and unite in the heart, then we will be living an imaginary life, where the “Truth” does not have many places. We choose for convenience or reasons that the mind gives us that have thousands of excuses to justify everything we do or stop doing.
However, in the heart, there are no doubts. There are no turns. There is only love and certainties. There we know what is best for us, our path to travel, and our true identity. Aligning ourselves is often a challenge. Learning to listen to the heart is a daily art. What I can attest to is that when the earth and heaven come together in the middle of the chest, the magic of the universe manifests itself and our life becomes bright like a polished diamond “(excerpt from my book” growing loving”).
Emotions that are born from love and emotions that are born from fear
Depending on how we are vibrating, we will feel one or the other emotions. We can define two large groups: emotions born from love and emotions born from fear.
When we vibrate in love, joy, calm, peace and all sensations of well-being are present. On the contrary, when we vibrate in fear, anger, anxiety, sadness, among others, are the emotions we experience.
It seems important to me to emphasize that no emotion is good or bad, nor should we reject any state because, as human beings, all emotions are part of our journey and learning. What allows us to recognize and accept our emotions is the possibility of choosing to transform them and learn from each one of them.
When we talk that yoga is a path of self-knowledge, we seek to discover the truths that will lead us to the best choices for each one of us. It is not about receiving magical and absolute recipes because I do not think they exist. Rather, it outlines our path as we move forward and learn to listen to ourselves. We can acquire techniques, receive guides, listen to experiences, but our answers will always be inside.
Meditation as a tool
Meditation is a great tool to be able to sharpen our senses and be able to connect with that truth that I mentioned. In general, when we make decisions with the heart, there are no doubts. The sensation in the body is clear. We feel that “It is the right thing” beyond all other people’s opinions.
However, to access this internal space, we often have to undo paths and beliefs that we have built throughout our upbringing, our education, by social mandates and so many external judgments that have conditioned us to believe and create, many times from fear.
For this reason, the invitation is to practice meditation to activate the heart chakra to learn to listen to ourselves, to connect with self-love in the first instance so that day by day, we can create an increasingly authentic and truer version of ourselves.
Kundalini practice: “Meditation for a calm heart”
I propose an approach to experience these words that you read, doing a meditation to activate the heart chakra.
Sit in an easy pose with a straight spine. Close your eyes. Place your left hand on your heart, in the center of your chest. The palm should be flat against the chest and the fingers, parallel to the ground, pointing to the right.
Do gian mudra with your right hand (touch the pad of your index finger with the pad of your thumb). Raise your right hand to shoulder level, palm forward and the other three fingers pointing up. The elbow should be relaxed, close to the thorax, with the forearm perpendicular to the ground. Concentrate on the flow of the breath.
Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils. Then hold your breath in and suspend your chest. Retain it as long as possible. Then breathe out slowly and completely.
With your lungs out of the air, hold back what is possible for you. Follow this rhythm for 3 minutes to start and up to 31 minutes in more advanced practices. Then inhale and exhale strong three times. Just relax.
