Day 11 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

The heart energy centre holds tremendous healing powers. As it is the located at the middle of the entire subtle energy body, the heart energy centre serves as bridge. It allows the higher vibrations of the upper chakras to inspire the earth bound experience. And it allows the lower chakras to transmute their vital energies into higher vibrations of love, intuition and spiritual perception. 

​In this meditation you are invited to explore how to energize the heart and open up to the healing powers it offers. 

I invite you to close your eyes, become conscious of your breathing. Open up to the inner space with me, with all of us in our meditation group, with the intention of becoming more loving, exploring and experiencing that power that we hold within us.

Open up the self awareness.

Don't become fixated on just one part of your being, like your mind or your body. Open up the awareness to be more conscious of all the different dimensions of being. The body, the vitality, the emotions, the listening, the mind, the energy.

Open up the awareness as wide as you can, just to perceive, to experience, to seek, to experience all that you are.

And join me in coming into that position of deep awareness of being. I am experiencing that feeling of I and remember that, that feeling of I, that sense that you exist. It's held in the divine.

It's empowered by the deep consciousness within you, infinite within you, eternal within you. Breathe into that place beingness without becoming so involved in any particular area of your being.

Just embrace the openness of the inner space and take a few deep breaths to explore it, making sure that your body is held in that space.

As you breathe out, let go of any tensions, any disruptions as you breathe in, bring balance and harmony. Clear up that inner space.

Now let's come into the central energy channel. Gently focus your mind and bring your attention into the central channel and work with the flow of energy there. Gentle inhale, guiding the flow of energy upwards.

Gentle exhale, guiding the flow of energy downwards, and seek to notice the effect at the many levels of being.

It has a strengthening effect on the body. It makes you feel more vital, alert. It opens up and integrates the heart with the energy system.

It empowers your listening and observing, and it focuses your mind.

Observe the power of this simple practice of the flow of energy up and down, how it expands and elevates the consciousness.

There is a saying yoga: "the one who lives and moves in the central energy channel has become free, is liberated."

So dwell there, abide there.

Learn to anchor in that central energy channel. Doesn't it feel satisfying?

Now let's strengthen the lower three chakras, the root, the sacral and the gut naval chakra. Bring your awareness there. When you breathe out,

gently tense the perineum to strengthen the root.

What you're doing is you're halting or arresting the loss of energy from the lower chakras when you squeeze the root. We can have energy leakages there, but by giving a little tension, a little holding, we seal off those energy leakages in the energy body and do the same for the sacral chakra.

And that requires engaging the pelvic floor and the muscles in the sacral area. When you breathe out, give it some tension, some strength.

When you breathe in. Invite the flow of energy upwards. Then you should feel that area becomes activated. It becomes warm.

You have a huge energy reserve in the root and sacral chakras. Can you feel that energy becoming awakened as you focus there on the inhale. Invite that flow of energy into the navel to recharge the gut. To awaken the vital power and use abdominal breathing.

Expand the abdomen and hold the abdomen. Hold the breath, feeling the flow of energy circulating into the gut.

When you breathe out, you're letting go of the air, but you're holding the energy in the abdomen. Do this for a few breaths. Holding the abdomen expanded. 

By doing this, you restore the nervous system. You restore that very large nerve plexus.

Now, on your next inhale, draw the energy up to your heart. But feel the support of the lower chakras. Feel the support is there, providing a foundation to the heart.

And in particular, open up your awareness to feel the connection between the sacral and the heart. It's a gentle drawing in and up of the energy to your heart.

Can you feel that connection?

Nourish the heart using the powerful regeneration of the sacral. It's a huge creative force.

And I can feel as my focus is on the heart, my hands become activated. There's a tingling in the palms, warmth in the palms. The hands are connected to the heart.

Now, holding the energy at that point, at the center of the chest. Hold the intention of unconditional loving.

Hold the intention of kindness, gentleness, loving oneself and the world, and staying centered in the heart. Open up that loving vibration to surround your body.

You're generating a loving energy field. An aura of presence, of loving energy. Solidify it around your body. Strengthen it. Make sure it permeates the body, that it is powerful.

Take a deep breath into the chest. Allow the energy to expand and strengthen.

Now, increase the flow of energy in the heart.

Take it from the 80% you were giving to 100% by taking a deep breath, strengthening your will and expanding the power in the chest.

How does it feel to increase the energy field?

Now, from that 100% increase, use your inhale. Use your willpower. Let's go to 120. Project the energy into the space around you. Hold the body in that loving energy with the heart at the center.

Use your breathing to support the process. You need deep breaths to draw the energy from the root of the heart.

Let's go to 150%. Open up. Push yourself. Challenge yourself to open the heart further, to increase the flow.

Take one last deep breath. And as you exhale, release the pressure on your will. Gently allow the energy to flow down in the channel.

As you breathe out, relax. Observe the senses. Observe how the condition of your body and the space around you has changed, becomes sensitive to the heart. How does it feel, the emotional landscape?

Now we are slowly coming back, feeling the weight of the body. And let's affirm in the mind:

I stay centered in the source of my being.

I open my heart to unconditional loving of myself and my world.

Let my thoughts, words, actions be inspired from that place of unconditional loving.

Now, feeling the weight of the body coming back, fully notice each of the five senses.

Thank you very much. Coming back all the way. And when you feel ready, with a few gentle blinks, you can open the eyes.

1. What did you observe in the subtle energy space in this meditation?
2. What practice from this meditation was most striking that you want to practice and explore more? 
3. In what way would your life change if your stayed centred in your heart and engaged with the world from there?

Day 10 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

How can we engage with the world and attend to our spiritual process? The secret lies in the heart. When the heart chakra is strong and open we are able to engage with the world in service and love, AND attend to our own spiritual needs. 

This meditation shows a process of how to work with using the heart to balance the entire energy system and engage with the world from a deep centring within. 

Let's come into our meditation. Let me invite you to close your eyes, align your spine. Take a few slow, deep breaths and become more aware.

Observe the different layers of your experience. Notice the condition of the body, the experience in the body.

Notice the vitality. Open up to observe the emotional space. What emotion is dominant in this moment?

Observe the quality of your listening and the connection in the space.

Take a deep breath and observe your mind, the mental space, the many dimensions of your being. And where is it held?

It's held in your consciousness. You are aware of all of these different layers of experience.

Who is experiencing? I am.

I am experiencing.

And try to shift into that sense of "I," sense of identity, and see that you are holding this identity.

The deeper you go into that sense of I, the more you will feel your connection with the source, with that divine power that empowers you, that enables you.

Breathe into that feeling of I and notice what happens.

Let's come into the central energy channel, using each deep breath to guide the flow of energy. As you inhale, seek to guide the flow of energy upwards in the central channel. As you exhale, seek to guide the flow of energy downwards.

As you sustain your focus there, your energy awareness opens up it.

As you breathe out, go all the way down to the root, the base of the energy channel. Gently squeeze the perineum there. As you exhale, keep the perineum gently active. And then inhale, drawing up the energy.

And do this for a few breaths, focusing on the upward flow. But the root chakra must be highly conscious.

What happens as you focus on the root chakra and draw the energy upwards?

Can you feel the energy coming to your heart and gathering there? It naturally wants to flow towards the heart.

Build up the energy there in your chest by drawing from the root of it. And now holding the point to the center of the chest. Breathe it through that point.

You may feel a little tightness or heaviness. That's okay. Explore the expansion of the chest as you breathe.

Just notice how it feels to hold the energy at that point. And now on your next inhale, create a gentle flow towards the brow.

When you inhale, draw the energy up from the heart to the brow. When you exhale, allow the energy to flow down to the heart.

This builds the synergy between the brow and the heart, the mind and the heart.

Now gently bring the mind and the focus back to the heart and open up the energy there. Really seek to expand.

If you're sensitive, you will feel the brow chakra and the root chakra are still active, are still involved in the process.

Now the heart is leading, balancing the upper and lower areas of your being. Open up that heart energy field to surround your entire body, allowing that vibration to permeate the physical body, to permeate every cell.

And use your breathing to create waves of energy from the heart and seek to open up to the deepest energy quality of your heart.

Now gently bring into your mind some of the people from your life, circumstances of your life, friends and family, co workers, different avenues of your life that you explore.

But I want you to stay centered in your heart, making sure that you are holding your being.

You ground yourself in your own being and you gently extend your heart to these persons in your life. These other souls that you share your life with without losing the grounding of your heart. You're gently opening your heart to the world.

The heart allows you to find balance in serving the world and supporting yourself.

But always remember to stay grounded in your heart, in your own being. Don't give away your power to the world.

Engage with the world with compassion, kindness, gentleness, loving energy, but from a place of inner strength. And notice you're holding this in your heart.

Please take a few deep breaths exploring the expansion of the body. Breathing with the entire body.

Nourish your senses as you have learned to do. Energize them.

Breathe into the gut to nourish the nerve plexus, there to support your activity in the world.

And as we come to the end of our meditation, let's affirm strongly in the mind:

I stay centered in the source of my being.

I stay centered in the unconditional loving of my heart,

and I meet my world from that place.

Thank you very much, everyone. Let's take one last deep breath. Pull yourself back fully into the body, feeling the weight of the body, coming back to a fully physical experience, but feeling how the inner space is open and alert.

When you feel ready, with a few gentle blinks, you can open your eyes.

1. What did you observe when you focused on the sense of "I," and used your breath there?
2. What was the experience like trying to draw the energy upwards from the root to the heart? 
3. Describe the experience of staying centred in your heart and meeting your world there. 

Day 9 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this session we continue the work with the Heart Chakra learning how to release deep and long held emotional patterns, to embrace a higher consciousness of freedom and unconditional loving in the heart. 

This meditation shows a process of how to work with forgiveness and acceptance to open up the heart. 

Please come into meditation posture. Align your spine. Take a few deep breaths and relax the body.

Join me in the inner space, that togetherness, where we are all supporting each other and where we can all receive support, receive exactly what we need from the divine inner space.

Become skillful in your breathing, controlling the flow of air in and out. And using that to open up your energy awareness.

By focusing on the central energy channel, even just by guiding the flow of energy in the central channel, you are beginning to loosen and release some of the karmic patterns, some of the limiting patterns in your being, just by breathing into the spine.

That's why when you do this practice of energizing the spine, you can feel the growing consciousness, the witnessing opens up. It's because you're letting go of patterns.

So breathe in. Guide the flow of energy up and down with each deep breath. And I encourage you to use the full capacity of your lungs for now. To really oxygenate and nourish the physical body and to nourish the nerve centers, it needs that physical breath.

Even as you work with the energy, relax in the inner space and come into that awareness of the sense of self, that sense of I am, I exist, I am experiencing. That sense of self is supported by the divine. That sense of self connects you to the source.

Trace that sense of self back to its root in your being.

Where does your breath arise? Where do your emotions come from? Where does every thought emanate from that? I sense of self in your being. "I am thinking, I am feeling, I am breathing, in this body." The "I" is the origin of. Observe that.

Now let's strengthen the gut by doing some abdominal breathing. Bringing strength into your experience, bringing willpower. 

And on the inhale, draw the energy up to the heart. Breathe into the chest. Feel the expansion of the ribcage, the floating of the clavicles, the opening up of the shoulders.

And focus on that point at the center of the chest, opening your awareness of the emotional space, the emotional landscape of your being.

And you can ask gently, using the mind: "how do I feel? What emotions am I carrying in my being, in my heart?"

Just open up, but hold strong that sense of witnessing observation. You are not so involved, you're just noticing what is there. And gently allow whatever limiting patterns of the heart need to be resolved. Allow it to surface without fear.

Become open to dealing with the emotional patterns. Not hiding, not suppressing, not avoiding. I want to feel what is in my heart.

Breathe as you focus there and come into a space of acceptance, forgiveness, I accept totally this experience, this emotion, this event in my life.

It has brought me growth, and now it will bring me freedom.

When I forgive, when I let go, open up to the posture of forgiveness, knowing that you are forgiving the ignorance, the darkness that we all fall into. Sometimes

I forgive myself and I forgive the other for our ignorance.

May we learn to live in the light. May we both become wiser.

May we discover the truth of our being and breathe through the point of the heart.

Stay with that strong desire to forgive, to come into deep acceptance.

Breathe into the heart, and if you find there is some resistance in the mind, the thinking enters. It's okay. When you breathe in, draw the energy up to the brow.

When you breathe out, release the flow of energy back to your heart, creating balance between mind and heart, and you're holding the intent. I forgive to be free, to release the karma of the situation from me and the other, develop that synergy, that harmony between mind and heart.

Hold them both in that posture of acceptance and forgiveness. I can feel in this space there is room to take another step.

Join me at the brow. On the inhale, lift the energy of the heart to the brow.

You're holding your heart in your mind and open up that mental space.

Come into deep posture of forgiveness: I can forgive all ignorance, knowing that it's a part of the learning process. I can forgive all darkness, knowing it's part of the journey to the light.

I forgive unconditionally without fear, knowing that all is divine, all is perfect, and all will be free.

I forgive the darkness and the shadows in all its form, in myself, in others, in the world. I forgive unconditionally that I may be free to love unconditionally without reservation.

And as you breathe out, allow the flow of energy down the channel, all the way down to the root, and hold your entire being in that posture of acceptance, in that posture of forgiveness, affirm that's the way you want to be, that's the way you want to live.

Rest in that inner posture.

Let's take a deep breath all the way in, all the way out, and begin using whole body breathing the ground fully in every cell of the body.

Open up to your senses. Open up your awareness to the world.

And as we come to the end of our meditation, let's affirm. In the mind, I stay centered in the source of my being, engaging with the world, in my higher consciousness of forgiveness and unconditional compassion.

That's what I choose for myself and for others.

Now pull yourself fully alert into the body, feeling the weight of the body, noticing the condition of the body and how it has changed from your meditation.

When the moment is right for you, with a few gentle blinks, you can open your eyes. Thank you very much.

1. Are you conscious of the emotional patterns that limit you? Attempt to describe some of these in a neutral way for your own self awareness. 

2. Write out and affirm what you want: to be free of the patterns, to forgive yourself and others, to accept and experience more loving within yourself. 

3. After meditation write about the process of the meditation and how you feel. 

Day 8 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this session we begin the work with the Heart Chakra, the heart space and our emotional nature. 

This meditation shows a process of how to engage with the heart from a place of no expectation, non-judgement, letting go of the past patterns and embracing freshness and openness in the heart. 

So let's get ready for meditation now.

Thank you very much. Please join me in the inner space, taking a few deep breaths and centering yourself from a deep place of self observation, self awareness.

And as we engage in our meditation today, let's remember I am held in a divine place. I am held in a place supported by the source. I am not doing this alone. That spiritual power within me is with me.

As I open up to deeper experiences, as I open up to self transformation, I have support from the deeper part of myself and center in that place of support.

Breathe into there. Breathe into that feeling, into that awareness.

Let's focus at the point between the eyebrows. Breathe through that point to stabilize the mind, to clear the mind.

I've taught you how to energize the brain using your breathing. Use this

just to bring the thinking into a place of stability, to create deeper focus.

Breathe out the distractions, clearing the mental space. Breathe in to the peacefulness, the spaciousness, the boundlessness of your mind.

Don't be scared to open up the mind.

Embrace the possibilities of an open mind.

Now take a deep breath in. And as you breathe out, move the energy down, all the way down the body, to the root, to the base. And use your exhale to move the energy down. And gently squeeze the perineum. Activate the root to increase stability.

Do this for a few breaths, squeezing the root.

You're creating grounding, and you're anchoring the potential and possibilities of your mind in the physical, all the way through the energy axis.

Then you notice that brow connection to the root. Try to hold them both together. That gives a strong awareness of the central energy channel, that axis, and you can use your breathing along that channel.

On the inhale, observe the flow of energy upwards. On the exhale, observe the flow of energy downwards and concentrate your power into the central channel. Some masters of yoga call this magnetizing the spine.

As you stay with your focus on the central channel, your energy awareness opens up and you might begin feeling the different chakra points.

You might also notice that deepening observation coming into the posture of the witness.

Stay anchored to your breathing. It will help you to go deeper and seek to open up the observation, the witnessing. I am open to seeing more, to experiencing more within my being.

To open up that space of witnessing and seeing. We need to let go of the judgments.

We need to let go of the expectations, the likes and dislikes of the ego. Just want to see as clearly as we can, the most neutral space that we can and stay fully in the present. Our healing and transformation is not coming in the future. Don't look for it there.

It's coming now with this breath, with this moment. So you have to embrace it totally in the moment.

And the past cannot limit you or hold you. The past can inform you.

But drop all the patterns of the past, be free of it. Choose differently in this moment and choose my freedom beyond any past circumstances.

And embrace totally the present.

Bring your focus to that point at the center of the chest, or in the middle of the back, between the shoulder blades. Wherever you feel drawn to, breathe into the chest and use a few breaths. Really exploring the capacity of the lungs and energizing the nerve plexus.

That will give you more power to explore the heart space and bring the mind. Bring the attention from the brow down to rest in your heart. Giving permission to the heart to open, giving yourself permission to observe. What am I holding in my heart?

Let me observe that space.

Breathe into the chest. Breathe through that point and ascent of the chest.

You might feel some heaviness, perhaps some tension, or even some pain there. That's okay. Don't judge.

Observe. Breathe through the point. As you hold your awareness there.

As you breathe out, be willing to let go. Be willing to clear the space. As you breathe in, feel the depth, feel the vibrations of your heart.

When you breathe out, give yourself permission to let go of the old emotions, the old emotional patterns, all the emotions that do not serve you.

And as you breathe in, embrace the freshness of your heart, newness, the excitement of exploration and opening up the heart to higher possibilities.

That's what you truly want, isn't it? The freedom of the heart.

Stay with it. Stay with the breathing.

It doesn't have to unburden totally right away, but just look for a small measure of expansion, a small measure of new consciousness that shows you are going in the right direction.

If you begin feeling uncertain about the emotions there, take your awareness to your gut. Use two or three deep abdominal breaths to strengthen your resolve, to give yourself the courage and the willpower to work through the emotion.

You have the strength. Tap into it there, and when you feel stronger, come back into the heart.

How does it feel to center yourself in the heart? Notice the impact on your body and on your mind.

As you open the heart and you become more aware there, there's a deeper intelligence that surfaces. The soul can express its intelligence through your heart as a soul desire.

Observe what desire you hold deep in your heart space. What does your soul really want? And gently affirm it. Acknowledge it without judgment, without fear.


Let's take a deep breath. All the way in, all the way out. Ground yourself with the root chakra.

Open up your awareness to your entire body and use the whole body breathing, feeling the expansion of the body with each breath and allowing the energy to circulate freely through the entire body.

Take the time to energize your senses just by noticing and being attentive to each of the senses.

Now pull yourself all the way back into the body, feeling the weight of the body and mentally preparing for the activities of your day.

And as we come to the end of our meditation, let's affirm in the mind:

I stay centered in the source of my being.

I engage with my world with an open heart as I become the master of my emotions.

Thank you very much. Coming all the way back, fully alert and ready. And when the moment is right, gently opening the eyes.

1. What did I observe in meditation? What did I observe in the body? Heart? Mind? Energy?
2. What was striking in the meditation experience that I want to remember? 
3. What was challenging for me today? What can I do to work with that challenge? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback.

Day 7 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this practice we learn about creating integrity in our being - mind, heart, body, energy, and our spiritual Self working in alignment. 

This meditation shows a process of how to use the inner powers of mind and heart to positively influence the body.

Please come into meditation. Posture. A little focus with the spine aligned, shoulders relaxed.

Close the eyes. Bring your attention inwards. Take a few deep breaths, noticing your body, noticing the emotional space, noticing the mind.

And if you're able to try to sense the group energy, the connection of all of us together, that connection is beyond time and space.

How can you come into the group energy in a deeper way?

By acknowledging the exchange that happens when you breathe in, feel the support of the group energy, the togetherness. When you breathe out, you are offering the best of yourself, your presence into the group, that it may support others.

And take a deep breath and just affirm the "I am". I am here. I am experiencing. I am observing. Notice your individual experience. 

Remember that feeling of I, that feeling of the sense of self. It is supported by the divine, by the sacred within you. And so it's your connection back to the source.

When you breathe into that sense of I, what do you feel? What do you observe?

Become skillful in your breathing. Slow, steady inhale. A slow, steady exhale. Balancing the breathing.

When you do this, you are balancing two flows of energy in the body. It's called prana vayu and apana vayu. And by balancing these two flows of energy, we become very steady and stable.

Breathe through that point of the brow, energy center for the mind space. Breathe through that point of the heart and the center of the chest energy center for the heart space. 

As you breathe out, you're clearing any limiting patterns. You're letting go of what you do not need.

Letting go of the thinking from the mind, limiting thoughts from the mind. Letting go of heavy and old emotions.

And when you breathe in, you are opening up to the expansive space of the mind and the heart.

Open up to the loving energy of the heart, kindness to gentleness, compassion, and open up to the limitless potential of your mind. Don't let there be any boundaries or barriers in your mind. Just allow it to expand infinitely and enjoy the spaciousness of your mind.

And as you do this, as you hold that inner posture, now breathe down to the gut. Do some abdominal breathing.

Can you feel that some of that spaciousness makes its way into the body?

We're letting go of the limiting patterns of holding the body. We want to discover the full power of the body when it is aligned with the inner self. 

As you breathe out, let go of the tensions and stresses. Open up the awareness to your body.

Observe the posture position of the limbs. Observe the spine supporting from inside. Observe the breathing apparatus, the beating of the heart and the feeling of the different organs. Observe the muscles and joints.

Observe the gentle electrical tingle of the nerves. And if you're able to observe the flow of blood, it's a subtle feeling of movement and circulation inside.

Hold the entire body in your awareness and open up to loving the body.

The body is your first friend before you even know your mother. The soul knows the body and begins experiencing the physical body.

You can affirm with your mind, I love you. My body I care for you and I hold you close in my being and hold the body in that higher vibration of your heart, transmitting the vibration to every single cell.

Let that loving vibration, that compassionate vibration, be an organizing principle for your body. Your body is an instrument of that loving energy of your soul. Let every single cell shine with that energy.

Go deep into your heart, and as you breathe, allow that energy to overflow from the heart, point at the center of the chest, and using your breathing, allow it to flow to the different parts of the body.

This is how we align the body and heart, by caring for the body, by loving the body deeply.

This body is such a blessing to us, enabling us to fulfill the spiritual mission in this world, allowing us to learn and experience and explore this world. What a blessing. Open up to the gratitude towards your body.

It enables all the spiritual learning of this world. It enables all the joy and experience of this world.

What a blessing.

You feel how the body responds to that vibration. It feels thrilled. A gentle smile comes as the body knows you are holding it. Like the child that is deeply loved, the body knows it's being taken care of.

Just hold yourself in that space.

When you truly love something and someone, you want the best for that person or for that thing. When you truly love the body, you want the best for the body. You want it to be in the best health, taken care of in the best way.

Set the intention now in your mind and will strive to take care of my body in the best way that I can. That's a demonstration of loving. 

Now let's come into the mind, focusing at that point between the eyebrows, but keep that gut connection. So the mind is holding the body, and now we want to support the body with our thoughts.

Every thought is a powerful vibration that influences the body.

So we want to empower the body with our thinking thoughts that will lift the body. But you have to keep that brow and gut connection to transmit the thought powerfully into the body.

My body is strong.

When you say that thought in your mind, you should feel the vibration as a wave entering the physical body. My body is strong.

My body is flexible.

My body is vital and energetic.

I hold my body in perfect wellness and balance.

My body shines with the spiritual power of my soul.

My body is beautiful and attractive, mesmerizing to the world.

 My body is swift and graceful. 

My body is coordinated and balanced.

I hold my body in perfect wellness.

My body shines with the spiritual power of my soul.

Every thought influences the body.

Take a deep breath and begin feeling the breathing with the entire body. With each breath, expand, stretch the connective tissue. Open up the skeleton and the joints.

And when you exhale, gently relax, release. Feel the structure of the body. Inhale, expand, stretch, and open up the body. And exhale. Relax. Feel the connection of the body. Inhale, expand, and exhale. Relax.

Now let's nourish the senses as we make our way BACK to engage with the world.

Breathe into each ONE of the five senses, identifying them.

Tune into the weight of the physical body. Take a deep breath and pull yourself all the way back, alert and ready for today.

And when the moment is right for you, I invite you to gently open the eyes.

​1. What did I observe in meditation? What did I observe in the body? Heart? Mind? Energy?
2. What was striking in the meditation experience that I want to remember? 
3. What was challenging for me today? What can I do to work with that challenge? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback.

Day 6 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this practice we learn about the senses and how they feature in life, and the spiritual process. Learning to master the senses and go inwards is critical for our spiritual evolution.  

This meditation shows a process of how to engage with the five senses and gently withdraw from them, allowing you to reside more with the inner experience. 
​

​Let me invite you to close your eyes and begin tuning in inside. And already, just by closing your eyes, there's a big shift. Instead of the energy flowing out through the eyes, now the energy is reserved, and we have to learn how to direct that energy inwards for the spiritual process, take a few deep breaths to bring balance and stability.

Open up the self awareness to every level of being. And that means noticing your body, noticing your vitality, your emotional experience, your mental experience, if you're able opening up to the energy experience. These are all held in our being.

And just pay attention to that feeling, that sense of I,

you know, of your existence, your beingness. You are in there experiencing this human play. You are in there experiencing this play of mind, emotions, senses and energy.

So just affirm that I am experience.

Breathe into it,

and remember that I, that sense of identity that you are, is held in a divine place.

It's held in the source of all.

It's your connection to divinity.

We want to feel that sense of I is carried, carried in the deeper part of our being.

How will you know that feeling of observation, that sense of watching the experience becomes deeper, it becomes more profound. We are able to notice all the different levels of your being and experience.

This is a very deep centering in your spiritual consciousness.

Now become skillful in your breathing, controlling the flow of the in breath and the out breath, seeking to balance that flow of energy. And let's begin recharging the nervous system.

Come into the abdomen so we can recharge the enteric nervous system. That's the gut, the big nerve plexus, held in the abdomen. Use abdominal breathing.

Take a few breaths to allow the stretching of the abdomen and the contracting to tense the muscles.

And then hold the breath for a few seconds on the inhale. Do this a few times to recharge that.

Now, on your next inhale, draw the energy upwards. Bring the attention into your chest. Begin opening up the ribcage, the chest, the shoulders, exploring the full capacity of your lungs there. And you can focus at the point at the center of your chest as we recharge that emotional nerve plexus.

In the play of the world, we are perhaps constantly engaged with the emotions and that can deplete this nerve area.

When we recharge, we feel emotionally stable.

Breathe into, there and really seek to explore how the breath can open up the sensation there and then you can hold your breath for a few seconds before you release.

That's good. Now, on your next inhale, draw the energy up to that point between the eyebrows.

You can make the gentle constriction in your throat so that you can listen to your breathing and draw the breath deep into your head with an awareness of your brain. Seeking to feel that and create some distance from the thoughts. Clear the mind.

The best way to recharge the brain is to slow down the thinking and to come into that peaceful space. When you combine that with the control of the breath, then the brain is recharged it.

Now take your breathing and guide the flow of energy up and down in the central channel.

Start from the root. As you breathe out, go all the way down to the root. Give that muscle a little tension so you identify. And then on the inhale, invite the flow of energy into the central channel, gently, gently drawing it upwards.

This upward flow of energy is how you can begin withdrawing from the senses.

Identify the sense of smell. Notice and then drop away from it, distancing yourself from it.

Identify the sense of taste. And as you breathe out, drop away from it. Release it.

Identify sight, even though the eyes are closed. And as you breathe out, relax your eyes. Gently distance yourself from it. Move away from needing to see anything. 

Identify the feeling of touch. Notice the air on your skin. Draw the energy upwards from your heart and then gently release, relaxing, letting go of the sense of touch and coming into the listening.

You can stay in tune with my voice. Stay connected to me.

As you breathe out, gently withdraw and go fully into the mind.

Take a few deep breaths, observing that inner space.

Just learn to orient yourself there. Now take a deep breath in and breathe out. Move the energy down to your throat. Listen to the sounds around you.

Take a breath and breathe out. Move the energy down to your heart and feel the sense of touch on the next breath, as you exhale, move down to your gut. Notice the sense of sight.

Exhale, moving down to the sacral area. Notice the sense of taste.

And as you breathe out, go all the way to the root. Anchor yourself there and breathe, noticing the sense of smell.

Fully into the body. Immerse yourself in the body, feeling your connection there.

As we come close to the end of our meditation, let's affirm in the mind:
​
I stay centered in the source of my being. I allow myself to be carried there.

I become more conscious of my five senses and skillfully use them in this world.

May I be perfectly guided on my spiritual path.

Take a deep breath and allow that thought to permeate your being.

Let's come all the way back, feel the weight of the body become fully present and alert to the physical. And when you feel ready, with a few gentle blinks, you can open your eyes.

​1. What did I observe in meditation? 
2. What was striking in the meditation experience? 
3. What was challenging for me today? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback.

Day 5 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

Today I have spoken about the importance of the body as our divine instrument. We need to learn to nourish and strengthen the body so that it can be a life-worthy vehicle. Sometimes we can have limitations and obstacles to our spiritual experiences that might originate in the body - so learning to heal and balance the organs is an important skill. 

The meditation practice today is a bit of an advanced technique of working to energize many specific organs in a particular order. 

The intro to the meditation.

Let's come into our meditation. Thank you very much.

Let me invite you to close your eyes and to join me in the inner space. Take a few deep breaths and refocus on you, your experience, your being. Just affirm, here I am.

And you can even say in your mind, "I am present, I am conscious." Does the strengthen that position?

Today, I want you to start with clearing the mental space. Breathe into the head. Just breathing through that point between the eyebrows, energizing the mental field, clearing and opening up the mind. Open up the mind to greater possibilities.

And if there are thoughts there, as you exhale, gently release the thinking. We want a peaceful, expansive mind. That's the best space to work with the body.

That's good.

We let go of the judgments, the expectations. We let go of our limiting thoughts about the body.

And we open up to seeing and experiencing the body in a new way. As our instrument, our spiritual self, dwells in this body, connected to it, bound to it for the lifetime.

Let's drop all of the ideas we have about the body and seek to relearn. How does this body really work?

How can I cultivate this body into my perfect instrument that is life worthy, strong, yet sensitive?

Be open in the mind to discover with me the beauty of your body. Now, as you breathe out, gently move your attention down into your chest, into your heart, and breathe into the chest, opening up the emotional space.

If there are any residual emotions there, do a little cleanup. As you breathe out, clear the heart space. Breathe fully into the chest. Inhale and exhale.

Breathe fully into the chest. We open up to a loving vibration, a feeling of kindness and gentleness, feeling of support. We want to use that loving vibration to regenerate and sustain the body.

So begin opening up that heart energy, allowing it to flow through the body.

It's as though you're holding your body in your heart, opening up to the loving of the body, opening up to loving every single self, every single feature, knowing that love empowers and sustains and lifts.

Can you feel the lift of holding the body in your heart? I feel lightness is there, and the body is being refreshed by my breath.

And I can feel a pleasantness, a sweetness is coming into the experience. That's how the loving energy influences the hormones. By focusing on your heart, breathing there, energizing there, you're producing the good hormones.

And see if you could relax into that wave of pleasantness, into that wave of sweetness, allowing it to spread through the entire body.

And I feel how that washes away the tensions and it brings a comforting feeling. Always remember, the heart center is a place of healing.

Now, using your exhale, move your attention down into your gut and use some abdominal breathing.

But don't lose the awareness. Have the open mind and the energized heart.

As you breathe into the gut, energizing there. And remember to use the physical action that's important to stimulate the physical body.

When you inhale, expand the abdomen. When you exhale, contract the abdomen with openness, with loving, holding your entire body.

And that physical action of the abdominal breathing, of course, is massaging the organs. You're improving the physical circulation. And because the mind and heart is very strong and present in the space, that higher vibration is carried into the gut.

How does it feel? Just be aware.

Now, as you breathe out, carry your attention down to the root.

And if you're able to, you want to squeeze the root center, activating those perineal muscles. When you exhale, when you inhale, there can be gentle relaxation. Exhale, squeeze the perineum, strengthen the muscle there.

The root chakra is connected to the earth element. Here you are bringing all of the higher qualities from the upper chakras down to the root.

As you exhale and squeeze there, can you feel some energy? Is there perhaps some warmth? And you feel the strength? Can you feel that you're holding your entire body?

Now we need to draw this energy upwards from the root chakra to nourish the different organs.

You are squeezing the perineum on the inhale, inviting a gentle upward movement of the energy into the central channel. And first, we're going towards the kidneys. And they're located on either side of the spine, in the lower back.

So when you inhale, you're focusing on the kidneys on either side of the spine, lower back. And you're drawing energy from the root to the kidneys.

You will feel there's some subtle tensions that will come to the pelvic diaphragm, to the lower abdominals. That's expected to lift the energy from the root to the organs.

Use your breath. On the inhale, pulling up the energy.

Try to feel the kidneys and the energy flowing there. It you do need to be focused. You're using the mind, the breath and the will. But stay with me, stay with the group for the support to catch the experience.

Now, on the inhale, you're drawing up to the kidneys. And from each kidney on either side, you're drawing up towards your liver and your spleen. And these are located at the base of the ribcage on the left and right sides of the body. Inhale, draw the energy up, squeezing the perineum. Move to the kidneys and then upwards to the liver on the right side and the spleen on the left side.

And again, you will feel some subtle tensions in the muscle to help you lift the energy and use each breath, allowing the energy to flow upwards, nourishing these two organs.

And you might feel maybe they're sensitive because they need the nourishment.

One more breath. Drawing up to that, make sure to squeeze the perenium tight. That's how you move the energy upwards.

That's good. Now, the next step is from the liver and the spleen, moving up to the left and right lungs and on the left side, feeling a little bit towards your physical heart.

So on the inhale, squeeze the root, go to the kidneys, liver and spleen, and then lungs and heart.

The exhale can be natural, relaxed it. At a certain point, you will feel the body is really filling up with energy. Using the focused breath is key to this.

Once you feel the energy is coming into the upper chest, then you hold it at the very base of the throat. That's the final point.

The energy now flows from both lungs and the heart towards the front of the throat, the thyroid.

So when you inhale, there's a clear path on both sides of the body through the organs up to the front of the throat.

Just one more breath. Thank you.

And relax. Let's re center at that point in the chest. Focusing on your heart. And this energy center brings balance to our being. It's the center of the energy axis. Breathe into your heart, center of the chest.

Just evening out all of the flows of energy. That's perfect.

Now we are coming to the end of our meditation. Let us affirm in the mind:

I stay centered in the source of my being, nourishing every single organ in my body.

I hold my body in perfect health, wellness and balance.

Thank you. Now take a deep breath, coming into the weight of the body, coming into the senses, coming back all the way.

When you feel ready, with a few blinks, you can gently open the eyes.

1. What did I observe in meditation? 
2. What was striking in the meditation experience? 
3. What was challenging for me today? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback. edit.

Day 4 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this practice I share about the connection between breath and subtle energy or prana. By learning to work with the subtle energy inside you can cultivate your spiritual potential to open up to spiritual experience. 

For this meditation we focussed on the central energy channel or Sushumna nadi, and the two points at the top and base of the channel - the brow and root. ​​

A short intro on breath and subtle energy. I go on further to share about the main energy channel, the chakras and how that features for our spiritual journey. 

Let's get into our practice, meditation practice now. And I'm guiding you through using breath and opening up to your energy awareness a bit more.

Are you ready? So you can close your eyes, align your spine, tune into your breathing, just in a way of tuning into your body. 

And I want you to affirm, I am here. Hear I am. Notice your sense of self. Notice that sense of existing and being as you breathe.

That's the core of divinity in you.

That is what enables your being, that enables your existence as an individual.

It's the spiritual source within you. So when you are affirm, "here I am", you are going closer to the source that sustains you.

Observe your body. Observe your emotions and how you feel this morning. Observe your mind, the quality and condition of your mind. Without judging any of this, it's just seeing what is there, seeing what you're working with and appreciating it.

Using your breathing, cultivate a sense of relaxation in your body, releasing the tensions, relaxing into the flow, and seek to balance each deep breath. Slow inhale. Slow exhale.

As you breathe out, create a gentle pause, patiently waiting at the end of the exhale until the perfect moment to inhale.

And after you inhale, wait a moment. Wait till the perfect time to exhale and try to feel that signal in your body. The right moment to inhale. The right moment to exhale.

Can you feel that subtle signal? It comes before the inhale. Before the exhale, tune into that feeling, that subtle impulse to breathe. Tune into that.

It's the movement of energy.

Something inside gives a signal to inhale and then creates that experience. It sets the breathing in motion. And then the same for the exhale.

That's the feeling of energy, the subtle impulses inside. And observe it with me. It's not only a sensation. It's also a gentle movement of your mind. Your mind is connected to it.

Can you feel how you're becoming focused by trying to observe it on the inhale? We seek to guide the flow of energy upwards in the central channel.

On the exhale, we seek to guide the flow of energy downwards. Focus on that central energy channel aligned to your spine.

We seek to make it more conscious and energized. On the inhale, observe and guide the flow of energy upwards in the channel.

On the exhale, guide the flow downwards. And just stay with that for a few breaths.

It's okay if there's thinking, it's okay if you observe the senses a little, it's okay if you notice the body, and the body gives you one or two little complaints, it's all okay. But stay focused with me on that flow of energy aligned to the flow of breath.

And just notice the feeling of lightness that comes.

That feeling of lightness comes as you open up to your energy body, as you move the energy in the central channel, you are activating the energy centers, the chakras.

You are loosening the limiting energy patterns that are held there. Perhaps you can feel some of those patterns wanting to surface in your experience. It can surface as emotion, as thoughts, or as different symptoms in your body. And if that happens, just observe, don't react.

Stay with me. Relax into the group energy and our connection,

and just enjoy. As you inhaLe, the energy flows upwards.

As you exhale, the energy flows downwards. It's a fascinating sensation.

Stay with me.

This experience is opening up your energy awareness.

And if you stay grounded in your body, feeling the body as you do this, it's nourishing the nervous system.

Now, when you breathe out and you guide the flow of energy all the way down the channel, locate the base of the channel, the end of it, that's the root chakra. When you breathe in,

try to guide the flow of energy all the way up to that point between the eyebrows.

That's the brow chakra, third eye point, breathing out, going all the way down, down the channel to the root chakra, and you can give a little tension to the perineum muscle to bring the energy further there. And then on the inhale in a relaxed way, you're guiding the flow of energy upwards.

And if you're able to hold it at the brow and then exhale back down, and you can gently tense, stimulate the perineum, the root chakra, and do this for each breath, becoming familiar with that energy axis and these two points, and notice how you feel.

That's very good. Now release that focus on the central channel. Bring your awareness into your gut and do some abdominal breathing, and use the full capacity of your lungs in and out.

This will bring more of your power into the body. And now tune into your senses. Identify the five senses and use your inhale to energize them.

Now, let's gently affirm in the mind:

I stay connected to the source of my being and I open up to my energy awareness.

I stay connected to the source of my being and I open up to my energy awareness.

That's very good. Take one last deep breath, feel the weight of the body, and pull yourself fully into the body. Alert.

And when you feel ready, with a few gentle blinks, you can open your eyes.

1. What did I observe in meditation? 
2. What was striking in the meditation experience? 
3. What was challenging for me today? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback. edit.

Day 3 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this session I speak about the importance of the nervous system on our spiritual path, and the need for strengthening and nourishing the nervous system to enable us to go deeper into meditation. 

In meditation we focussed on the 3 main nerve plexuses - gut, heart, and brain. 

Intro for today - speaking about the nervous system and how it features for our spiritual practice, including understanding what will strengthen or weaken the nerves. 

Let's close our eyes, please. And I invite you to begin focusing inwards.

Come into the awareness of present moment. What does that mean? It means committing to this experience, committing to this process.

So you're leaving the past, acknowledging it is there, but not letting it control how this moment will unfold.

And you don't need to project into the future, thinking about the future with expectation, what's coming next. No need. Just stay with me in this moment, in tune with your body, becoming more self aware.

Notice that feeling of I am I existed. Notice that feeling of presence. And remember that the entire meditation process is held, carried in the deepest part of your being.

Each breath comes from your divine self, is sacred and is held in the source of your being, source of your power. That source is your true self.

Body, heart, mind, energy. These are your instruments. They are not your true self.

Now let's become masterful and skillful in how we engage with our instruments. Clear your mind. As you breathe out, let go of the thinking.

Come into a peaceful mind, a mind that is curious, attentive, and observant.

Use your breathing to help you. When you breathe out, make space. And when you breathe in, breathe into peacefulness. Breathe into self awareness.

Now bring your attention into your abdomen, into the gut, and use deep abdominal breathing. When you exhale, give a little tension to the abdominal muscles. Draw the navel towards your spine. And when you inhale, expand the abdomen, push the diaphragm down in your body, and really stretch the abdomen.

And do this for every breath to anchor in abdominal breathing, belly breathing, you are creating that consciousness of the energy center there and of the nerve plexus there and open up to feel. What happens when you do this? I can feel already my body becomes warm, and I become more sensitive to the organs in the gut.

Ensure that when you expand the abdomen on the inhale, that you feel a bit of pressure on the back muscles, on the sides of the body and on the front. The expansion is in every direction. And when you breathe out, give a good contraction of the muscles.

Deep inhale, deep exhale.

And if you can, when you exhale and you squeeze the muscles, you can also squeeze the perineum, that muscle at the base of the body, to hold in the energy.

In yoga, it's called mulabandha. Squeezing that perineum to lock in the energies of that lower area. Now, when you inhale, expand the abdomen.

If you can squeeze the perineum and hold the breath, lock in the energies, you can hold it. Don't be afraid.

And then exhale. Take a deep breath and out again. Inhale, expand the abdomen, gently. Tense that perineum muscle to hold the energy and hold the breath.

Give a little pressure with your diaphragm. Feel the abdomen stretching.

Stay with me, stay with me. And then exhale. Relax.

Some people, when you do this, you will feel a little dizziness coming into the space. It's okay, it's just showing that there is a slight weakness there that is needs to be strengthened. And this is how we strengthen. It's important to do this in a relaxed way. Make sure you're not building up tension in the other parts of your body. As you breathe out, relax, release completely.

Now, breathing in, expand the abdomen. Squeeze the perineum to lock in the energies and hold your breath.

If you can feed more energy into the abdomen, more breath into the abdomen, you do that and hold it there, and then breathe out and take a few very natural breaths in a space of observation.

Allow the energy to circulate as it needs to. Just notice, how does that gut area feel? How does my entire body feel? I can feel a different level of alertness is now there in my space. This is how you can strengthen the gut, but you must do it in a relaxed way.

And of course, you're awakening the fire element, the Agni energy, there in the gut. That's why you feel the warmth.

Now bring your attention into your chest. And as you inhale, it's as though you're lifting the energy from the lower area towards the chest.

And as you breathe, explore the capacity in the chest. And when you inhale, open up the ribcage, open up the chest, the shoulders. If you need to free your arms, lifting the arms to stretch and breathe, you can bring your attention and your awareness into that heart area and hold clearly in your mind. The goal is to strengthen the heart. The goal is to nourish the nervous system there, nerve plexus there.

When you breathe into the chest, hold the breath for a few seconds and then gently release.

It should be relaxed. Breathing in, hold the breath gently there and release. At third time, please. Breathing in, hold the breath gently there and release. Now, to fully nourish the heart plexus, that heart area, you need to use some of the power from the sacral, from the root. So on the inhale, you want to draw up from the very base of the body, from the sacral towards your heart, and hold the dead.

And when you exhale, release the air, but not the energy feeling at the chest.

And again inhale, drawing up the energy. Try to feel that lifting, inwardly lifting from the root, from the sacral towards your heart. Hold it there. And then release the air, but not the energy. One more time, breathing in, lifting up the energy and out, releasing the air, but keeping the energy feeling there.

If you start to get some lightheadedness, then breathe once more into the abdomen, into the gut, just to make sure the excess energy is not disturbing the system, we want the excess energy to be moved into the body, into the field of the body, the matrix of the body.

Now, gently bring your attention to that point between the eyebrows. Softly focus there.

And with a slow breath, as though you're drinking the air through that point, draw the energy into the head space. As you do this in the background, keep the awareness of the gut and the heart. Feel that they are strongly present in the space to stabilize the mind experience.

Can you feel how the breath becomes more focused in that upper head space?

And the breathing naturally becomes a little bit softer and there's a gentle constriction in the throat, and each breath is flowing like a wave into the brain.

Just observe how it feels.

Remember, it should be relaxed. Don't use power when you're influencing the mind and the brain.

It's like an inner massage using the breath.

And I can feel that as I stay with this. The breath is going deeper and deeper into the head space, and it's moving more towards the back of the head, that area of the brain called the medulla. Draw the energy in.

That's good. Now let's take a breath in. And when you breathe out, push the energy down towards your body, down from the head, down the chest, down the gut, down to the base, even into your feet, if you can.

Your next breath pushing the energy down, and observe whole body awareness. Now begin breathing with the entire body as you lived in the past two days. When you inhale, stretch the body.

When you exhale, relax. When you inhale, stretch open all the joints, open up the spine.

When you exhale, relax, feel the gentle collapsing of the body. When you inhale, stretch, feel that connective tissue beneath the skin, stretching and opening.

When you exhale, relax. And one more time, please inhale and stretch the entire body, moving the excess energy into the body where it's held in reserve.

And then exhale and relax. I invite you to tune into the senses slowly and mentally prepare to engage with your day and the activities of your day.

And before coming back, let us mentally affirm. 

I keep my body relaxed and at ease, and I hold my nervous system in recharge, not allowing it to become depleted. I nourish my nervous system today.

Thank you very much. Now take a deep breath. Pull yourself all the way back to the body, all the way back to the space through the senses. And when you feel ready, with a few gentle blinks, you can open the eyes.

1. What did I observe in meditation? 
2. What was striking in the meditation experience? 
3. What was challenging for me today? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback. ​

Day 2 for the 21-Day Dhyana Sadhana, 21-Day Meditation Practice daily online retreat as we approach Divali 2024. 

In this meditation I have guided you to deeply relax and bring the body into a place of ease. As you hold that posture of ease in the body, the entire being begins to follow and enter into that state of relaxation. 

This is an important technique to absorb, not only for the longevity and wellness of your Divine instrument of the physical body, but also learning how to hold yourself at ease which can take you to deeper meditative experiences. 

Our intro from today. Let's remember the vital role of this body on our spiritual path. 

Coming into our meditation posture.

That's good. I can feel you focusing inside already in our group connection. Close your eyes. Just stay in tune with me through my voice and take a moment just to affirm. Here you are. Here I am, dwelling in this body, experiencing this world. Just notice.

Tune into your breathing. When you exhale, make sure to empty your lungs completely. When you inhale, 
explore really filling the lungs, stretching the lungs to its capacity.

And I invite you to feel the sacredness of each deep breath. As I said before, breathing is connected to life. With each breath, you are holding the life in your body.

Isn't that a power?

Observe the flow of your breath, and in particular, observe the movement of the diaphragm, that muscle at the base of your lungs that controls your breathing.

When you breathe in and you're filling the lungs, the diaphragm is moving down in your body, making space in your lungs. When you breathe out, the diaphragm is moving up in your chest, squeezing and pushing the air out of your lungs.

Begin by trying to relax your diaphragm as you breathe. Relaxation on the inhale. Relaxation on the exhale. Really seeking to feel that muscle. It has a large surface and it can stretch quite a bit. Explore it as you breathe.

You will know if the diaphragm is tense because you will feel a vibration at the end of the inhale or at the end of the exhale. There will be a subtle tension, subtle rigidity in the diaphragm.

We want the breath to be smooth, a very smooth flow in and out, and to feel the stretch and the elasticity of the diaphragm. That's when it's relaxed.

When the diaphragm is relaxed, it has a powerful effect in triggering relaxation through the entire body.

Can you feel the entire surface of the diaphragm? It's connected to the front of the ribs and also to the back of the ribs. Make sure you're getting the sensation in the front and back of your body and explore the fullness of breath.

Stretch the ribcage and feel it relaxed as you exhale. I can feel how much my lungs and that chest area really needed this. The stretch feels so good and satisfying. This is the releasing of the chin tension in the breathing.

In the breathing apparatus. Let your breathing become free and at ease where there is no mental pattern. Holding it in. Check where the body can breathe as it wants to.

How does the body want to breathe? Explore that. You might feel. You want to lift the arms. Just giving it freedom and expanding and opening up the chest and shoulders as you inhale and exhale, how does the body want to breathe?

Open up to it. Now, bring your awareness into the left side of your chest, tuning into the rhythm of the physical heart. That muscle is there and it's working nonstop, maintaining the flow of blood.

When you breathe out, hold the breath out for a few seconds, just three or 4 seconds and then breathe in.

Breathing out. Hold the breath out. The lungs empty for three or 4 seconds and then breathe in.

This will trigger the release of that physical heart. The tension in that muscle begins to relax and the heart rate slows down.

Breathing out. Hold a breath out for five to 6 seconds and then breathe in.

Let it be natural, effortless, without force. Breathe out. Hold the breath out and then breathe in. And consciously seek to relax the heart. Just sending that signal of relaxation to the left part of the chest. You might actually become aware that you are holding tension there and in your left shoulder and in the left area of the body.

Stay with the exhale. When you exhale, hold the breath out for a few seconds, effortless, and then inhale.

This will help you trigger the release from that area. This is how you slow down the heart rate. And if you keep your whole body awareness when you do this, can you feel there is an energy response in the body?

I can feel that my body begins to vibrate. There's a tingling that comes through the body. As the tension is released, the energy experience comes up. It surfaces into the front and the energy begins to flow and circulate through the body.

And notice this is very relaxed breathing and the energy is building up inside.

Now mentally scan the body. Gently guide your mind. Observing, using the spotlight of your attention, observing different parts of your body.

Be curious, explore and you're seeking out areas where you might be holding tension. If you notice that, gently hold it in your mind and as you breathe out, try to relax. Send a signal to release.

Using the exhale is the key. Send the signal as you breathe out and you may feel the muscles soften.

You may feel the connective tissue release becoming flexible and supple again usage and release the different areas of tension as you need to intuitively and stay with your breath it and just notice that with relaxation there is a quietness, a steadiness.

It's okay if there are thoughts moving in your mind right now, it's not so important.

You are giving care and attention to your body.

Hold your entire body in your awareness and as you breathe, it's as though you're breathing with your whole body.

When you inhale, feel the entire body expand and stretch. When you exhale, gently relaxes.

When you inhale, expand and stretch the spine and exhale, gently relax. When you inhale, expand, feel the elasticity of the body. And when you exhale, relax, release.

And in this whole body, breathing allows the distribution of the energy. Distribution of prana.

Prana is the Sanskrit word for energy. Hold your entire body in your awareness as you breathe and open up the energy to flow to the soles of the feet, to the tips of the fingers, to the crown of the head.

This is how you recharge every single cell in your body by holding it in your awareness and guiding the breath, the flow of energy to it.

Now I invite you to bring your awareness into your chest.

Take two or three deep breaths there, just engaging the power of your heart, spiritual heart, the energy center there.

We want to meet our world in our heart from a place of compassion, kindness, and then come into the gut and use belly breathing, abdominal breathing, expanding and contracting the abdomen.

We want to meet the world from a place of strength, vitality and confidence.

That's when the gut is very stable.

And finally, I invite you to affirm in your mind.

I stay conscious of my body, allowing it to be relaxed and at ease with the flow of life.

May it serve my spiritual path, my spiritual progress.

Again, affirming in the mind, I stay conscious of my body, allowing it to be relaxed and at ease with the flow of life.

May it soothe my spiritual path and my spiritual progress.

Thank you very much. Now tuning into each one of the five senses,

listening to the sounds around you, opening up to the sense of touch, the air on your skin, the weight and position of the body, noticing the eyes are closed and tuning in to taste and smell. Just giving attention to the senses, to ground yourself fully in body. This is how you can train the senses. And now pulling yourself back, fully alert and ready. One deep breath coming back.

​Thank you very much. When you feel ready, you can gently open the eyes

1. What did I observe in meditation? 
2. What was striking in the meditation experience? 
3. What was challenging for me today? 

Feel free to ask your questions and post your reflection in the comments if you wish for some feedback. ​