A MEDITATION TO EXPAND
THE HEART CHAKRA

You have probably heard at one time or another someone described as having "a heart as big as all outdoors."  This is how our hearts were intended to be, although they more accurately are as big as All There Is.  The following meditation is helpful in expanding the heart chakra so that we can all have "a heart as big as the Love That Is All There Is." I did not write this meditation. As with the songs elsewhere on this site, I merely transcribed what I heard.


The Chakras--Very Briefly
The Reason for Expanding the Heart Chakra
A Word on Breathing Exercises
A Word on Completing This Meditation
The Setting
The Meditation

THE CHAKRAS--VERY BRIEFLY

Your chakras are energy vortexes within your body.  It is not the purpose of this site to provide a detailed examination of the chakras.  Discussions and descriptions of the chakras can be found in many sources.  For purposes of this meditation, it is enough to know only the general descriptions of the seven major chakras.

The chakras are numbered from the bottom up.  The first chakra, or base chakra, is red in color, and is located at the base of the spine.  It is concerned with your survival.

The second chakra is orange in color, and is located next to the spleen.  It is concerned with your emotions and pleasure.

The third chakra is yellow in color, and is located behind your solar plexus.  It is concerned with decisions, will, power, and creative expression.

The fourth chakra is green in color (some say pink), and is located in your heart.  It is concerned with love, compassion, and the connection between the physical and spiritual selves.  It is the midpoint of consciousness.

The fifth chakra is blue in color, and is located at your throat.  It is concerned with communication and psychic hearing.

The sixth chakra is violet in color, and is located in your brow and is associated with your pineal gland.  It is sometimes called your "third eye."

The seventh chakra is white in color (some say ultra-violet), and is located at the crown of your head and is associated with your pituitary gland.  It is concerned with the consciousness of spiritual awakening, enlightenment, and wisdom.

THE REASON FOR EXPANDING
THE HEART CHAKRA

To me, this meditation tells us that all of the chakras are subordinate to the heart chakra and that we reach true spiritual awakening only when we have enlarged our heart chakra to encompass All There Is.

The heart chakra is the midpoint of our physical bodies.  It lies halfway between the three lower chakras, which keep us moving in the physical realm, and the three upper chakras, which keep us growing in the spiritual realm.

The heart chakra is also the midpoint in our spiritual bodies.  It lies halfway between Mother Earth, who is our connection to the physical plane, and Father Sky, who is our connection to the spiritual plane.

This meditation suggests that in order to be truly balanced, our heart chakra must be expanded to include not only each of the six other major chakras in our physical bodies, but also the entirety of our spiritual bodies.  Balance lies in the recognition and acceptance that Love is All There Is.  This recognition and acceptance resides in the heart chakra.

An expansion of the heart chakra to encompass all there is means that every thought, word, and deed will be undertaken in Love--that Love will be the constant guiding force on both the physical and the spiritual planes--that nothing we think or do can ever be totally self-centered.

We generally accept that "we" end at our skin--that what is inside the skin is "me" and that what is outside the skin is everything else, "not-me," or "them."  This meditation suggests that Love--the expanded heart chakra--does not recognize this distinction--that, to a properly expanded heart chakra, all of creation is "us."  It suggests that the holder of a properly enlarged heart chakra has moved beyond the apparent limitations and boundaries of the physical realm and has regained awareness of being a part of the All.

A WORD ON
BREATHING EXERCISES

For those of you who have never done any kind of breathing exercises, the following instructions may seem strange.  When the meditation says to breathe into your base chakra, it is, of course, not suggesting that your physical body can overlook the existence of your lungs and actually take air directly to the base of your spine.  However, your mind can easily overcome the limitations of flesh.  When you breathe into your base chakra, you take a long, slow, deep breath and expand your awareness so that you actually feel revitalizing and rejuvenating air and energy flowing to your base chakra.  You feel the movement of energy throughout your body and are aware of everything within your body.  If this is new to you, it will not be for long.  It will probably take no more than a few tries to understand this process.

A WORD ON
COMPLETING
THIS MEDITATION

Do not be upset if you cannot get all the way through this meditation the first time.  In fact, if you do get all the way through it, you are either very advanced spiritually or perhaps not fully doing the meditation.  Go as far as you feel comfortable going.  Stay at that level for as long as you need.  When you feel ready to attempt to go to a more expanded level, stay at that new level for as long as you need.  Progress to further levels only when you are comfortable.  This is not a test, and there are no time limits.  The purpose is to expand your heart chakra at a pace that is appropriate for you.

THE SETTING

You may sit on a chair, on the floor, on a couch, or a bed.  This meditation is easiest when you are not lying down.  Choose a position that will be comfortable for you for more than just a few minutes.  Sitting in the middle of an open room is best.  If that is not possible, at least have few obstructions in your immediate vicinity.  This meditation will expand your aura, and you will be uncomfortable if you do not give yourself enough room.

Be dressed in comfortable, loose clothing.  Choose a time when you are not apt to be interrupted.  Avoid drafts, or anything else that might make you uncomfortable or distract you.

If you prefer to have background music, it should be quiet, gentle music intended for meditation.  The volume should be just above the range of your hearing.  It is better for this meditation to have the music in the background rather than to listen through headphones.

If your companion animals are in the room with you, explain to them what you are doing and ask for their cooperation in allowing you this time and, if they choose, joining their energy with yours.  This explanation and request is best given psychically.  If you are not accustomed to talking with your companions, you might think about reading some of the excellent books available on animal communication.  If your companions indicate they are unwilling or unable at that moment to give you this quiet time, it would be best to escort them to another place.  But I have found that even the most rambunctious puppy will usually quiet down when she/he understands what you are doing.  Cats will frequently join you, because this is their purpose.

THE MEDITATION

Quiet your mind by breathing deeply into your heart chakra.  Concentrate on your breathing and let the cares and worries of the day flow out of your mind like water in a stream.  Take any large worry or anxiety and toss it gently into the stream so that the Water of Life can carry it away.  Take on the calmness of a quiet pool.

Continue to breathe into your heart chakra.  Breathe deeply and exhale completely.  Feel the life-giving air invigorating and rejuvenating your heart chakra.  Feel the life and spirit in your heart chakra.  Become one with the air you breathe and the act of breathing.  Become one with your heart chakra.

When you are thoroughly one with your heart chakra, breathe into both your third and your fifth chakras--your solar plexus and your throat.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is invigorating and rejuvenating every part of your body between your solar plexus and your throat.  Feel the life and spirit in your body between your solar plexus and your throat.  Become one with your body between your solar plexus and your throat.

When you are thoroughly one with your body between your solar plexus and your throat, breathe into both your second and sixth chakras--your spleen and your brow.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is invigorating and rejuvenating every part of your body between your spleen and your brow.  Feel the life and spirit in your body between your spleen and your brow.  Become one with your body between your spleen and your brow.

When you are thoroughly one with your body between your spleen and your brow, breathe into both your first and seventh chakras--the base of your spine and the crown of your head.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is invigorating and rejuvenating every part of your body between the base of your spine and the crown of your head.  Feel the life and spirit in your body between the base of your spine and the crown of your head.  Become one with your body between the base of your spine and the crown of your head.

When you are thoroughly one with your body between the base of your spine and the crown of your head, breathe into the ground directly beneath you and the air directly above you.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is connecting your heart chakra with the ground directly beneath you and the air directly  above you.  Feel the life and spirit in everything between the ground directly beneath you and the air directly above you.  Become one with everything between the ground directly beneath you and the air directly above you.

When you are thoroughly one with the ground directly beneath you and the air directly above you, breathe deeper into the ground and higher into the air.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is connecting your heart chakra with Mother Earth and Father Sky.  Feel the life and spirit in Mother Earth and Father Sky.  Become one with everything between Mother Earth and Father Sky.

When you are thoroughly one with Mother Earth and Father Sky, breathe into the center of the Earth and the center of the universe.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is connecting your heart chakra with the center of the Earth and the center of the Universe.  Feel the life and spirit in everything from the center of the Earth to the center of the Universe.  Become one with everything from the center of the Earth to the center of the Universe.

When you are thoroughly one with everything from the center of the Earth to the center of the Universe, breathe into the molecules that compose the center of the Earth and the distance that composes the edge of the Universe.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is connecting your heart chakra with the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances at the edge of the Universe.  Feel the life and spirit in everything between the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances at the edge of the Universe.  Become one with everything from the molecules at the center of the Earth to the distances at the edge of the Universe.

When you are thoroughly one with everything from the molecules at the center of the Earth to the distances at the edge of the Universe, breathe into the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.  Feel the expansion of the area into which you are breathing, but remain aware of your heart chakra at the center.  Know that each breath is connecting your heart chakra with the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.  Feel the life and spirit in everything from the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth to the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.  Become one with everything from the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.

When you are thoroughly one with everything from the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe, breathe deeply into your heart chakra.  Feel the expansion of your heart chakra to encompass everything from the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth to the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.  Feel the life and spirit in everything.  Feel yourself at the center.  Feel your heart chakra filling with the Love That Is All There Is.  Feel your heart chakra becoming one with the Love That Is All There Is.  Feel yourself becoming one with the Love That Is All There Is.  Feel yourself submerged in the Love That Is All There Is.  Feel yourself part of everything else that is part of the Love That Is All There Is.  Feel yourself as the Love That Is All There Is.  Know that you are the Love That Is All There Is.  Be the Love That Is All There Is.

When you are the Love That Is All There Is, breathe Love into the Universe.  Breathe Life into the Universe.  Breathe Health into the Universe.  Breathe Awakening into the Universe.

When you have finished, gently return to the present.  Bring your consciousness back to the subatomic particles that compose the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances that stretch beyond the edge of the Universe.  Bring your consciousness back to the molecules at the center of the Earth and the distances at the edge of the Universe.  Bring your consciousness back to everything from the center of the Earth to the center of the Universe.  Bring your consciousness back to Mother Earth and Father Sky.  Bring your consciousness back to the ground directly beneath you and the air directly above you.  Bring your consciousness back to your body between the base of your spine and the crown of your head.  Bring your consciousness back to your body between your spleen and your brow.  Bring your consciousness back to your body between your solar plexus and your throat.  Bring your consciousness back to your heart chakra.  Feel the difference in the size of your heart chakra.  Feel the connection between your heart chakra and the Love That Is All There Is.  Bring your consciousness back to the air you are breathing and the act of breathing.  Return your consciousness to your mind.  Open your eyes and smile.



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