For this meditation,
You'll lie on your back with a pillow or a bolster underneath your chest.
Your knees can be bent,
Leaning on each other,
Or you can bring your legs out straight,
Allowing your toes to flop outward.
Once you get settled,
Start to bring your awareness to your breath.
Expand your belly and your diaphragm with your inhale,
And soften your belly down towards the earth at the end of your exhale.
Now let your inhale expand from the bottom of your lungs all the way up to the top,
Lifting and expanding your chest,
And softening back down at the end of your exhale.
Continue this pattern for several more breaths.
Now let your awareness settle on your heart.
Notice if your chest feels tight or expansive,
Light or heavy.
Be open to any thoughts or sensations that arise.
Imagine a yellow light about the size of a pearl at the middle of your heart.
On your next inhale,
Allow the light to grow,
Encompassing your entire upper body.
And on your exhale,
Imagine the light shrinking back to the size of a pearl.
Inhale,
The light grows.
And exhale,
It shrinks back down.
Consider that we often build a protective wall around our heart,
Little by little,
After we've been hurt when things didn't turn out the way we thought they would.
You might even see in your mind's eye,
A brick wall around your heart.
Stones placed there,
Piece by piece throughout your life.
A vigilant guard of protection.
Understand that when you protect yourself from negative feelings and emotions,
That same wall closes you off from joy and love.
Know now that you're much stronger than you were before.
Perhaps you are so strong that you're willing to let those old hurts and resentments go now.
Maybe you're willing to release this cumbersome burden you've been carrying around.
Consider that you're strong enough now to handle the possibility of getting hurt,
As well as the possibility of feeling and accepting love.
You could even imagine one by one,
Removing the bricks from around your heart.
Come back to the yellow light at your heart.
And imagine the area beginning to glow.
Brilliant golden color.
With your inhale,
Imagine the light growing brighter,
Illuminating your upper body.
With your exhale,
Allow your heart to soften and warm.
Inhale,
Vibrant golden light.
Exhale,
Feeling your heart open and expand.
Inhale the light growing brighter still.
Exhale,
Heart warm and open.
Continue this pattern for several more cycles.
This new openness feels really good,
Really relaxed,
Accepting.
Chest soft,
Heart soft,
Warm and bright.
Allow yourself to stay with us for a minute.
And now it's time for a choice.
You can choose to stay with your heart open,
Glowing,
Expansive.
Or you can protect yourself again by imagining placing those bricks around your heart.
Or maybe a third option.
You place the bricks there,
But this time much thinner and lighter.
Know that you can come back to this meditation whenever you like and make a new choice.
See that the choice is always there.
Begin to take some deeper breaths,
Drawing your awareness back to the present moment.
Tickle your fingers,
Your toes,
And allow yourself a few more moments of stillness before you rise.
