Introduction To Heart Rhythm

Peace comes when the self is in harmony with the heart. This is accomplished in silent meditation by entering the life stream in the heart. The form of concentration used is first getting into the rhythm of the heart by feeling our heartbeats and harmonizing with them.

This is an ancient practice with Sufi origins which was brought to the west in the early 1900s by a Sufi mystic and musician named Hazrat Inayat Khan. Heart meditation has also been part of Christianity since the time of the Apostles. It was called the Prayer of the Heart by the desert fathers.

Studies in the past two decades have been confirming that there is indeed a brain inside the heart. Neurocardiology is an emerging field which looks at the relationship between the brain and heart.

The method of Heart Rhythm Meditation has been taught and refined for the past two decades by Puran and Susanna Bair of the Institute for Applied Meditation. They have been my personal teachers and role models.

Transcript

Preparing for Heart Rhythm Meditation First establish a quiet location where you can sit comfortably.

Commit to practice for a specific period of time,

Preferably early in your day,

For 10 to 20 minutes.

Remember that disturbances such as noise and a wandering mind are part of the practice.

Simply note distractions and return to breath and heartbeat.

Heart Rhythm Meditation is designed to be used in the midst of life,

Not to remove us from everyday life.

To begin,

We adopt a royal upright posture.

Our spine is straight but not rigid.

The shoulders are back and relaxed.

The sternum is lifted.

The chest is open and your hands are resting on your knees or lap.

We call this the royal posture because you are engaged in a noble endeavor and your posture reflects this.

Next,

Close your eyes and enjoy turning your attention within.

Cultivate a sense of inner stillness and rootedness in your sitting posture.

You are vast yet grounded.

We call this the monolithic state.

Next,

Begin to notice your breathing patterns.

Notice your inhales,

Exhales,

The turn around between inhale and exhale.

Just follow this for several breath cycles now.

Now,

Gently intervene in your breathing pattern by extending your exhale and making it several seconds longer and more complete than usual.

Continue this for several breath cycles now,

Extending your exhale.

Now we add a second intervention to your regular breathing pattern.

We're going to extend the inhale and make that longer and deeper than usual and similar in length to the exhale.

This is called the full conscious breath.

Full and complete exhale followed by full and complete inhale.

The third intervention for heart rhythm practice is to now hold your full inhale for several seconds and give full attention to your heart.

Listen and feel inside for the sensation of heartbeat while holding the breath.

By holding the breath,

Your full lungs amplify the sensation of heartbeat and make it easier to find and feel.

In addition,

You can place your fingertips over your heart or contact your pulse point at the throat or on your wrist.

This is called heartbeat pulse awareness.

You may not find your pulse or it may be easy for you to find.

If you don't find it,

You can just count mentally.

If you do have contact with your pulse heartbeat,

You can drop the holding and now we're going to use the rhythm of your own pulse heartbeat to make your inhales and exhales the same length.

About six to eight beats.

So we want to exhale for six to eight beats and then inhale for the same amount.

This makes our breath the same length,

Rhythmic and full.

So we're breathing in and out in rhythm with our pulse and heartbeat with a full conscious breath.

This is what we call the home base practice for heart rhythm meditation.

Now just enjoy breathing fully,

Consciously and rhythmically with awareness on heart.

Now to conclude a heart rhythm session,

We can return to simple awareness of your normal breathing.

You can drop any particular way of breathing.

Take a few breaths and notice any physical or emotional effects from this practice.

Thank yourself for setting aside this time to practice and thank your heart for sustaining you.

Gently move,

Stretch and reflect on the day ahead.

Consider opportunities to use meditation in upcoming situations to benefit yourself and others.

Thank you.