Anahata (Unstruck)
Sat Nam, Welcome in.
All you need is Love; this is true, but for love to go out, it has to come in first. I do believe we learn to love unconditionally. I think to love is innate—romantic, parental, brotherly/sisterly; but to love another is directly proportional to love for our own self. And if we are taught that we can only receive love under certain conditions—then we learn we can only transmit love under certain conditions.
How do we un-do what has been done to us? We accept the lives our parents lived, period. We are our true nature, not our baby self. Not our wounded teenager. Not our wrecked childhood. We suffer as if we were still living in that past.
What part of you or me from our trauma of not being loved unconditionally still exists?
That body is gone—every cell completely replaced. So we are suffering from a memory of a long-lost self.
Why should we consider healing our heart chakra? Because humans have found again and again that there is no peace in life except when we love ourselves, and in turn, love others. It drives us to service, which is the root of all human doing. A human doing right is a human doing service, selfless service, for her neighbors. To live less than this is to live in depression, boredom, frustration, irritation and regret. We become ill—inflamed, in pain, we become lame and suffer from all sorts of ailments. We numb ourselves to the pain of being unloved. We cripple ourselves.
I cannot think of a better reason to untangle the obstacles at the root, sacral and navel point than to have a shot at an unblocked heart chakra. It is really only then that we can live fully realized and happy, spiritual lives. The upper chakras cannot be realized according to your truth if they are ruled by that energy center below the heart. If the heart rules the head, both are healthy. If the head rules the heart, both are discontented.
This work of human being is just that—work. When we rest in meditation, we are learning to love ourselves as we are. No need to do anything to achieve status, to achieve ego gratification. Just Be. The hardest lessons are often the easiest to explain.
Now go love yourself with this meditation:
Tune in: Mentally say: I bow to the divine teacher within, OR, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo; mentally say this three times.
Sit in a comfortable position where your spine can be elongated and your heart can be lifted. Tuck the chin, relax the shoulders, and rest the palms on the knees or in your lap.
Breathing only through the nose, here is your practice:
Begin to take long, slow deep breaths, inhaling from the belly up to the throat. Lightly suspend the breath and exhale. Do this for 3 minutes. No need for a timer, just approximate it. Radiate love from your chest, love as you understand it, as it befits you. Don’t think about this instruction, just do it. Fake it if you have to; just radiate LOVE.
Now begin a counted breath. Inhale for a count of five, hold for a count of five, exhale for a count of five. Continue. Lengthen the count as you are able…always keeping the count the same for the inhale, hold and exhale.
When you’ve reached the ability to do a count of ten, do 5 of those breaths.
You will be taking 2 breaths per minute.
You are finished. Take a long slow inhale, suspend the breath for as long as you can, exhale, and relax.
The goal is a one-minute breath.
Practice this way, every day for seven days, starting today, right now. Take ten to 15 minutes to practice breathing.
At the end of each session, sit in contemplation about how the breath and your radiant heart carried you through the process. Sincerely and without judgement think about your experience.
Self-love is a practice. It will deepen and become more natural with time. You will make for yourself a home within your body. It will connect your intellect with your body, and therefore your emotions. Your emotions live in your body. Connection to your feelings, your bodily functions such as heart rate, breath and digestion, will connect you with your whole self.
And what is not to love? You are such a gift to this earth.
Sat Nam, thanks for watching.
Andrea Fiondo