Note: For the complete lessons, see the AYP Books.

Lesson 220 - Q&A – Opening the heart chakra

From: Yogani
Date: Mon Jul 19, 2004 1:06pm

New Members: It is recommended you read from the beginning of the web
archive, as previous lessons are prerequisite to this one. The first
lesson is, "Why This Discussion?"


Q: I have developed heart and kidney problems over the last few
years. I had a heart attack at the age of 39 in which I was forced to
slow down tremendously.

Recently I saw a very great practitioner of Shanti and Reiki healing
due to my distress over this situation. I have been in meditation on
the Holy Names of both the Maha-Mantra and the Mantra Rajas for over
25 years. (Unfortunately, we are not taught the science of meditation)

I was told by this, and by a couple of other practitioners that my
heart chakra is "clogged" and that it must be opened and cleared.
That this is the cause of my physical distresses. Forgive me, but I
am most ignorant of this technique. I know what the chakra centers
are from the Vedas, but not in the techniques
on how to open them.

I live a very simple life, but being a teacher and Guru in our
tradition, I do have stress at times. I have a strict sastric diet,
follow my dosha recommendations and chant over 100,000 Holy Names
daily, which means I am in active meditation over 10 hours a day.
This is not the problem, since it has been daily routine for many
years.

If you could please recommend some reading, or explain this
technique, I would be most grateful. My healer says that this would
greatly enhance my health, preaching and ministry and also allow more
of the Light of Nityananda-Gauranga to flow from me to those around
me.

Thank you for your time in this.


A: Thank you for writing and sharing.

The practices in the lessons are geared toward overall spiritual
awakening, and not so much on individual chakras - except the ajna to
root connection, which is especially important for enlightenment. Of
course, the heart is opened also by this overall purification in the
spiritual anatomy. While meditation and spinal breathing are global
and open the heart "by proxy," other techniques like uddiyana/nauli,
chin pump and targeted bastrika can work more directly in the heart
area as part of the overall process of purification and opening.

In general, I am not for focusing on individual chakra openings,
because how can we know what is the right order? Unfathomable karma
sets each of us on a somewhat different path, and that is why the
broad approach in the lessons is offered, rather than a specific
chakra by chakra approach. In this way we allow pure bliss
consciousness to cultivate natural opening of the nervous system from
within, relying on intellectual decisions very little. Through the
practices in the lessons, we are systematically surrendering to the
process of spiritual transformation that is inherent within us. Of
course, pure bhakti is the greatest of all practices, and you know
that already. If human desire is raised to the level of bhakti
(intense desire for God/Truth), then all the methods of yoga are
stimulated automatically. We only need hear of them once (if at all),
and we are off into practice!

Having said all that, here are a couple of additional suggestions on
opening the heart chakra that are holistic in their effects:

There is a pranayama technique that works directly in the heart that
has not been mentioned in the lessons so far. It is like spinal
breathing, but in reverse direction. We can call it "heart
breathing." It provides the opportunity to bring our ishta (chosen
ideal) directly into our heart using the breath with profound effect.
What we do is inhale from the third eye (point between the eyebrows)
back to the center of the head and down the spinal nerve into the
heart, and then exhale back out the same route through the third eye.
On the inhalation we bring our ishta in, and on the exhalation we
send out impurities. If we slow down the breathing (comfortably), the
effects will be enhanced. Breathing through the nose is preferable,
but not mandatory. This method has great benefit for the heart,
purifying and opening it. During this practice, our heart is filled
with our Beloved and impurities are expelled. It can be done for 5-10
minutes before or after sitting practices, or anytime. Be careful not
to overdo it in the beginning, as it can bring excessive karmic
releases in the heart if overdone. It is suggested you start off slow
and work up gradually according to comfort and effect. This practice
has not been offered in the lessons so far because of the reverse
direction aspect and possible confusion to beginners in the
traditional spinal breathing that is given beginning in lesson #41,
which purifies the heart in a more general way. Also, many people do
not have a clear ishta to use, which can be confusing to those coming
to yoga with a non-worship orientation. This is clearly not the case
with you, so perhaps you can use this practice with good effect. It
may even combine nicely with your other practices. It is in your
hands.

For those who wish to try this practice without a specific ishta
(diety, avatar or guru), the purifying and healing power of universal
Truth can be brought in through the third eye and down into the heart
during inhalation, and impurities sent out on exhalation.

A second suggestion is on the physical/lifestyle level. Much of the
contraction in areas of our nervous system can be reinforced in our
daily habits - how we interact and carry on our daily routine of
activities. Sometimes just bringing in a new behavior, changing the
routine, can reduce the contraction. In the case of a heart problem,
the solution is straight forward, coming from modern medicine. Daily
aerobic exercise is one of the first prescriptions to build a
healthier heart. No doubt you know this already. Daily exercise (20+
minute brisk walk, or equivalent), and a low fat, low salt,
vegetarian diet are good for both the heart and the blood pressure.
It is not unusual for a sattvic (pure) diet to have a lot of fat and
salt in it, so being sattvic in diet alone may not be adequate. I
found this out many years ago when I had a tendency toward high blood
pressure in spite of a pure vegetarian diet, which was easily
resolved by the measures just mentioned. Doing these things will also
change the way we carry on our daily routine, including our
relationships with other people. So, putting some emphasis on these
physical health measures will affect our life in nonphysical ways,
which is good for the heart also. Some letting go is necessary to
make these changes, and that can reduce the contraction in our heart.
An opening heart is one that knows how to let go. An opening heart
laughs a lot too!

Cultivating the habit of letting go deep in the nervous system is at
the root of deep meditation, samyama and many of the other practices
in the lessons. As inner silence comes up in our life, we are able to
let go of the daily stresses more easily, even as we are engaged in
activity. Letting go while remaining active in life is, of course,
the essence of karma yoga, so it all ties together.

If you want to take a more focused "spiritual energy work" approach
to opening the heart chakra, I am probably not the best person to
ask. Perhaps an energy healer you are already seeing (Reiki or other)
can help with that. I am not much for focusing too much on particular
chakras for the reasons mentioned. I try and keep the chakras "under
the hood" as much as possible so as not to distract from the overall
task of "driving the car" home to enlightenment. My role is to stay
focused on that.

I wish you balanced health, and continuing success in your important
spiritual work.

The guru is in you.

<  Previous  |  Next  >