Energy of the Heart

In classes this past week, we have been talking about the energy of the heart inspired by the celebration of Valentine's Day. This past Valentine's Day would have been my Dad's 82nd birthday so with each coming and going of February 14th, I am drawn back into my own heart in my connection and deep love that I had for my Dad. As I looked at an old photo of him, one that seemed to truly capture his nature, I saw myself. It struck me how so much of his energy is in me even though he's been gone for almost 36 years. It was a deeply contented feeling, one which is so real that it brought gratitude more than sorrow.

As I thought about the heart's energy, I was initially drawn to its physical form of being a vital organ. In yoga, we often relate to the wisdom of the heart as it pumps blood to itself before sending blood to the rest of the body. Deoxygenated blood returns to the heart and gets pumped to the lungs where an exchange is made, re-oxygenating the blood, returning to the heart and the heart then sends it on its way to oxygenate the entire organism. And so the cycle goes 60-80 times each minute. We know that if the heart didn't receive its own supply of oxygen, it would die.

When we come to our mat, sit on our meditation cushion, or live more intentionally it's as though we are oxygenating our own being. Spending time on/by ourselves isn't selfish. It's not like we're trying to see how much self-care, self-love, or self-awareness we can hoard inside. We do so in order to become more loving in the world. But it all begins within, just as the heart does.

If we think of the heart in energetic terms, it's the fourth of seven chakras that run along the spine from the base to the crown of the head. It sits smack dab in the middle, the gathering point for the physical energies of the lower three chakras and more esoteric energies of the upper three. It all comes together in the heart center.

This past week we've been keeping it simple with a breath practice of receiving, letting go and pausing. We receive the inhaling breath, oxygenating ourselves, letting go of the exhale and releasing what is no longer needed, then we pause. Repeat the cycle with a gentle noting awareness of receive, let go, pause. It is also said that the heart meridian is expressed through the arms and hands, so sitting quietly and bringing the focus into the palms of the hands can also connect us into the energy of the heart.

For ten years I worked with a well-known author who will be turning 103 this year. He is a practicing, orthodox Jew and we had many discussions on life, spirit, and literature. We both had very different practices of connecting to the bigger picture and one day he said to me, "Jayne, you really like this yoga stuff", to which I replied, "Yes, I find it really supports me". And then he gave me a gift by saying, "Yes...but it all just comes down to one thing..." and I said, "And what's that?". He calmly replied, "love". It doesn't matter what lens you're looking through in life as we all are experiencing our own personal journey.  The energy of the heart reminds us to keep it simple and remember just one thing. Love.