Exploring The Heart Space ~ Part 1

In order to benefit from The Jyoti Method it is not essential to learn the philosophy behind it. However, for practitioners, it can be very helpful and also interesting to look behind the curtain of it's design. We have already talked about the importance of the breath, especially exhaling out the mouth as a form of releasing pent up energy and resistance. We have explored the feeling of letting go of any physical clenching and resistance. As well as any grasping or need to "do something" or "get somewhere" with Jyoti practice. We covered the importance of grounding through the body to generate Qi (chee) and Lung or wind horse . We have also explored the practice of being aware of the literal space within the body, and most especially the space between thoughts. Together these pillars of the practice are like the poles of a battery - being deeply grounded in the body with a felt sense of gravity, while also open to spaciousness and pure awareness . This seems to point to the apparent polarities of life including mind and matter, positive and negative charges, or the electric and the magnetic. In ancient Eastern terms we could call these aspects of Shiva and Shakti, the sky and the dancer , or the play of form in the field of consciousness . The take away here is that exploring our full or whole self includes integrating what appear to be opposites. Let's now begin by further exploring the concept of the "heart space." The heart is like the bridge between the two poles, as well as an aspect of our ability to be human and have a connection with our own heart. The heart includes and transcends all polarities. The heart is a centre of transformation and inner alchemy. It is largely where we turn the metaphorical emotional lead into gold. It is where we actualize aspects of ourselves that often are laying dormant and are waiting for our homecoming. Home is indeed where the heart is. The heart could also be seen as a kind of core pillar, or portal aspect, of the mythical "rainbow bridge" of Norse Mythology which connects us to our heavenly home. It is not only in the area of the physical heart but rather at the heart of all parts of us. However, certain inner heart qualities such as faith, and the ability to truly surrender or forgive, can bring so much peace into our daily lives and possibly even our afterlife. This is largely because so many healing qualities for our human experience come from the wellspring of the heart centre. There are powerful qualities of the heart that guide, heal, and enlighten us as souls on this turbulent and beautiful human journey. In contrast, the popular mental quest for enlightenment can only take us so far, and it really can be quite cold and removed from life. This is especially true if we consider that we were born right where we need to be - on earth as earthlings. Born to fully experience the duality of life, and all the highs and lows of being both lost and found with all of life's raw uncertainty, suffering, and joy. The mental or conceptual idea of 'spiritual transcendence" or "awakening" can get very heady and become a trap in itself If we don't blend the insightful wisdom of the higher mind with a compassionate and wise heart. The heart holds a wisdom that naturally arises when we choose to be present in the heart with what is - as it is. When we choose to make love and not war within ourselves then we help to heal the world and some very old patterns. We can learn to lessen the urge towards clinging, grasping, or resistance to what is arising in each moment. We can choose instead to accept, to be compassionate towards the souls that live around us, and even the one that is us. We can practice letting go, and as a result it is much easier to feel the flow of healing energy in our body as a soft bliss. Blocked energy tends to equal pain, and pain tends to create more blocked energy and pain. In many ways we have been taught to suppress powerful aspects of ourselves as well such as desires, abilities, feelings, and thoughts. Equally so, we have been conditioned to not really be content simply being or no longer trying to get ahead, change, self improve, find more security, or become "better." The heart space is just that, it's a place where we can just be, and no longer try to get somewhere or do anything. It is the space between trying to get something, and resisting something else. A place we no longer resist what we are noticing arising within us - pleasant or unpleasant. Instead we notice it, and accept it with a neutral and compassionate curiosity. After all what we resist persists! We must remember that the natural potential of the body is bliss, just as the natural potential of the mind is equanimity. The natural potential of the heart is a tender loving compassion, or what the Buddhists call Metta . If you have studied the Eastern concept of chakras and how they overlap with Western psychology, then you already know how important the heart chakra or central nerve plexus is. The heart chakra , or heart centre, mainly develops when we are between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. If we are not in a nourishing heart chakra environment at that time, then we can be damaged or weakened developmentally. Just as a plant will not grow well if it does not have the right conditions. For example, certain life situations may make it harder for us to trust, relax, and to feel safe to give and receive love in relationship. To give and receive touch and to feel held and held in unconditional love. An unstable or painful home may also teach a child to be constantly on guard and hyper-aware mentally in order to "read the room" and to feel safe. In turn, the mind and brain can develop into a pattern of being stuck in a kind of hyper-vigilant over drive. One can loose the expression their authentic self, and the ability to speak truth or honesty. This compromise is often made in order to not disturb "the peace." Yet this not a good thing for the health of the heart, or ones life path and greater potential. These are just a few examples of a compromised heart chakra. Keeping this in mind let's consider that some of the main qualities of the heart are: Acceptance, compassion, love, forgiveness, kindness, tenderness, gratitude, joy, playfulness, faith / trust, awe, and authentic expression and spontaneity. These are not just words, they are feelings, and the feelings are healing. However, modern humans have become hyper-mental in so many ways, and we tend towards over thinking and worry. This is very hard on the health of the heart centre. You could think of healthy heart space as being calm, spacious, relaxed, light, present, at ease, and so on. In Chinese medicine, depression and anxiety are referred to as "disturbed heart spirit" which is also a lack of a quality called Shen . In some ways you could consider the heart space as a kind of eye of a storm, calm, peaceful, present. and spacious even though the outer environment is turbulent and hostile. That spaciousness and sense of ease can get over crowded with mental worries and the many wounds that life can deliver. As a result, our access to that benevolent heart space can suffer and so can we. We can get lost in the storms of life, and feel very far from peace and a felt sense of being at home and at ease in our centre - our inner sanctuary. This is also why the holy basil plant is consider so sacred and protective, it's botanical name is O cimum sanctum, and it centres us in our heart . Further more, life is physical - but not just physical. We are all made up of a bio-electric-magnetic-intelligence, and the heart is an important centre for regulating such energy. This bio-energetic-intelligence (which can also be called kundalini in the east) can get hyper activated and cause us serious problems. As a result, it can greatly increase ones chances of "going mental" or becoming mentally unstable or ill. This is due to the added life force energy (kundalini) which will strengthen any existing patterns or imbalances in a person. This can range from anxiety and OCD symptoms, to full blown paranoia and psychosis. Situations that can trigger such an "awakening of kundalini" or "psychic heat" includes the use of marijuana and other psychedelics. It can also be triggered by simply doing intense yoga or meditation, or even falling and whacking the tailbone hard enough. In the modern western world, we are very ignorant and deeply lacking a solid understanding of this part of our mind-body dynamic, or meta-physiology. In traditional cultures it was the shaman, or mystic, who would help ground and guide those who had been metaphorically "struck by lightening." In modern terms this would be most commonly referred to as psychosis or schizophrenia. In many ways the journey of healing for such individuals is to move from the fear and dualistic thinking of the mind, and into the deep wholeness and healing space of the heart. Traditionally in some cultures it was said that such an illness or imbalance could only be healed by finding one's "healing song." By finding ones authentic spiritual and intuitive heart, which is a vibrational force that can be expressed via the voice or some form of authentic spontaneous expression or art. An expression that harmonizes the apparent opposing forces of creation, and makes peace, while finding a resounding faith in the beauty or the perfect balance of creation that is surprisingly present at all times. To close the first part of this blog series, remember when practicing Jyoti, that we encourage one small step towards this process of surrendering to authentic expression. We do this while exploring the feeling of love in the heart.... to breath in with loving compassion / metta, and to exhale the sound ahhhhh. It is the sound of the ego letting go, and finding some inner peace. A peace that some people rarely feel. The music really helps with this, as does the practitioner if they are also sounding a loving and letting go ahhh tone from their own sincere heart space. If a person is not ready to do so, or is in resistance or experiencing grief, we simply encourage a loving acceptance to whatever is arising, even the resistance itself. This along with exhaling out the mouth, ensures that energy is moving smoothly and not further repressed. The reality is that our true nature is peace and bliss, beneath all the armour, craving, fear, and trauma. Our work is simply to help assist the natural dissolving of that which is obscuring the experience of our true nature of peace and bliss. Our verbal cues, and the use of oils, are but props to help open the energetic pathways and to remember such states. Therefore the Jyoti process is comparable to helping to uncover gems buried beneath layers of earth and debris. The gems are already there waiting to be discovered. We do this using guided visualization, breath, music, essential oils, and sometimes vocal toning. These are all of our tools of attunement, and all of them are quite ancient. We do this gently, because we realize that it is our divine nature that is really doing the healing, we are simply helping ourselves and others align in a good way. We understand that over effort can block the flow, as we practice different ways that we can learn to get out of the way - as we heal, align, attune, and remember - naturally. End of Part 1