“These meditation techniques are extremely logical and practical. Instead of taking me away from life, they have taught me how to truly live it.” - SAVITRI, CREATOR OF HEARTFULL® MEDITATION
Honestly, even after years of practicing yoga I was still struggling with meditation. After all meditation is a big part of yoga and to actually live yoga (as a yoga teacher) one must have a meditation practice. I just could not understand how one can stop thinking, what is the approach to actually not to hear ones thoughts anymore?
So I tried many different meditations, many different schools and none of them really worked, even if I gave an effort. For a while I just gave up on it.
Until I found Heartfull Meditation (heartfull written on purpose with two L's) by Purna Yoga co-founder Savitri.
This meditation was a game changer, because it taught me that I do not have to stop thinking, but what I need to do is to learn to FOCUS my mind and thoughts. And focusing my mind was already part of my yoga asana practice. I also learned that instead of "not thinking" I am actually using my mind to go into meditation. I was taught to use my imagination, my intention and visualisation.
What is the goal of meditation?
The goal of meditation is not only to still the mind, even though that's a great benefit in our noisy world, but to use the mind to create what you want in your life and find out why you came here.
This means, your meditation should always have a purpose. In Heartfull Meditation we are taught to access the voice in the heart, to listen to our intuition, to be more kind, loving and caring. In the long run being in touch with our souls as we go deeper.
Going deep in meditation is being connected to our true selves, getting to know all parts of us, realising that we are more than what we see on the outside. But we have to start somewhere.
So how does this dynamic meditation work?
Let's start from a very simple but profound technique which is called the magic button also called the heart centre or the heart chakra.
Magic Button:
To find your heart centre, touch the spot on the sternum at the level of the armpits with your right middle finger.
Feel the heart centre, imagine a ball of white light inside your chest, gently massage
Connect to a beautiful feeling, or a feeling of gratitude or some feeling that makes you feel calm
Do this for 5 minutes, working to keep the feeling
Don't worry if you lose it, acknowledge it and come back. In the beginning I got lost all the time, but with practice I could hold the feeling longer and longer
You will also be taught the mental centring technique as one of the other "meditation snacks". The idea is to move the energy of the mind into the heart. So instead of not thinking we are using the gifts of the mind and offer them to the light in the heart so that it can guide us.
Mental Centring:
Place your slightly cupped hands to the sides of your head, be aware of your thoughts
On an exhalation move the energy of the mind together between your palms until they touch in front of your eyes. Imagine your hands inside your head
Inhale there
As you exhale move the mind and thoughts (you've just gathered) down through the centre of your body into the heart centre
Repeating this for 5-10 minutes. You will feel how your mind becomes more calm and your focus and feeling is on the heart as you keep going there
There are many more meditation snacks as part of Heartfull Meditation and as you practice this you will begin to be able to create what you really want. A calm and focused mind is an absolute start, with a connection to the heart even better.
To practice meditation with us go to this link
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