Welcome to Elevate.
I'm Nina Englander,
Thanks for joining me.
Elevate is a process that focuses on the energy centers in the body in order to move into a place of peace and awareness,
No matter what is going on in your life or in the world around you.
Elevate can be used daily as a short and sweet mindfulness exercise,
Or it can be used more intentionally to help you move toward a goal or manifest something in your life that you feel would bring you more happiness.
Today we're going to focus on the fourth chakra,
Also called the heart chakra.
It's the energy center in the middle of your chest.
The heart chakra is related to love and compassion,
And orienting yourself to the heart chakra can help you get in touch with love,
Not necessarily romantic love,
But the love of others,
Love of nature,
Love of all beings,
Love of yourself.
This is a good process to do anytime and can be helpful when you're feeling negative emotions like sadness or loneliness or fear.
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable seated position with your back upright.
You can be fully relaxed and if you're comfortable doing so,
Close your eyes.
As you settle in,
Notice any sounds around you.
Try not to judge them,
Just notice them.
Now begin to tune into your breath in its natural rhythm.
Notice the breath coming in,
How it feels cool in the nose,
And notice the breath going out,
How the air coming out feels warm in the nose.
And let's do this for a moment,
Maybe making those breaths a little bit deeper now,
Going at your own pace.
Cool air coming in,
Warm air going out.
You can think to yourself,
This is the in-breath and this is the out-breath,
Anything that anchors you to your breath.
In continuing this easy breath pattern,
Bring your awareness to your chest and abdomen.
Here you can feel the air coming in and filling the lungs.
And then as the air comes out,
Notice the lungs softening and relaxing.
Know that the breath is our anchor throughout this session and also throughout our lives.
So when you notice that you're starting to drift off,
Or starting to plan,
Or having any kind of distracting thoughts,
And you will,
Just acknowledge them,
Give them a little polite nod,
And then come back to the breath.
Now,
Bring your awareness to the inside of your body.
Start by focusing your attention on your heart space in the center of your chest.
This is your fourth chakra,
Your heart chakra.
And while you continue to breathe in your regular pattern,
Imagine a ball of energy or light forming in the chest.
Imagine that light circling like a ball,
Spinning,
Getting larger.
Can you feel the vibration of energy there?
It might feel like a pleasant buzz,
Or a feeling of warmth,
Or vibration.
Imagine that this energy,
Or light,
Or vibration is nourishing your physical heart.
This is a skill that doesn't necessarily come naturally to everyone,
But does get easier with practice.
So if you aren't feeling it right away,
That is okay.
See if you can imagine a ball of light in your chest.
Maybe it has a color.
The color of the heart is green,
So you can imagine any shade of green.
And sit for a moment with the sensation of something stirring in the center of the chest.
Try to feel the warmth and the vibration there.
And enjoy this feeling,
And continue to breathe slowly and deeply.
Again,
If you notice that your thoughts are drifting,
Or you're starting to make plans for the rest of your day,
Or worrying,
Just simply notice that.
And then you can acknowledge,
Oh,
There I am,
Thinking again.
And then gently move back to the breath and the heart chakra.
Now,
Think about that part of your body as a place from which love grows and increases.
It can start out like a small sensation in your chest,
And it starts to get bigger and brighter until it's like a beautiful glowing light.
Sometimes it helps to use images from nature as an anchor for this practice.
You can imagine a beloved animal looking in your eyes.
It can be a pet,
Or an animal from nature,
An adorable baby seal,
Or a kitten,
Or a rabbit,
Whatever animal you feel lovingly about.
Imagine that you and the animal are staring into each other's eyes,
And feel the expansion of your chest,
Like your heart is swelling up and filling the entire space.
As you continue to breathe and engage with this positive feeling,
And feel it in your body,
Begin to give gratitude to something that makes you feel loving,
Loved,
And compassionate.
And you get extra bonus points if you think loving thoughts about yourself.
Keep breathing here in this connected place for as long as you like.
You can always pause the recording if you want to spend more time here.
We're going to bring this practice to a close.
So as you begin to come back to the present,
Start to wiggle your fingers,
Your toes,
Maybe take a little stretch.
And now gently open your eyes.
Thank you so much for elevating with me today.
I hope you carry this feeling with you for the rest of your day,
Or into your night.
And I will leave you with a heart metta prayer.
May you easily realize your loving nature.
May you feel compassion for the world,
And for all beings.
May you embody deep love and acceptance for yourself.
