Welcome.
Begin by sitting comfortably.
Allow your lower body to relax and ensure both sitting bones are grounded evenly.
Invite the qualities of stare,
Steadiness,
And sook,
Ease,
Into your posture.
Let the spine rise naturally,
Like a young bamboo shoot,
Rooted in the earth,
Yet reaching effortlessly toward the sky.
Let the shoulders soften,
Releasing away from the ears.
Soften the muscles of the face.
Unclench the jaw and let the tongue rest gently behind the top teeth.
Allow the hands to rest naturally,
Perhaps in Gyan Mudra,
Or simply placed in your lap.
Now gently close your eyes.
Allow the outer world to fade and begin to turn inward.
This turning within is called Pratihar.
Just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell,
Let your senses retreat,
Returning to the stillness within.
Take a deep,
Slow inhale and a soft,
Complete exhale.
Another long,
Slow,
Deep inhale and a soft,
Complete exhale.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the heart,
Not the physical or the anatomical heart,
But the spiritual heart,
Known in Sanskrit as Hridaya,
The innermost seat of the Self,
The silent witness.
The innermost space is known as the Hridaya Guha,
The cave of the heart.
Not a physical place,
But a subtle,
Luminous sanctuary within,
Still,
Silent,
Untouched by the changing world.
Be still,
Be silent,
And listen.
Now listen for the sound within,
The Anahatnad,
The unshruck sound.
It arises not from contact,
Not from two objects meeting,
But arises spontaneously,
From deep within your being,
Subtle,
Unseen,
Ever-present.
It is not heard with the ears,
But felt in stillness,
In the quiet spaciousness of shunya or nothingness.
Just be still,
Be silent,
And listen inwardly.
If thoughts arise,
Let them pass gently and simply return to your heart,
To the sacred act of listening.
As the mind quiets,
Feel the cave of the heart begin to glow,
Softly,
Gently,
From within.
This is the space where the knot of ignorance,
Avidya granthi,
Begins to dissolve.
As the Mandukha Upanishad says,
Hrdaya stheyi hi granthi chidaithe,
In the heart,
The knot is untied.
Peace is not something you seek,
It is what you already are.
All that you have been longing for,
Tranquility,
Freedom,
Joy,
Is already here,
Right now.
Take a few more gentle breaths in this sacred space.
Let the presence deepen.
Rest,
Rest in the quiet radiance of the heart.
Listen once more to the unspoken sound,
The anahat,
The eternal vibration of your true self.
And now,
Gently return to the breath,
To the body,
To the space around you.
Feel the ground beneath you,
The air on your skin,
The light behind your closed eyes.
Slowly,
Softly,
Open your eyes.
Carry this silence within you,
Like a steady flame,
Quiet and bright,
Wherever you go.
To conclude the practice,
We remember the teaching from Patanjali's Yoga Sutra.
Vishok vajyotishmati,
My inner light shines.
Vishok vajyotishmati,
My inner light shines.
My inner light shines.
Namaste.
