This beautiful practice is from the Himalayan tradition.
It offers a pathway to connect to our spiritual heart center.
The gift of this practice is the ability to know ourselves,
To recognize our true essence,
And to learn to live from this place.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
You may choose to sit on a chair,
Or you might want to lay down for a deeper,
More relaxed experience.
Honor your body and find a position that allows you to fully immerse yourself in this journey.
Once you're ready,
Close your eyes and start by simply becoming aware of your surroundings.
Feel the space you are in and the air around you.
Let your body begin to soften.
Allow your facial muscles to relax,
The space between your eyebrows,
The jaw,
And the muscles around your mouth.
Let any tension you might be holding begin to dissolve.
Now gently bring your awareness to your breath.
Start by noticing the natural rhythm of your breath without trying to change it.
Just observe the way your body moves with each inhale and exhale.
With each breath in,
Feel your chest and belly expand.
With each breath out,
Feel a sense of release,
As if you're letting go of any stress,
Any tension.
Inhaling deeply through the nose,
Feeling your lungs completely,
And exhale softly through the mouth,
Letting the breath carry away any remaining tension.
With each breath,
Invite a wave of relaxation to sweep through your body.
With every breath out,
Allow yourself to feel more grounded,
More connected to the earth.
As the breath flows,
It releases any tension or tightness you might still be holding.
Now give yourself permission to completely let go,
And let the breath guide you deeper into stillness,
Deeper into relaxation.
And let the stillness prepare you for the journey into your heart.
Walk into the cave of the heart,
And feel safe in this cave.
See a lake within that cave.
Walk over to the lake and sit on the bank of lake.
Start taking in the colors of the lake,
The colors of the cave.
This is the cave of your heart,
Your sacred space.
See beautiful lotus flower floating on the lake.
This lotus flower has eight petals.
Notice the size of the lotus,
The texture.
Observe each petal has a small flame upon it.
See the colors of the flame.
See how the flames move and dance on each petal.
And now see the flame that is closest to you.
This flame represents the earth element.
Connect to the earth element.
Think of qualities,
The characteristics of the earth,
Such as steadiness,
Groundedness,
Stability.
Notice how the earth beneath you holds and supports you.
Trust in this connection.
Trust that you are safe and supported in this moment.
Honor this element in your own way,
However it feels right.
Now take your attention to the second petal moving to your left.
Meditate on this flame.
This flame represents the water element.
Contemplate on the quality of water.
Soft,
Flexible,
Fluid.
Ability to adapt,
To move with grace through life's challenges.
Connect to playfulness,
Creativity,
To emotions.
Connect and honor sacred waters,
Both waters that flow on the earth and waters that flow within your body.
And celebrate this element in your own way.
Take your attention to the third petal now,
Moving to the left.
The flame represents the fire element.
Meditate on this flame and connect with the element of fire that represents the core of life,
The core of earth.
The fires inside your body,
Like digestion,
Wisdom,
And the fires without.
Feel the fire within you,
Your inner power to create,
Transform,
Step into your personal strength.
Honoring the fire element.
Take your attention to the fourth petal to the left.
The flame on this petal represents the air element.
Meditate and connect with sacred air as the air we breathe and the energy of prana inside our bodies.
Feel the air within you,
Caring love,
Compassion,
And connection.
Air is the bridge that connects you to deeper part of you and the world around you.
Celebrate the air element in a way that feels right to you.
Move to the fifth petal.
The flame represents space.
Honor the sacred space of the universe as well as that cellular level inside your body.
As the infinity can go outward,
So you can go infinitely inward toward more subtle space.
Honor this element however feels right to you.
Take your attention to the sixth petal.
This flame represents the small self,
The individual self.
Honor and appreciate your uniqueness and individuality.
As well as the present experience with yourself.
Meditate on the sixth flame.
Now become aware of the seventh petal.
The flame on this petal represents the moon.
Connecting to the lunar qualities,
Coolness,
Intuition,
Healing,
Ability to receive,
Ability to trust.
In your own way,
Appreciate and honor the energy of the moon and your inner lunar qualities.
And the eighth petal,
The final petal,
Represents the sun.
As you meditate on this flame,
Bring the sun into the heart.
Lightening the cave.
Meditate on their solar qualities inside and outside of you.
Warmth,
Sense of vitality,
Energy of action and creation.
Connect to the qualities of the sun.
Honor the qualities of the sun in your own way.
And now see all eight flames come together in the center of that beautiful lotus flower.
All eight flames come together in the center of the beautiful lotus flower.
Connect with the merger of all of life flowing through your heart right now.
Feeling the connection to the higher self.
Connection to the infinite.
And deep connection to your sacred heart.
Feeling all the energy floating to the heart center.
And sensing deep gratitude for your heart.
For all that you have.
For all that you are.
For all the unknown and unknown.
Resting in the state of deep gratitude.
And connection to your sacred heart.
And now slowly begin to come back to your breath.
And light gentle movements into your body.
Moving your toes,
Your fingers.
And taking deep breath in.
And full exhale,
Letting go of the practice.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and come back into the space.
