Meditation
The Heart Chakra Meditation is a form of meditation given to us by Durgamayi Ma and it is being practiced by Ma’s chela for over 40 years.
The following guide is a summery and translation of a meditation that Ma has given in German. It was recorded during a darshan—an encounter with Ma. You can listen to it during your practice if you like, or simply follow the written instructions.
Guided Meditation
In the Heart Chakra Meditation, Ma guides us to breathe into the centre of our chest – into our heart. Ma teaches us, that this is where the heart chakra, our spiritual heart, resides. By consciously focusing our breath there, we can widen it and make it smoother.
The meditation’s duration is about 40 minutes.
The recording is in German, so a summary of what Ma says is provided in English below. You don’t need any previous experience.
1. Prepare your body:
- Take up a yogic, meditative, upright seat, whether on a chair or the floor.
Crucial is a straight spine. - Slightly slide forward if seated on a cushion to create a natural curve in the lower back.
- Keep your shoulders loose, the arms rest gently by the sides of the body. Rest your hands on your knees or in your lap.
- Align your neck as a continuation of the spine by gently tucking the chin
towards the sternum. - Become aware of your physical posture, from the feet to the crown of the head.
- Let your lips show a subtle, gentle smile – resembling the smile of the Buddha.
- These steps may help you to fully arrive in your physical form and in the
present moment.
2. Prepare your mind:
- Let go of all that is in the past. It will not dissolve, but become less prominent.
Imagine a heavy cloak slowly sliding off your shoulders. - Similarly, let go of all thoughts about the future, picturing another heavy cloak falling away. This brings your focus to the present.
- These acts of releasing the past and future lead to an awareness of the „now,“ the present moment.
3. Connect with your Breath:
- Now direct attention to your breath, which constantly flows in and out, often
unnoticed. Becoming still and present allows you to perceive this subtle
movement. - Ma highlights the breath as an indispensable tool on the spiritual path, a
constant inner refuge. Now simply feel the quiet inhalation and exhalation.
4. Using your Breath to Soften the Heart:
- Then Ma guides us in visualizing a small opening at the center of our chest, the
location of the heart chakra. - Through this imagined opening, gently direct your natural breath in and out.
- With each breath, envision your heart as being moved, expanding slightly on the inhale and contracting on the exhale, gaining elasticity, becoming softer.
- Keep your focus on the center of your chest, following the natural rhythm of the breath.
- It can be of help to silently note „ein“ (in) with the inhalation and „aus“ (out) with the exhalation.
- Ma reminds us that thoughts surely will arise. When we become aware of thoughts that have carried us away, we simply return our awareness to the center of the chest and to our breath, using it as an anchor. Do not judge
yourself for wandering thoughts; it’s a natural part of the process.
5. Concluding the Meditation:
- Ma concludes the meditation with three deliberate, deep breaths drawn into the heart center and then released.
- Finally, we gently loosen our body and slowly open our eyes.