This is a meditation for expanding the energy of the heart,
But I'd also like to offer
it to you as an alternative form of prayer.
When I was a child,
I would pray often from a space of fear.
God please make this not be happening.
Or,
God please make sure this doesn't happen.
It took me a long time,
As an adult,
To realise that I was still praying in this way.
I think so many of us in this world right now are praying from this space of fear.
And what the world needs from us most is to connect with the love within,
Rather than
keep anchoring ourselves into the space of fear.
So in this meditation,
We'll connect with the boundless source of love within,
Expanding
the energy of our hearts.
And in this deeper space,
Become our prayer.
For love,
Not fear.
So to begin,
Settle yourself down into a comfortable position.
We'll begin with anchoring into the body and connecting with the earth.
Notice how you're feeling as you settle into your space.
Noticing tension in the body.
Any emotions that are riding through body and mind.
Allow yourself to sink deeper.
How is the breath?
Where is it passing through the body?
Is it deep in the belly?
Short in the chest?
Anywhere of the spectrum in between?
Allow it to be.
Just taking some time to notice the breath,
Exactly as it is in your body in this moment.
And as breath settles,
Bring awareness to the feet,
Your connection with the earth.
Feel the feet against the floor,
Recognising that connection with the earth,
The physical
connection and the energetic connection.
The earth's energy,
Always residing beneath you,
Holding you.
Soften the chest and allow the belly and allow the breath to come a little deeper.
Settling and slowing.
There is space for you here.
Bring awareness now into the centre of the chest.
Just feeling the space inside the ribs.
Perhaps starting from the outside,
Coming inside the ribs and just feeling the inside
of the ribcage.
Noticing that holy enclosure of bones.
Let awareness sink deeper into the chest,
Feeling the lungs moving and settling into
the space of the heart,
The physical heart and the energetic heart.
Perhaps you can feel it beating.
Perhaps you can just feel the resonance of this space.
Perhaps there's an energy sitting on the heart that you can just practice softening with.
Nothing to change,
Nothing to fix,
Just presence with what's there for you in this moment.
Allowing yourself to grow soft.
Perhaps emotions arise,
Watching waves rise and fall.
Allowing any energy that needs to clear just to do so through the waves of the breath.
Feeling a witnessing of anything that needs to be seen in this space.
Feeling perhaps the back point of the ribcage behind the heart,
This point on the spine,
The heart's resting place.
If emotions arise,
Allow it all to be.
Energy flowing and moving easily in your body.
Your witnessing is the space of healing.
And now as we dwell in this space,
Begin to bring your attention to the energy of the
heart.
Allowing breath to flow in and out of the heart.
And intentionally inviting your heart's energy,
The love within you,
To grow.
To grow stronger,
To rise.
I allow my heart energy to grow.
I allow my heart energy to expand.
Notice any response.
If it helps,
You can bring into your awareness someone or something that you love.
Resting that awareness here.
That invitation of feeling love.
Reaffirming,
I allow my heart energy to grow.
I allow my heart energy to expand.
Breathing deeply with that.
Intentionally expanding the energy of the heart.
You can witness that energy grow,
Expanding beyond the chest,
Into the space around you.
If you can't feel it in this moment,
You can imagine it happening.
Indicating to your body and mind system
that you are allowing this internal shift,
This opening of the heart.
As the heart energy blossoms,
Visualize it expanding out from the body,
Encompassing your body.
A cocoon of energy and light.
Loving energy.
Keep visualizing it expanding
beyond the room,
Beyond the building that you're in.
Imagining and encouraging that heart energy to grow even bigger.
Expanding beyond the city,
The town,
The local area.
Your heart energy expanding and growing.
Filling the area with warmth and light.
Your whole body receiving.
Visualize it expanding even further.
Beyond the country,
The area of the globe,
Encompassing the whole world.
Your heart energy
expanded beyond the whole world.
Warm,
Suffused with light.
Your whole body receiving.
Dwell a moment in the space of love.
And into this expanded space,
This fountain of love that you have created
from the source of love within you.
In this space,
If you want to in this moment,
You can offer up any prayer
for yourself,
For another,
For the planet,
The world.
Let the love receive your prayer.
And if it feels better to you just to stay in this space,
This energy of love,
Reside there.
And know that you are embodied prayer.
If fear arises,
Simply allow it to exist.
There is no fear that is greater than the love that is holding you
in this moment.
There is no fear that is greater than the love that holds you
every moment of your existence.
Love is what is.
And now bring awareness back into the physical body.
Grounding and settling your energy.
Feeling into the sensations of the body.
Noticing again your feet upon the earth.
Receiving from the earth.
Support beneath you.
The vibrant field of energy.
Always receiving.
Feel the physicality of your body,
Your hands and your feet.
Your vibrant aliveness.
As you settle awareness back onto the breath.
Noticing any shifts in the body since the start of your practice.
You might want to bring your hands to the space of the heart.
Anchoring your awareness here.
And offering yourself some love and gratitude for this time that you've taken.
To bring your love into the world,
Deeper into your own life.
For allowing yourself to open the heart,
Expand and receive.
Through love we are all lifted.
With gratitude and blessings.
Thank you.
