This pranayama meditation focuses on the heart or anahata chakra.
The heart chakra is actually located just above the heart and it works to balance the three lower chakras which are associated with our physical world and the upper three chakras which are associated with the spirit or energetic world.
When unblocked and open,
The heart chakra is associated with experiences of unconditional love,
Compassion and joy.
An imbalance of the heart chakra can be experienced as loneliness and separation,
Feeling like you don't belong or fit in or simply feeling disconnected.
If you grew up in an unloving environment or if you've been in an unloving relationship for a while,
You may develop the belief that you're not worthy of love.
Imbalances here could also develop into an overactive people-pleasing attitude where we willingly do anything for anyone just for some attention or approval which then often leads us to feeling resentment and unappreciation.
When we're emotionally bruised,
We might feel it in the heart.
If we cannot let go and forgive,
We might feel as though we have a heavy heart.
Despite wanting to let go mentally or emotionally,
Sometimes we don't seem to be able to shake it off.
So let's play with stirring up some of that stagnant energy and tap back into the experience of lightness by practicing Brahmari Pranayama or the humming bee's breath,
Named so because of the humming or buzzing sound we'll make.
The Bija mantra of the Anahata Chakra is yum and the element is air.
Let's begin.
Go ahead and settle into your seat.
You can allow your eyes to close or if you prefer,
You can leave them slightly open with your gaze lowered.
Be in gentle and deliberate contact with the surface beneath you,
Letting your hands rest gently on your thighs or in your lap.
Sit as upright as possible and be regal.
Hold your space with dignity as you reach the crown of your head skyward.
Use this time to make whatever adjustments you want as you ease yourself into a state of relaxed stillness and awareness.
As you settle in and notice sounds around you,
Know that you are part of it all rather than separate from it.
Observe and bear witness to your own breath.
Allow the never ending cycle and flow of your own unique pattern of breathing draw you into deeper states of relaxation and calm.
Perhaps you notice how the movement of your breath creates movement in your body with each inhale and exhale.
Notice where you feel the act of breathing the most.
Perhaps you notice the breath entering and exiting your nostril.
Perhaps you notice the rise and fall of your chest.
Perhaps your attention is on the expansion of your belly as you breathe in,
Or the relaxation of your belly as you breathe out.
Perhaps you notice it somewhere else completely.
Perhaps you don't really notice anything at all.
There's no right or wrong.
Whatever you're noticing is up to you.
Now encourage a state of even deeper relaxation by intentionally making your next few breaths a little bit bigger,
A little bit deeper,
And a little bit longer.
Let go of this intentional regulation of your breath and let it return to its natural rhythm and depth.
Throughout your meditation,
Whenever you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Gently guide your attention back to your breath,
Back to the movement of your body as your breath flows through you.
Let your renewed attention to your breath once again be your anchor to the present moment.
Today you're going to ask for help to clear your body and mind from any burdens,
Worries or pain you're carrying,
Whether it's yours to carry or not.
It could be someone else's burden,
Perhaps that of a child,
A parent,
A partner,
A friend,
Or it could be something you're carrying on behalf of your community or even of the world at large,
And you don't need to name it to feel it.
Feel the weight in your heart that's causing you to suffer.
See if you can find the feeling of that energy in your heart.
Maybe you lost somebody or something.
Maybe there's a sense of helplessness or pain from seeing your child or someone else's child struggle or cry.
Maybe there's some intangible weight from something that occurred so long ago that holding it feels normal to you.
Whatever memory,
Thought or emotion that's coming to you wants to be seen by you.
So see it and feel it.
And imagine the energy of that event or emotion starting to flow out from your heart and see it directly in front of you.
It could be in the form of a bubble.
It could be a ray of light or a shadow.
Whatever image first comes for you is the image that's right for you.
This is your experience.
There is no right or wrong.
It's important to know that wanting to separate yourself from this energy doesn't mean that you want to separate yourself from a particular person or that you're insensitive to a situation or an event.
It doesn't mean that you don't care or want to help.
But it does mean that right here in this moment you'd like to release it from you and hand it over to something greater than you to carry.
And in the space left in the wake of the burden's absence you might find something else.
An awakening.
A feeling of lightness.
Of love.
Of serenity.
And of joy.
Now let's introduce the breathing technique Brahmari Pranayama into our meditation.
Start by mindfully relaxing all your facial muscles.
Keep your lips lightly touching while letting your jaw relax.
Think of separating ever so gently the upper and lower rows of your teeth.
We'll inhale together and fill our bellies with air remembering to stop before we reach a point of strain and then exhale while making a low to medium pitched humming sound in your throat.
Here we go.
And inhale.
And exhale.
And inhale.
And exhale.
And inhale.
And exhale.
Continue breathing this way on your own for three minutes and I'll keep track of the time.
Now you can let go of the pranayama and let the energy settle for a few moments.
Observe any residual vibrations or activity in your body,
Your mind or your emotions.
Before we go into our next and final period of silence,
Let's perform 11 rounds of the Bija mantra.
We'll inhale together and on the exhale,
Chant aloud or silently.
YUM.
YUM.
Let's begin.
And inhale.
And on the exhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
Inhale.
YUM.
And now let go of the mantra and we'll sit in silence for five minutes and I'll keep track of the time.
And keeping your eyes closed,
Start to take some deeper breaths now as you begin to transition out of your practice.
Slowly reacquaint yourself with the sensation of being in your environment.
Take your time.
You might begin to wake your body up by slowly circling your wrists and ankles.
Then you might adjust your arms and legs.
Simply allow for any movement your body is asking you for.
Start to tune back into the sounds of your environment.
Start to reconnect to the surface beneath you.
And when you're ready,
You can slowly open your eyes.
