Hello.
This meditation is called Turning the Heart Free.
It is a gentle reflection on how the heart learns to protect itself through life's emotional challenges,
And how in moments of deepening personal awareness it recognizes its loving presence again.
Make yourself comfortable and allow this time to be one of peaceful reflection.
There are times in life when the heart learns to protect itself,
Perhaps after disappointments,
Misunderstandings,
Trauma,
Or deep personal loss.
And so without really intending to do so,
The heart unconsciously develops its own defenses,
Becoming guarded,
Watchful,
Sensitive,
Simply not wanting to suffer in the same way.
This learnt response is a very natural way the heart tries to care for itself after difficult experiences.
But the heart's true nature is not one that needs protecting.
It is not something that needs to be watched.
Naturally,
It is one of open self-giving,
Inspiration,
Of willingness,
Kindness,
And thoughtfulness,
One of compassion,
Sensitivity,
And selfless love.
Let us look at this a little more closely.
Bring your attention to being here,
Just as you are.
There is nowhere you need to be,
Nothing you need to achieve at this moment.
Just be fully here,
Relaxed.
Let us begin by noticing the gentle rhythm of the breath.
Breathing in slowly through the nose,
Mouth closed.
At the top of the breath,
Pause for a moment.
And then as you exhale,
Allow the breath to leave quietly,
With the outgoing breath being slightly longer in duration than the incoming breath.
At the bottom of the breath,
Pause again.
Then breathe in again,
Softly and fully.
Then at the top of that breath,
Pause again,
And exhale as before.
Continue this gentle rhythm of breathing,
Allowing it to develop naturally in its own relation.
At different times,
The heart tries to avoid revisiting past pains.
Whatever those causes may be,
We can become more sensitive,
Reserved,
Cautious,
Withdrawn,
And generally hesitant in how or when we share and open ourselves to others.
And often we do this simply because we cared deeply in the first place.
And so we begin to carefully watch the heart and its feelings,
Not wanting a repeat of past experiences.
To protect the heart like this is very much part of the human condition.
In viewing the heart as something fragile,
Something that can be vulnerable,
Perhaps naive at times,
It becomes something we feel we must quietly look after and protect.
And this approach begins to influence how we live,
How we think,
And how we more broadly view life.
In how we interact with others,
How we approach relationships,
Can we trust again,
Put ourselves out there?
Yet when the heart remains guarded for too long,
Something within it begins to quieten.
It's natural warmth and openness can become withdrawn,
Instinctively giving less of itself and,
As a result,
Less of its sensitivity,
Joy,
Loving nature,
Kindness,
And enthusiasm.
Not out of weakness,
But simply out of caution,
Wishing not to be hurt again.
Now bring your attention to the region of the heart.
Rest here.
Be still.
Focused.
Perhaps you can sense its innate warmth.
The gentle presence of the heart,
Pulsing,
Beating,
Always there,
Quietly alive within you.
Now,
With the next few breaths,
Allow this awareness to broaden a little.
To the point that you can imagine a glowing radiance emanating from there.
The first soft rays of hope,
Promise,
And light.
The heart's presence begins to now show itself.
It is as though the heart is yearning to quietly show the abiding truth of itself again.
Warming to the realization that it does not have to remain guarded.
Rest now with the awakening heart,
Sensing its expanding presence as it sees itself alive within you.
The heart was never meant to live in defense,
Or in denial of its own loving capacity.
Its natural presence is openness,
Willingness,
Selflessness,
Generosity,
Kindness,
Warmth,
And compassion.
Its natural beingness is self-giving,
And an inseparable embracing of all life.
Not because it is trying to be seen,
But because this is simply its joy.
Its peaceful nature.
Its true living essence.
And now you may begin to sense something most profound.
The heart does not open because the world becomes safe.
It opens because its very nature is to love.
And this love quietly touches and opens the hearts of others to be generous,
To forgive,
To care,
To be spontaneous,
Self-giving,
Kind,
And patient.
Now imagine that the heart is not something fragile that must be protected,
But something vast and luminous,
Deeply wise,
Grounded,
And reliable.
Capable of meeting the headwinds of life exactly as they are,
Without hesitation,
Present with each moment.
A heart that can feel deeply.
A heart that can love unconditionally.
A heart that can remain open,
Warm,
And soft,
Even when life can be raw.
And perhaps you may also notice something more.
When the heart is allowed to be its natural openness,
It no longer is a lesser version of itself.
For it intuitively knows that it is the vibrant,
Dynamic,
Timeless flow of life itself.
And so quietly and very personally,
There may be a gentle willingness here now to allow the heart to open again.
To give it back its freedom.
Allowing the heart to offer itself outwardly again,
In the many ways of its expressive self.
To be radiantly free,
Appreciative.
To be its true open and spontaneous self.
Not through effort.
Not through sacrifice.
But through its own peaceful knowing,
Trust,
And openness.
A heart that is no longer tightly protected naturally begins to offer itself back to the world.
Through its kindness.
Through its patient listening.
Through its soft and warm presence.
Through those numerous small unseen acts of unconditional giving.
Now this is not something you need to show,
Introduce,
Or encourage.
For the heart already knows this as its natural way.
This is its fullest expression.
The heart patiently waits until little by little we begin to trust again.
Until the guard slowly lowers.
And in that moment,
Something very natural opens.
The heart,
In its freedom,
Begins to face outward again.
Joyfully free.
Not reckless.
Not naive.
But openly surrendered to the call of life itself.
Free to meet life as it is.
In all its messiness and uncertainty.
Rest here for a few moments.
Breathing gently.
Feeling the quiet presence of the heart.
Nothing to prove.
Nothing to protect.
Just a quiet willingness to let the heart be what it already is.
Alive.
Vibrant.
And perhaps you may notice something very significant.
The heart was never asking to be protected.
Only trusted.
Quietly deepen the breath now.
Feeling the body once again.
The room around you.
And carry this deeper knowing with you.
The heart does not become free through protection.
It becomes free when it is trusted to open again.
How slowly,
When you're ready,
You may open the eyes.
Carry this quiet truth of the heart's openness with you now.
Freeing the heart to once again meet life openly.
And remember,
The heart is the boundless compassion and spontaneity of unconditional love.
Blessings to you.
