Finding Balance: Session Four - Our Hearts

Finding Balance

A series of suggestions to help balance our energies

and our sense of self

There are seven main energy centres throughout our bodies, known in some philosophies as chakras. These energy centres align with the spine, from its base to the crown of the head. They have been described as swirling wheels of our vital life force, where matter and consciousness meet, and they correspond to significant nerve centres in the body. It's important for our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being that these energy centres stay open, unblocked, and balanced. Each of the seven sessions focuses on a different energy centre. They can be used by individuals or by groups. 

The workshops offered on this blog are the result of my thoughts, reflections, and experiences, woven together using my own words and sometimes adapting the words others have used: I am indebted to their wisdom. Please use these workshops freely, adapting them as suits your own context. I am always pleased to hear from people who have used them.

Session Four : Our Hearts

The fourth work-shop is to do with the Heart, the mid-point of the seven energy

centres, where the physical and the spiritual meet. For this session you will need:

• a rug or mat, and a green or pink stone for each participant (remember to have some extras for unexpected attendees)
• lavender or jasmine incense (if no-one has any problems with the vapour) and matches to light it.

You may also wish to play music during the meditation, in which case choose

something quiet, calm, and unobtrusive.

The Welcome, Introduction and Feedback:

Welcome to you all, as we gather together again to continue learning some ways

that may help us to achieve greater balance within our selves. Today we will focus

on the fourth energy centre, the heart, which unites the centres of matter and of

spirit... But first of all, it'd be good to have a chat about the first three sessions, 

how we've got on with our practice at home, and what we've found more or less

helpful..

Reflecting on the Heart :

The energy centre of the heart is said to serve as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions and spirit; it's the source of love and connection.

The Sanskrit word for this fourth chakra is Anahata, which means un-struck, un-hurt, or un-beaten, and this is understood to imply that beneath the hurts and grievances of past experiences lies a place of love where no hurt exists.

When our hearts are open, we feel loving and compassionate, quick to forgive, to accept others and our selves, and to have a lightness of touch that doesn't seek to imprison whatever or whoever we love.

When our hearts are closed or out of balance, we may give way to grief, anger, jealousy, fear, a sense of worthlessness, and such contempt of others that we don't care if and how we hurt them.

The Recollection:

Everyone gets hurt sometime, but we can choose what to do when we're hurt.

Some of us choose to hit back and hurt someone else - which simply continues a literally vicious circle; some of us choose to stay in the place of grievances, holding on to the hurt, not letting it heal, but letting it warp our future, filling us with negativity and cutting us off from new opportunities; some of us choose to let the hurt go, to move on to new situations and people and experiences, without withdrawing ourselves from the possibilities and the vulnerabilities of love.

We'll take a few moments now to recollect times when we've hurt our selves more

by holding on to old damage; and times when we've walked away, and gradually

found healing... 

People hurt each other – and their selves - for all sorts of reasons, and I think it's

important to look deeper than the immediate behaviour, to consider causes, not

just symptoms – not just the what but the why. As a strategy for coping with hurt,

this helps take the focus away from ourselves and put it on the other person – not

to provide excuses for what they've done, but to acknowledge that it's about them,

not us: they're the one with a problem.

And if someone keeps repeating a pattern of inflicting hurt, then we have to learn

to set boundaries to protect ourselves, or others, and to be clear that the cause

lies with the perpetrator, not their victim. This is hard stuff to deal with, and at its

most serious, we may need to find professional, maybe legal, help.

Another hard aspect of all this is the knowledge that within us all is the capacity to

hurt - to hurt others and to hurt our selves – in so many ways. And we've all done

it, hurt other people, and hurt our selves. But if we are confident in our selves,

and if we believe that there is always another opportunity to start again, then

little by little love will overcome fear.

The Repentance and Thanksgiving:

We are sorry for the hurts we have caused others:

       We are sorry.

we are sorry for the hurts we have caused our selves:

       We are sorry.

we are sorry for the hurts we have clung on to and not allowed to heal:

       We are sorry.

As we come here seeking greater balance and openness within our selves,

we recognise the pain and darkness and fear that afflict so many of us.

And yet here we are, willing to change, willing to try again,

willing to lose as well as to gain.

And so, for all that we have left behind us:

       we offer thanks!

For all that lies before us:

       we offer thanks!

For the people we love and trust,

       we offer thanks!

For the people who love and trust us:

       we offer thanks!

For the pains and joys of love and loss:

       we offer thanks!

For the transformation of darkness into light,

of sorrow into joy, of tears into laughter:

       we offer thanks!

That light and life endure, even through grief and pain:

       we offer thanks!

That all things change: from darkness comes light,

from ill comes good, from death comes birth:

       we offer thanks!

The Sharing of Peace:

Every day, every moment, is a new opportunity to begin again, to align our selves more closely to becoming the people we are born to be, and to share love and light with others.

We humans have filled our world with trouble and sorrow, even though all around us is beauty and glory. We have brought chaos, but we wish to bring peace.

In the sure and certain hope that all things can be transformed, we now share with each other a sign of peace, saying to one another: Peace be with you:

       And also with you!

Beginning to Balance:

Step One - The Complete Joy Breath

Sit comfortably... Close your right nostril with your right thumb;

inhale through the left nostril for three counts;

use the little finger of your right hand to close your left nostril;

hold your breath for six counts;

release your right thumb and exhale through the right nostril for six counts.

Repeat on the other side...

and then we'll repeat the whole sequence several times.

Step Two - Chest Fly Exercise

Sit comfortably; bring your arms out to the side, palms down.

As you exhale, bring your arms forwards until they almost meet.

On an inhalation, bring your arms back to the side.

Find a comfortable rhythm and continue fro 1-5 minutes.

Step Three - Meditation

The element of the heart chakra is air, and its colour is usually green, occasionally

pink, so before we begin our meditation, please take a green or pink stone, and

hold it over your heart. The meditation will take about five minutes.

Please make yourself comfortable....

Suggested script for Guided Meditation:

Take a long and deep breath in, and then, as you exhale, move your attention to

your heart, and imagine the glowing green chakra there, spreading life outwards

from your heart, to fill your lungs, and on through the rest of your body...

As you relax in this green glow, imagine you're standing under a large tree,

with a huge green canopy spreading in all directions...

The wind rustles through its bright green leaves making a gentle sound...

Now imagine you start climbing the tree...

As you move up, you pass thick branches laden with green leaves...

The sunlight is dappled as it filters through their cool, soothing shade...

Imagine you reach the top of the tree and see the panoramic view of your surroundings: in every direction there is a sea of lush green vegetation...

Rest for a while, safe within the branches and the leaves of the tree...

As you rest, the tree nurtures and nourishes you just as it provides strength, support and safety to all of its leaves...

As the green tree holds you, dappled sunlight washes over you,

and you feel your heart taking in energy, vitality, freshness, strength...

Breathe deeply and rest, even as you feel reinvigorated...

When you're ready, imagine yourself starting to descent gently from the tree...

You feel the love and care of the tree, whose branches support you on your way down, whose leaves shade you from the bright sunlight...

Imagine you're again standing by the trunk of the tree, dappled sunlight above you,

green life in the heart of you, strong roots beneath you...

Now return your awareness to your body and to your breathing...

Breathe deeply, slowly, steadily,

And when you are ready, open your eyes...

Being open-hearted:

The best way to receive love is to give it, and, although hugs aren't the same as love as such, it's been suggested that we should give and receive 12 hugs of at least 6 seconds duration every day for optimal health!

As well as hugs, we can smile, even when we don't feel like it;

we can stop holding grudges – life's too short!

We can give positive affirmation and feedback to our families, friends and colleagues; and we can try to go one day a week without criticising anyone or anything – including our selves!

If someone's being hurtful towards us, we can imagine surrounding our selves with a pink or green bubble, like a force-field, that they can't get through.

When we hurt someone else, we can sorry sooner rather than later.

We can say 'I love you' to those we love, and never leave it too late.

We can re-learn how to love and enjoy our selves:

before we meet again, do something you love to do!

And as well as practicing chanting and positions if you want to,

I recommend we all watch my favourite film,

whether or not you've seen it before: Love Actually.

So when we meet next time, we can share, if we want to,

how we got on with hugs, affirmations, and not criticising, and what it was that we did that we love to do; 

and as well, please bring with you something that you feel expresses

your thoughts about your heart, about love – anything at all, it's up to you -

and we'll share those together, and learn from each other.

The Closing:

So, today we have focused on the heart chakra;  we've recognised that love makes

us vulnerable to hurt, and that holding on to hurts causes even more damage.

We've repented of the hurts we've caused our selves and others, and given thanks for the

love and light in our lives that enable us to make fresh starts.

We've shared words and signs of peace between us, and begun to learn about ways of

opening and rebalancing our hearts.

Now, as we break our circle and go to our homes,

may we take with us the blessings of water, light, and air,

the blessings of the earth and its beauty,

the blessings of friendship and forgiveness:

       These blessings be granted to all!

And may we be blessed with the time to re-discover

this world of joy and the gifts of love:

       These blessings be granted to all!

Chanting helps bring us back to balance because sound creates vibrations in the body, which help the cells work together, literally in harmony. For the heart, we chant the sound YAM. The main colour of this energy centre is green, so as you breathe in, between the words, imagine you are breathing in green energy and, like the air you take it, let it flow throughout your body. As you breathe out, on the word YAM, imagine that flow of green energy picking up all the impurities of your body and expelling them. Use something that chimes to give you a comfortable note for the chant...

The Sphinx Pose:

Lie on your stomach with your legs extended behind you. Rotate your thighs inwards, place your elbows next to your shoulders, and your forearms parallel to each other. On an inhalation, keep lengthening through your tailbone as you lift your head and torso off the floor. Lightly draw your belly up, rounding it towards your lower back. Stay for 5-10 breaths, then gently release, and repeat twice.

The Camel Pose: Begin on your knees with your legs hip-width apart. Place your hands in the small of your back. Without compressing your lower back, lean back into the support of your hands, then, if you can, move your hands to clasp your ankles. Focus on lifting your pelvis so your hips don't pop forwards. Remain in the pose for 30-60 seconds, return gently to kneeling, and then rest for a few breaths in the Child's Pose.

The Cat Pose: Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders

and your knees under your hips. Gently lift your back into an arch, and release your gaze downwards, then gently reverse the curve and look up. Repeat 5 or 6 times, then rest in the Child's Pose.