Coming Home to the Heart
(Below you will find an eloquent description of Hridaya Meditation courtesy of hridaya-yoga.com, the beautiful school and community in Mexico where I studied and served for 3 years.
If you're interested to hear my personal reasons for meditating, please click here)
What is Hridaya Meditation?
There is an essential part of you. A place beyond the personality, beyond limitations, beyond suffering, beyond time. A home where you rest in the Infinity of Being. That essence is the Self, the Spiritual Heart. Although you are not and can never be separate from the Heart, that truth hides behind an identification with the ego and its stories. The good news is that it’s possible to transcend this condition. So, what is Hridaya Meditation? It’s a process of deconditioning that leads you back home to the Heart.
Technical Aspects
The practice of Hridaya Meditation has three main technical components:
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The awareness of the Heart Center: Connecting with a spiritual “portal” in the middle of the chest, a little to the right.
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The awareness of short pauses after inhalation and exhalation: Opening to the background of Stillness revealed in the gaps between breaths.
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Self-Inquiry: Asking the question “Who am I?” and being present for what arises.
The Finger That Points to the Moon
There is a lovely metaphor from the Zen tradition that describes the relationship between the technical elements of practice and the Ineffable: “The finger that points to the Moon.” This suggests that you shouldn’t remain focused on the finger, but always look in the direction it points.
Similarly, these three technical aspects are like “fingers” pointing to the “Moon” of Consciousness. They are just pointers or doors to the vastness of your Being. They don’t have value in themselves, but only in connection with what they reveal.
For example, you can focus on the chest area, which can eventually bring an increased level of concentration, mental clarity, and awareness of the emotions. But these are limited to the domain of your personality.
When you understand that the Heart Center is just a pointer, you open to a new “domain.” The Islamic hadith describes this as “Heaven and Earth do not contain me, but I am contained in the heart of my devotee.” And, in Jesus’s affirmation, “The Kingdom of God is inside you.” In this way, Heart Center is not just a “point of concentration,” but brings the taste of Infinity.
Additionally, being aware of the pauses after inhalation and exhalation and asking “Who am I?” can lead you to that domain beyond personal limitations.
Therefore, Hridaya Meditation, while using these tools, finally goes beyond them, becoming a natural way of celebrating the Freedom and Joy of your true Self.
What is Hridaya Meditation? A path to the Heart.