Heart Centered in 2010

As a society we have developed habits in our breathing patterns and in our minds that stop of from connecting to the center of our heart. We tend to live more from our mind and our ego derived sense of self which causes a disconnect to the experience of life. When we live from our heart we steady into the "now" experience bringing us clarity, strength of mind, peace, and a deep connection. From this place we can learn honesty, compassion, and to love more deeply. With awareness to ones breath we can create space and openness in our heart so we can live more full from our center!

The Practice:

Turn your awareness to the flow of your breath. As you inhale follow the breath as the upper lobes of the lunges fill, and the heart space expands. At this point in the breath there is a tendency to get up rooted from the earth...As you reach the top of your inhale notice if your eyes flicker upwards, this is a sign that you have temporarily lost your connection to the apana (downward flow of energy) and have momentarily become ungrounded. Continue by softly smiling at the end of the inhaling breath. Allow the pallet of the mouth to become luminous and keep the eyes soft and down cast. Just like a tree we must be rooted in order to blossom and open more fully.

Now watch the out breath notice if the chest collapses in and the upper back rounds, work to maintain the openness of the heart as you feel the lungs softly peel. As if the lungs just finished gently kissing the inner ribs, instead of pushing the breath out. It's as if the peeling away allows a melting quality which keeps the center of the heart more fully open. Continue to follow the exhale and notice if you unconsciously contract the body at the end of the out breath. This squeezes and pushes us out of our heart. instead as you reach the end of the breath, keep the body soft with the heart radiating outward.

Continue to practice in this way, allow the breath to bring you into the present moment while creating an environment where we may live and flourish from the center of our being. Maintain an inward smile, feel this smile tickle your brain bringing more compassion, kindness, and a sense of humor into our life.

These natural breathing habits unconsciously push us out of our heart, for 2010 can we bring a conscious awareness to our breath so we my live more fully from our center.