A bit on how to find your calm centre, your inner core

[Dumuzzi]

We live in frantic, scary, neurotic times, therefore it is important to ground ourselves as often as we can, focus inward and find our calm, unmoving centre.

 

The Upanishads say that the seat of the soul is in the heart. Not in the physical heart mind you, but in the energetic one, a subtle organ located in the middle of the chest. As you read this, you will recognise certain subtle sensations emanating from your heart, which radiate outwards, towards the rest of your body, but also towards others, especially people you love and care for.

 

We all recognise the emotion of love, it is a warm, cossetting feeling that’s strongest in the middle of the chest and radiates in all directions. When we’re particularly close to someone, or attuned with them, they can also feel our love as shining, soothing warmth, like the radiance of the sun. We instinctively know that this radiance, this light is a real substance, much more real in fact, than our physical world. In trying, difficult times like these, the world often seems distant, uncaring and cold. But, the love in our hearts, when we come together and radiate it towards one another, is real.

 

The only way to find your calm centre and regain your composure from the rigmaroles and trials of life is to look within, find and harness this love in your heart. Concentrate on it, feed it, let it glow, let it spread, all over your body and to others around you. When you act out of love, the fruits of your action do not tie you down further into this material world, you are liberating yourself from the suffering and unrelenting, downward-pulling gravity and entropy of gross matter.

 

So, when you’re scared, nervous, fearful, worried, angry, hateful, spiteful, disagreeable, etc…, this is what you have to do.

 

First, recognise the externality of your negative emotions. They are not you, rather they are physical and energetic processes that take place within your gross and subtle bodies. Once you learn to view them as an outside observer, you’ll automatically dissociate from them and they will no longer affect you in the same way.

 

Now, take a deep breath and hold the air in your lungs whilst you mentally process all this. When you’re ready to let go of your negative emotions, breathe out slowly and deeply. When breathing out, direct your breath into your heart chakra, allow the „subtle air” (prana) to flow through your heart, which will cause a pleasant, warm sensation of relief as negative emotions are purged by your heart and exit your body upon breathing out.

 

Then, let your empty lung rest for a while, until it wants to breathe in again autonomously and let it do its thing, calmly and slowly. As you breathe in, allow air to enter your base chakra and flow upwards towards your heart as it redistributes it all throughout the body. With your lungs full, hold your breath again until you autonomously start breathing out again. Do not force, either the breathing or the holding in of breath, it should come to you spontaneously and naturally, which takes some practice. As you breathe out again, you will notice the energy flowing downwards, with energy entering your head through the crown and exiting through the heart and the base chakra. The flow of energy will change with the direction of your breathing and your unforced, natural and spontaneously unfolding intention to find your centre again and to cleanse your body of negative emotions.

 

It takes practice to master this technique, but it’s worth doing regularly to achieve equanimity and calmness in even the most demanding and stressful situations.

[Gili Trawangan]

Great post, thanks for sharing.

[mojsterr]

I went for a walk and was contemplating what you said. I will need practice.

[Dumuzzi]

@Gili Trawangan Thanks!

@mojsterr That's the correct approach.