By Ami Effendy.

The breath is the thing closest to us.  It is tangible, believable, understandable and controllable.  The gentle inhalation and exhalations sustains us, calms us, affects our thoughts and is itself affected by our activities, emotions and thoughts.

We have all had times where we have felt upset, our breathing quickens, we take shallow breaths, feel panicked and light headed. People’s advice is always to “take some deep breaths”, and they are right! Breathing deeply, inhaling slowly, filling your mind and body with oxygen calms us down, both physically but also mentally, and exhaling release tension and CO2 out of the system and body. 

It might sound funny, but in world today, we often forget to breathe. Not just the type of breathing that we do automatically (and keeps us alive), but the deep, belly breaths that fill our lungs completely.

Plenty of common habits lead to shallow breathing, which can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety.  Having an unconscious lifestyle – all of that results in us not using our lungs to their full potential. Most of the time, we don’t even notice we’re breathing shallowly. 

Breathing brings us energy. We need to breathe to send oxygen into the cells in our body, which constantly need a new supply so they can produce energy. When breathing, we also allow our bodies to get rid of the waste products and toxins it creates, which can easily stagnate in our bodies and damage vital functions if not expelled. 

Breathing is a curious process, unlike any other in the human body. We do this unconsciously for a large proportion of the time much like the blood flowing around our body, but at any given moment we can choose to change its rhythm.

In the Yoga world, the practice of Pranayama, we become deeply familiar with the breath.  A good knowledge of the respiratory system will, therefore, aid and enhance the practices, and help in a better understanding of their physiological parameters. 

The classical yogic practices of Pranayama have been known in India for over 4,000 years.  The science of pranayama was developed by highly evolved yogis through an intuitive and experiential understanding of prana (vital force – a force in constant motion.  Prana exists in sentient beings as the energy that drives every action, voluntary and involuntary, every thought, every level of the mind and body) and its influence on the human mechanism at various levels. Scientific research describes prana as a complex multidimentional energy: a combination of electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, photonic, ocular, thermal and mental energies.

The breath being the medium of pranayama, the system is based on the three stages of respiration: inhalation (pooraka), retention (kumbaka), and exhalation (rechaka).  By permuting and directing these three stages, the different practices of pranayama are obtained. 

Technically speaking, pranayama is actually only retention.  Yoga Sutra 2:49 state – Pranayama is the pause in the movement of inhalation and exhalation when that is secured.

There are several types of breathing but the majority of people breathe into their chest rather than their stomach. Throughout our lives we will have all experienced changes in our breathing patterns when processing different feelings, for example those of fear, anger, sorrow or physical exercise. Some of us sometimes unintentionally set up physical responses in our breathing when reacting to emotional triggers, for example when we see a rat!

Oxygen feeds your mind after all, and if you are not giving your brain enough oxygen, then it cannot cope sufficiently with your emotions.

We have all had times where we have felt upset, our breathing quickens, we take shallow breaths, feel panicked and light-headed. People’s advice is always to “take some deep breaths”, and they are right! Breathing deeply, inhaling slowly, filling your mind and body with oxygen calms us down, both physically but also mentally.

How Can I Breathe More Effectively?

A lot of you won’t know that most of us only use around a third of our actual breathing capacity.

There are three main compartments to the lungs and for the most part we take shallow breaths that only involve the upper lobes (the top part of our lungs).

Try this:

Find a quiet place and sit comfortable cross legged or kneeling so you can feel and experience your whole spine long and elongate.  This way you will be able to feel the movement of the breaths more freely.   You can do it as a standalone pranayama or preparation for meditation. 

MUKHA BHASTRIKA – known as the cleansing breath

Function – To clear the lungs of stale air.  It can be used before any class, as preparation practice.

How – Done from kneeling, sitting or standing, inhale fully and then as you fold forward blast the breath through the mouth in one rapid “whoosh” followed by a series of short cough – like spurts by forceful movement of the diaphragm.

MAHAT YOGA PRANAYAMA – Three Part breathing

Function – Complete deep breathing using three sections of the lungs (lower – mid and upper) to form one complete wave like breath. Promotes immunity, increase vitality and longevity. Healing and grounding.  Increase the breathing functions and lungs capacity.

How – Both inhalation and exhalation through the nostrils are initiated from the bottom up. 

The abdomen is pushed out as the diaphragm is lowered to pull air into the bottom of the lungs; then the rib cage is expanded out to the sides to fill the mid-lungs and finally the whole chest is raised to pull the air into the top lobes. 

Exhalation follows the same sequence; the diaphragm is raised, and abdomen drawn in to expel the air out of the bottom lobes. Ribs are then pulled in towards the centre, forcing the air up and out and finally the chest is dropped down, forcing the last of the air out of the top lobes. 

Begin to count your breath to internal 6 counts (divide it in to 3 different part of the lungs), meaning 2 second at each section on both inhalation (2-2-2) and exhalation (2-2-2).  After about 5 minutes of this, you can move to the next one..,

SAVITRI PRANAYAMA

Function –  Another name for this pranayama is Gayatri which considered to be the most sacred ‘meter’ for chanting Mantra. There is no other breath that offers such supreme balance to the nervous system and mind.

How – After the balance breath through MAHAT YOGA PRANAYAMA, begin to lengthen both the inhalation and exhalation to an internal 8 counts. 

After becoming established, begin to hold the breath in for 4 counts at the top of the inhalation and at the end of the exhalations. 

The complete practice will be:

Inhale for 8 counts, hold the breath in for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts, hold the breath out for 4 counts

8:4:8:4

Continue to practice Savitri for 27 rounds which will take between 12 – 15 minutes. 

Once you master this breathing technique, it will help you to build more awareness and instantly feel how the breaths is able to nourish your mind and nervous system, create more healthy breathing patterns.

Love,

Ami

By Amy Effendy.

Behind every achievement, every success, there is Sankalpa Shakti, the power of will and determination. 

Shakti is a power.  Without Shakti you cannot be successful.  All the great ones on the earth needed Shakti.  There was a shakti behind to inspire them.  Without inspiration, even the greatest ability is scattered. We need to stoke and sustain our inner fire if we want to pursue our personal growth. 

And now what is sankalpa…

Let me break down the words for you…Sankalpa which is the compound of two Sankrit words; Kalpa, which means “a way of proceeding” or, move revealingly, “the rule to be observed above or before any other rule,” and San, “a concept or idea formed in the heart.”

Thus, sankalpa means determination or will, an intention, conviction, vow, or, most commonly, a resolution, one that reflects your highest aspirations.  In practical terms, a sankalpa is a declarative statement, resolution, or intention in which you vow or commit to fulfil a specific goal.  A sankalpa at first glance looks a lot like a modern-day resolution or intention.

Each New Year we find ourselves looking towards the future, eager to make new goals and promises of who we want to become and how we will shape our lives with big changes. Then halfway through the year, perhaps we start to feel discouraged about the lack of progress towards our set goals and maybe in guilt we abandon them altogether. However if we look deeply, perhaps it’s not our lack of effort that’s the issue, but rather a flaw in the traditional practice of goal setting. 

When we set general goals, we tend to only focus on a vague outcome, for example – we create intentions to lose weights, find a more rewarding career, get organized, or attract the ideal relationship, we resolve to change our diet, be more disciplined, work harder, work less hard, spend more time in nature or with our families, do something about our stress levels, enrich our spiritual life, write or read more, stop smoking, get a degree, be a greater force for good in the world, or any one of countless other things we aspire to achieve….

and forget to define the process of getting there – the structure that brings our goals to fruition.  By fixating on the outcome rather than the journey, we set ourselves up for discontentment in the present. The goal-oriented mentality of “I’m not good enough yet, but I will be when I reach my goal,” teaches us to continually put happiness and gratitude off until the next milestone.  By committing to a process rather than a goal, it takes the stress off our shoulders and creates a structure we can operate within to enjoy progress and accomplishment each day.

It is said that average American makes 1.8 resolution per year.  However, based on the research it shows that at least 80% of us do not achieve our resolutions.  A recent study found that “four out of five people who make New Year’s resolutions…will eventually break them.” What explains this failure of at least 80 percent of us to fulfil our resolutions?

One very important reason, is that we too often focus on fulfilling our desires without giving much thought to how our desires serve the greater meaning and purpose of our lives.  Another reason, from the perspective of the Tantric tradition, is that there is a science to the process for manifesting intention, and if you don’t apply it, you will likely end up as part of the 80% percent who don’t see their resolutions fulfilled.

The simple truth is when a resolution is little more than a wish, even one that you think many times a day, it has relatively little or no impact or power to affect your destiny.  However, when you work through the steps involved in achieving a resolution methodically, its reach and its power to affect your destiny become nearly limitless.

The yogic practice of Sankalpa Shakti gives us a tool to shape meaningful intentions and guides our journey towards inner transformation. In its simplest term, a sankalpa is an intention or inner resolve. In its deeper, more profound meaning, it’s a connection to your highest truth and life purpose, your dharma. What’s beautiful about the sankalpa practice on any level is that it starts from the belief that you already embody these qualities and by drawing your attention to them in practice, you’re refining and sharpening your connection to this deeper purpose and desires, and direct that energy in a positive way. The next layer to this is working with Sankalpa Shakti in the more subtle layers of the minds programming. Often, a sankalpa is stated before beginning and ending your Yoga Nidra Meditation to serve as a guide for planting seeds in this deep practice of relaxed states.

Sankalpa or resolution holds a special and highly esteemed place in the ancient teachings.  The concept of sankalpa appears even as early as the Rig Veda, the most ancient of all the Vedic text.  The art and science of applying sankalpa was considered to be the foundation for achieving or becoming anything of real significance.

Throughout the Vedic and Tantric traditions it is made exceedingly clear that a student cannot make meaningful progress toward any worthwhile goal without first cultivating the power of resolve, what the yogic tradition calls sankalpa shakti. 

On this path you must first awaken your sankalpa shakti, the power of will and determination,’ said SWAMI RAMA, ‘overcome your resistance.  Expand your capacity…you must order your body and senses to function under the leadership of your mind.’

The ancient concept of Sankalpa is predicated on the principle that your mind has measureless capacity to affect the quality and the content of your life.  The ancient traditions, including the Veda, Tantra and Yoga venerated the mind and appealed to the Divine for the mind to be filled with ‘auspicious thoughts’ because they saw the mind as the chief architect of our lives.  In other words, they viewed your mind as the ruler of your fate. “The mind is everything.  What you think you become,” said the Buddha.

The power to affect your future, therefore, begins by learning to focus your mind.  “Each thought influences your mind and creates therein a vibration that affects your whole life, your destiny”.

It is critical to recognize that there is a difference between having a desire and having a sankalpa.  You may want something, but that is not the same as creating a sankalpa that you will achieve it.  Consider this: a desire is little more than a feeling (sometimes strong and sometimes not so strong) related to a want – to have, to become, or to achieve – something; a sankalpa, on the other hand, is a desire that you are absolutely determined and committed to achieve.

It is not always easy or convenient, but you manage to fulfil your resolve despite the challenges. You make it happen, come hell or high water.   Its no longer just a desire, something you would like to happen – it has become a sankalpa, which means that practically nothing can stop it from happening.  The essential requirement is that we must have the desire (make it happens no matter what), and, concurrent with that desire, the determination that you will fulfil it.  Indeed, according to the Tantric Tradition, this principle of marrying desire with determination is the key to making a Sankalpa truly effective. 

Here is the key points for crafting your sankalpa, which is simply to ask yourself of these two questions:

1. What do I want to achieve or become?
2. What would having it look and feel like to me?

The most efficient way to set down your sankalpa in writing is to imagine that you have achieved your desire; now decide on the words you would use to tell someone that you have done so.

In putting your sankalpa into words, you may also want to include the emotion you would feel when you’ve accomplished it.  A statement that is affirmative and clear, and it has the power to influence your thoughts, your actions, and the forces of destiny toward achieving your desires. 

Key points to keep in mind when drafting your sankalpa:

1. Your sankalpa can focus either on the result you are seeking, the attitude that will help you achieve it, or both.
2. Your Sankalpa needs to be specific.
3. Your Sankalpa needs to be achievable in six to eighteen months. It is important especially in the beginning, to develop confidence in your ability to achieve your goals.
4. You need to believe you can achieve your sankalpa. 
5. Your sankalpa needs to be worded in the present tense and stated actively.  It is essential that your sankalpa statement reflect that you’ve achieve your intention, not that you hope to achieve it someday.
6. Your sankalpa needs to be stated in worlds you would actually say. Avoid getting overly poetic or dramatic.  Make it simple, direct, clear, believable and concise.  Don’t overthink it!

by Ami Effendy.

Yoga begins in the present moment, and the present moment begins in silence.  From that silence, words are born.  In the Yoga-Sutra attributed to Patanjali (third century B.C.E), considered to be one of the core text of yoga psychology, we begin with a simple sentence: “Atha yoganusasanam.”  This is translated as ‘in the present moment is the teaching of yoga. 

The first word in the Yoga-Sutra – atha- literally means ‘now’, ‘what is here in this moment.”  Yoga begins in the present moment.  Yoga is the present moment.  We could more concisely translate this opening line as: “Yoga begins now”.  The teachings of yoga orientate us towards this very moment, rendering the future invisible and the past no longer in reach.  Many scholars and practitioners translate yoga as a manifestation of the verb yuj – ‘to unite” – which turns yoga into something one does, a form of willful activity.  Yoga is the act of uniting one thing with another (breath with movement, body with mind, self with other). 

Yoga is a way of being and a mode of existing.  Existence is a play of interconnectedness, and the more we clarity our perception and ways of organizing our experiences, the more openness and compassion we bring to the profound and sometimes confusing undertaking of being in the world.  The authentic practice of yoga is an unremitting attention to present experience, weather in mind, body or heart, with a baby on the hip, preparing breakfast, or balancing the breath in a headstand.

According to yoga philosophy and psychology, the only place to begin an investigation of yoga – or of anything for that matter – is the present moment, because this is all that is actually occurring.  The future has not yet arisen, and the past is passed; the only thing there is to investigate and the only way to begin paying attention is within this very experience as it unfolds right now, right here.  That is why an investigation into the nature of reality and the true nature of the mind begins in this life, this body, and this moment.  The mind, with all its fantastic, distracted and creative potential, is so used to weaving conceptions and preferences all over the present moment that we are often relating not to what is actually occurring in life but reacting to life with our perception which is likes and dislikes.  That is why psychological inquires in the service of awakening begins with what is happening in the here and now – a form of present-centered attention with acceptance.

The mind has a hard time watching anything for very long, especially its own nature that is constantly moving, looking for something that is more interesting and challenging.  The mind has a hard time being present as the breath moves in the body, or as sensations arise and fall away in different yoga poses, and as a result, we are not often here most of the time, we are so easily distracted or interrupted.  This is true not just in relationship with our own bodies and emotions but interpersonally as well.  Other people interrupt our ideas about the way things are supposed to be.  This interruption is precisely what yoga is all about:  becoming flexible enough to have our preconceptions and our elaborative tendencies interrupted.  We usually discover a lot more in the silent space between thoughts and through all the interpretations, ideas, and views our minds generate.  Moments of psychological stillness remind us that there are ways of knowing other than intellectual or habitual.  Yoga practice, both on and off the mat, opens up the heart by revealing our patterns of grasping and inflexibility.  Through a disciplined and appropriately designed yoga practice, we not only see clearly our conditioned ways of living but we learn how to let go of those patterns so that our questions radically outnumber our answers, thats when we arrive in the present moments of life free to respond with an open and creative heart.

Yoga is an investigation into who we are and what we are.  We are looking into the nature of existence by starting with mind, breath, and body.  This requires the ability to be patient and accepting of what is occurring in our mind-body so we can see something clearly enough to study it. 

In yoga posture practice we dissolve the technique of moving the body into pure feeling and then dissolve the mind into that deep experience of feeling.  Then, that is all that is there.  In, chanting, as another example, we dissolve seed syllables into pure sound, and then sound into quite, and then quite into stillness, and then stillness becomes nothing other than a contented mind that is open and receptive, sharp and still.  When the mind returns to this natural state, anything can arise in mind, body and heart, and there is no pushing or pulling, just arising and dissolving, one form becoming, in turn, another. 

If our practice is creating flexibility over the body without a corresponding flexibility of the heart, we need to flag the way we conceive of and engage in practice.

Yoga begins with an honest meeting of our present experience, which means seeing as best we can all aspects of ourselves and our world, including what is most difficult or painful. How much suffering we have felt through our inability to tolerate and live in the midst of change?  How much difficulty do we experience from our reactions to the interactivity of feelings, thoughts, movements in the body, and memory?

In the Yoga-Sutra, Patanjali initiates the path of yoga with two first steps: practice (abhyasa) and letting go (vairagya).  Cultivating more wholesome intentions and actions of body, speech, and mind, and letting go of historical and ensnaring attitudes, is a constant throughout the entire path.  Cultivating positive qualities and letting go of negative factors in our psychophysical makeup gives us a clear starting point for our practice, without which we risk getting lost in the futility of undirected movement.

After a few years of consistent practicing contemporary yoga, I began asking questions.  Many of the classes I commonly found in Yoga Studios were not represented in ancient texts, with the absent of psychological understanding in yoga communities and the eventual vanity that comes on the heels of superficial practice.  I saw around me, people accomplishing great feats of flexibility and wonderful posture practices, but those same practices did not guarantee psychological or spiritual insight.

What do we aspire to in practice? What motivates our practice? What is the reason for practice? Some say we practice for no reason.  But human experience seems always constructed within the context of purpose or meaning.  How does one live a good life? What is enlightenment? Is yoga just about physical accomplishment, and if not, why are the ethical and psychological underpinnings of yoga so under spoken? Does one have to finally hold their own heels in back bends, practice arm balance in full lotus, or is there some other test for the liberative validity of practice? 

by Ami Effendy.

Like the ability to learn a language or love another human being, the ability to feel joy is something we are all born with. We are born happy; we are born free.

However the human being has to face the facet of changes, our conditioning. Everything is changing, the season is changing, the day is changing, and our body is changing. More importantly our mind is also always changing, our mood is changing, and the world is changing. All that changes creates a certain level of uncertainty, in deeper level even fear. The other change that we rather think about is mortality.

Many of us still believe that joy isn’t innate – that is only comes with possessing a specific item or achieving a particular outcome. So we keep searching for joy through objects, relationship, and experiences, which prevents us from realizing that this essential emotion is already within us, patiently waiting to be experienced.

Unfortunately, when you resist or deny feelings of joy, your life and relationships can lose their meaning and value. For instance, when you feel you’re not living life fully, or when you’re feeling bitter or jealous about that which others have and you don’t, these feelings can overshadow your ability to feel your innate joy.

Research shows that regularly experiencing joy—whether in the form of laughter or of activities that promote happiness and well-being, can produce healthy changes throughout your body. Joy can strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish your perception of pain, anxiety, and depression, protect you from the damaging effects of stress, increase your ability to sleep restfully through the night, and more. And the best thing is that you can access feelings of joy at any time through meditation.

Another practices for welcoming joy is to spend time experiencing gratitude moments—welcoming feelings of gratitude and joy into body and mind. You do this by taking time to recall that which you’re thankful for. Research shows that people who regularly practice gratitude moments are more joyful and experience less depression than those who don’t.

Heart – Brain Connection According to Science

Many believe that conscious awareness originates in the brain alone. Recent scientific research suggests that consciousness actually emerges from the brain and body acting together. A growing body of evidence suggests that the heart plays a particularly significant role in this process.

The human heart has always been a symbol love and romance. In reality, however, it is an organ that pumps blood around our bodies, or there is something more?

Where has this emotional connection to love come from?

No other organ in the human body has this connection with an emotion, so could there be something behind the literature and poetry, and if so, could science provide an explanation?

There are neurons in your heart.

Many people assume that the brain is controlling our emotions, but Professor David Paterson, Ph.D. at Oxford University, disputes this. He says that the brain is not the only organ that produces emotions. This is because the heart actually contains neurons similar to those in the brain, and these fire in conjunction with the brain. The heart and the brain are therefore connected:
When your heart receives signals from the brain via the sympathetic nerves, it pumps faster. And when it receives signals through the parasympathetic nerves, it slows down, says Professor Paterson.

In 1991, a scientific discovery published in the journal Neurocardiology put to rest any lingering doubt that the human heart is more than a pump. The name of the journal gives us a clue to the discovery of a powerful relationship between the heart and the brain that went unrecognized in the past.

A team of scientists led by J. Andrew Armour, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Montreal, which was studying this intimate relationship between the two, found that about 40,000 specialized neurons, or sensory neurites, form a communication network within the heart.

In each moment of every day, a conversation is taking place inside us. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most vital communications we will ever find ourselves engaged in. It’s the silent, often subconscious, and never-ending conversation of emotion-based signals between our hearts and our brains, also known as the heart brain connection.

The reason this conversation is so important is because the quality of the emotional signal our hearts sends to our brains determines what kind of chemicals our brains release into our bodies.

When we feel what we would typically call negative emotions, for instance, anger, hate, jealousy, and rage, our hearts send a signal to our brains that mirrors our feelings. Such emotions are irregular and chaotic, and this is precisely what the signal they send to the brain looks like. If you can envision a chart of the ups and downs of the stock market on a wild and volatile day, you’ll have an idea of the kind of signals we create in our hearts in times of chaos.

The human body interprets this kind of signal as stress, and triggers the mechanisms to help us respond appropriately. The stress from negative emotions increases the levels of cortisol and adrenaline—often called stress hormones, which prepare us for a quick and powerful reaction to whatever is causing us stress—in our bloodstreams. This is our instinctive fight-or-flight response.

The research has shown that when we create rejuvenating emotions, such as appreciation, care, gratitude, and compassion, the signal from heart to brain becomes more harmonized to reflect the quality of the emotions. In the presence of a harmonized signal, there is no need for the fight-or-flight response. The stress hormones decrease, allowing the heart and brain to shift and produce the chemistry that supports stronger immune response, healing properties and greater amounts of DHEA, the precursor to all other hormones in the body.

Whether it’s based in emotions from stress or harmony, the conversation and connection between heart and brain—specifically, between the sensory neurites in our hearts and those that make up our brains—is constantly occurring as a dialogue of very low frequencies.

Heart – Brain Connection According to Yoga Tradition

This is one of those places where science and spirituality overlap beautifully. While the science describes the electrical relationship and connection between the heart and the brain, ancient spiritual practices and techniques have helped people apply the relationship in their lives—and do so without a scientific explanation.

As with any technique that’s passed from teacher to student, however, the steps for creating heart-brain connection and coherence are best experienced with a seasoned practitioner to facilitate the process.

This heart-brain connection according to the Tantra is called “Pran Vayu”. The word Pran is taken from “Prana” which commonly known as energy, breath or lifeforce. The Pran Vayu is one of the five primarily Vayus.

However, the translation of word “Prana” is falls well short than the actual meaning of the words. The words “Prana” infers to a quality of alivenes, which also speak towards our emotions and feelings.

The Pran Vayu is the upward and inward subtle energy movement within the body that is responsible for recharging the mind and the body, that is located in the heart primarily (lungs and chest) and the head, related to the inhalation which is our ability to take the “life in”.

The Pran is associated with emotional Intelligence, heart intelligence. It’s constant. We can trust it. It’s important to acknowledge this, because it means that the wisdom of our heart—the answers to the deepest and most mysterious questions of life that no one else can answer—already exists within us.

Rather than something that needs to be built or created before it can be used, the link between our heart and the place that holds the answers is already established. It’s been with us since the time we were born and has never left us. It’s up to us as to when we choose to access that link as a “hotline” to the deepest truths of our life. It’s also up to us as to how we apply the wisdom of our heart in the reality of our everyday life.

This is where discernment comes in. While our heart’s wisdom may be true for us, it may not always be true for someone else. Our friends, children, siblings, life partners, and families all have their own heart wisdom.

Few simple steps to create heart-brain connection. Each steps sends a signal to the body that a specific shifts has been put into motion. Combined, the steps create an experience that takes us back to a natural harmony that existed in our bodies earlier in life, before we began to separate our heart-brain network through our conditioning.

Step 1
Settle into a comfortable sitting position with supported prop (blanket, pillow, or block) so that your lower back is fully supported, as you sit up high positioned the crown of your head over the based of your spine.

Step 2
Take one or two deep breath to ensure freedom, both in the spine and in the breath. Just relax and be aware the sensation on the breath, without trying to make anything happened.

Step 3
Continue to watch the breath, remaining completely effortless, you adsorb your body breathing. Notice if there is any tension and stress on the breath, if there is, just relax a bit more. Let go.

Step 4
Bring your awareness to the space between your brain and skull. Just relax and be aware. One of the thing you might notice is that in that space, the general area of the brain is highly sensitive to light, to presence. There is definitely a feeling of openness and spaciousness there. As you deep into your relaxation, you start to notice that there is an innate goodness or delight or ease in that space. Kind of presence of inner joy, while you stay mindful of that feeling, or of that presence, notice your body breathing again.

Step 5
Now, as you breath out, sense that light of presence, to descend to the heart, as your body breath in allow that presence to rise back up to the space between the brain and the skull. Each time you breath out, there is the descend to that heart, each time you inhale there is ascend back to the space between the brain and the skull. Continue to direct the mind to move on into the flow of the breath. Gradually the mind becomes absorb to this movement, if it wonder or drift re-direct the mind to follow the flow of the breath. To descend and ascend, the experiences of goodness, a spaciousness and joy.

Step 6
As you continuously, effortlessly to ascend and descend. As the mind increasingly absorbed on the technique, you noticed that this presence, inner delight, inner joy, contentment begins to collect in heart.

Finally in this last stage, simply rest in the heart.
Be aware that you have gain access to this inner domain of unconditioned joy and peace. As you rest in that space, there is timeles experience of oneness, and wholeness. You are no longer rising and falling through the spine, you open the door to your heart.
Where you experience a complete oneness and unconditioned joy. Rest here for as long as you desire.

Join the complete version of this Meditation including Pranayama with me at The Practice Online “Pranayama & Meditation” on August 2019’s issue.

Infinite love and Gratitude,

Ami Effendy