Awakened Heart Meditation is a series of practices for connecting with the deep energy of your own open heart. You might experience that heart energy in different ways: as love, as pure awareness, as the inner knower of your thoughts, as pulsing energy or light, as pure presence, as subtle feelings and sensations. However you may experience it, the heart is who you really are. When you stand in the heart, you can free yourself from the tyranny of fear, pain and confusion. You can feel your true connection with the hearts of others, and with the heart of the universe.
We meditate to explore the Heart, to let the heart reveal its wisdom and love to us. In meditation, we discover how the heart awakens. We practice returning to the heart again and again. One day, we find ourselves living in the heart, from the heart, and for the heart.
Meditate Now
Read through the instructions, and then close your eyes and practice!
Sit with your back comfortably erect. Begin by putting your attention into the heart region, in the center of your chest, into the region of the heart. This is not the physical heart, but the subtle heart center. To find it, place your fingertips in the center of the breastbone, about 8 fingerwidths down from the u-shaped bone at the neck. The heart center is just behind that part of the breastbone. Once you have located the space, you may place your hands in your lap, palms down on your knees.
Feel that the breath is gently flowing in and out through your heart.
As the breath flows in, let its gentle touch soften and expand your heart. As the breath flows out, let it carry away any thoughts that arise. Let each breath softly loosen and carry away any blocks or barriers.
Stay with the breath as it flows gently in and out of the heart. With each breath feel your heart softening, opening. Let yourself rest in the heart.
Meditation Audio Instruction 1
While you’re waiting for the audio to download, you might like to seat yourself in a comfortable, upright meditation posture.
