As with most, if not all, meditation practices, the breath is the connector to the heart.
I’d like to describe how I use meditation practices to address issues that arise in my heart. When I use the term “heart,” there may be other words that apply, like consciousness, mind, or spirit. Inside of me, I often have this feeling of my heart being broken. For example, some triggers that evoke difficult emotions are: my reactions to life situations and people, old baggage–grievances from the past; and my anger and fear about climate change. Unifying my heart is facing those triggers so that I can heal, becoming conscious of what troubles me, and working with the core of who I am with love and compassion.
In episodes 27-38, I’d like to teach my interpretation of one such practice. It’s called the Three Precious Pills of Stillness, Silence and Spaciousness, a practice I learned from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder of the Three Doors Meditation Program. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription to get these pills. You don’t have to go to a drugstore to look for over-the-counter meds or supplements. The Three Precious Pills are available to everyone, all the time, at no charge. And they work wonders. You just have to be willing to take them.
The Uni-Heart Breathing Exercise helps me realize that I am connected with all life, and with a source far greater than myself. You could call that source the Universal Heart.
The word “exercise” in the title implies that being in touch with my heart is an ongoing endeavor, rather than a one time thing. Like any workout, it takes practice. Even though we have meditation apps and timers, cell phones won’t do it for you. This is really about being with yourself and discovering the wholeness within.
Let’s start with Part I: The Three Precious Pills of Stillness, Silence, and Spaciousness. Begin the practice in Episode 27. In Part II of this Exercise I explore working with color as a meditation practice.
Would you like to get to know yourself better through meditation?
Acknowledgment: To Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, founder of the Three Doors, for teaching the Three Precious Pills practice and imagining the title! You can find a more elaborate description of this practice in his book, “Spontaneous Creativity,” published by Hay House, Inc., 2018. If you would like to explore more about this book and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s website and teachings, here is the link: