Monday Meditation: Heart Chakra

This is part of Cocoon's Monday Meditation series.

Image courtesy of www.mindbodygreen.com

In the last 3 weeks I have participated in 5 art shows. Although it can be grueling (arriving 2 hours before the show to set up your canopy, unpack all the tables, linens, merchandise and displays from your car, setting up, and then reversing the process 6-8 hours later) the one thing I love about these shows is the opportunity it provides to connect with someone who 5 minutes before I never knew existed. 

"Hello, how are you?" just doesn't cut it for me. I like sharing things with people about myself and learning about them. Ninety percent of the time we have something to share that the other can relate to. Some people keep their guard up, but most will relax when they see that I am genuinely interested. Pretty quickly, we can be engaged in a meaningful conversation and can be exposed to learning something new or contemplating something from a different angle. I love that!

To me, it's all about opening yourself up to whatever comes along. There are so many cool people and experiences and stories to share if you just open your eyes, open your ears, and open your heart.

This meditation is just about that. It's from Madonna Gauding's book, The Meditation Bible. Enjoy!

Heart Chakra Meditation
Your heart chakra governs love and compassion, and is considered the center of the human energy system in the Hindu and Buddhist worlds. This chakra, associated with the color green, is one of seven energy centers located along the spine and is found in the middle of your chest. According to the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, your chakras can be blocked through loss, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger or stress. This meditation encourages unconditional love, releases sadness, and opens your heart. 

If you are not familiar with where the seven chakras are located in your body, here is one you may refer to.

1. Sit on a meditation cushion or chair. Sit up tall with your spine straight and your chest open.

2. Bring you palms together and press the knuckles of your thumbs into your sternum. You will find a notch between your left and right rib cage at the level of your heart. Try to feel the beating of your heart and focus on it for a few minutes.

3. Place your right palm in the center of your chest and the left hand on top of the right. Close your eyes and feel the energy there. Feel its warmth. Visualize this energy as an emerald green light. Feel it radiating out from your heart into the rest of your body and back to your heart. Stay with this visualization for as long as you like.

4. Turn your palms outward and away from your body. Visualize the green light from your heart chakra flowing out of your palms and into the universe. Imagine that this light is gathering all the love and compassion in the universe and bringing it back to your heart chakra.

Namaste.