Opening the Window of Your Heart

If you find yourself spinning out sometimes with worried thoughts or words, and lingering feelings of fear, stress or anxiety, the outside meditation below, inspired by Rumi’s advice, can help. . When this meditation is practiced with your whole-hearted attention, it helps with opening your heart window and letting go of all the words swirling inside, even for just a little while. And when this happens, you might find room inside for the spirits of peace and calm to find a place of rest for a while. "Stop the words now. Open the window in the center of your chest and let the spirits fly in and out." -Rumi Rumi's images of flowing spirits and an open window are very powerful and inviting. From a meditative perspective, when you are drenched with worried thoughts, it doesn't take much for your heart-window to close. Since a meditation practice is ultimately a heart-opening practice, it is a wonderful way to learn how to "stop the words now." Meditation instruction and practice: When was the last time you felt a refreshing breeze carry you where you totally needed to be? Sometime soon -- when you seriously crave a break from the endless words -- head outdoors and try this simple but powerful mindfulness meditation. You can even do it just a step at a time. When I teach, I call it a layered sensory meditation because every few minutes you'll be adding a new step without losing touch with the refreshing layer before.

-First, find a comfortable, safe outside place to sit or stand where you won't be interrupted. Continue by closing your eyes and noticing the sensations of breath moving in and out of your body for a few minutes. -Giving yourself permission to linger with each experience as long as you'd like before adding the next step. -While still holding the thread of your body breathing, slowly widening your attention to include the subtle air currents moving across your skin. Not so much thinking about these sensations, rather, just softening and releasing into a time of noticing… learning to let go of all the words.... -Next, with eyes still closed, savoring the sun touching the different parts of your face and chest by slowly and subtly turning side-to-side like a radar… -Then, listening to sounds near and far, picking up on birds, the wind, human sounds, or even a the felt experience of silence... Opening to little moments of surprise or awe... -Simply letting yourself fall into feeling how this mixture of sensations is constantly changing with each moment. If it is comfortable for you, finishing by letting out some quiet, deep sighs of relief while slowly exhaling… With just a little bit of regular practice, all these meditations are a way of welcoming back the spirits of calm and peace to travel through your open heart.