How To Handle Fear

How Do I Handle the Fear I'm Feeling?

How we can manage fearful thoughts, we might have about losing our job, money, getting sick, or the fear of something happening to a loved one. 

Habitual fear is the enemy of growth. It is rare for circumstances to force us entirely out of our habits, patterns, and comfort zones - which is precisely what is happening right now. People all over the globe are having to drastically alter their lifestyles and livelihood in response to the corona pandemic.

Fear, not only of the virus but of businesses closing down. Forced closure of not only companies but the activity of the world. The emptiness of cities. Before, we were absurdly busy, noisy, lost in the world. Now all this is turned off for a while. Like an enforced Stillness. 

Enforced Stillness could be precisely what many people need. Perhaps this is a time for awakening if you can go beyond your fearful thoughts.

You still must live your life. Do not let fear in this whole scene be the one that is controlling your life. By having fear, you can create the symptoms in your head.

Without awareness, You are at the mercy of an energy field we call thought. It lives in you. You are possessed, so to speak, and you don't know it. 

The moment you realize this, then you will start mastery over your fearful thinking.  Firstly ask, "Why am I making myself suffer by negative thinking all of the time?"

Let’s look at the construction of thoughts or how they operate in your human system.

 Things that you fear may not be happening now, but they could happen - so says the mind. The ego-mind directs you to think about it now, in case it does occur.

 If what you fear does happen, you will face the situation in the moment. With the power of conscious awareness, you would face the sickness, suffer the loss of money, even face the loss or suffering of a loved one. With the power of your true presence, you can face that. 

What you cannot do is you cannot overcome these problems, or face them when they exist only in your imagination. When fears haven't even happened yet. Therefore there is absolutely nothing you can do about them. They will simply become more amplified, causing higher anxiety. It is a total and imaginary realm that is making you suffer. The more you feel afraid of something, the more it really wants to help you attain what the fear is. It’s going to get a hold of you.

Change your perception from, "Yeah, I'm doing it," but can't help myself from doing it. To, No, you are not doing it. It happens to you. 

They are making you unhappy. These thoughts have no useful purpose. I'm not helping myself or anybody by thinking about these things, by projecting bad things that could happen.

The next step is to realize it is not the real you doing it.

When you become aware of what's going on in your mind, you will have a moment of Freedom.

Before, you had no free will. Without awareness, you have no free will, you are at the mercy of your conditioned mind.

 So what do you do? You have recognized that what has been happening to you serves or fulfills no useful purpose. This aha moment is an essential realization. Before, you have an assumption in your unconscious mind that unless you worry a lot, then you are not controlling your life.

 This is the delusion: The more you think about the problems of your life. The more you feel you need to continue thinking to hold it all together. You need to worry about your life. Or worry about the issues of the world. If you don't worry, the problems are liable to fall to pieces. This is the underlying assumption.

Of course, it is a delusion; the worrying, fear-thinking does not want to end. You need to know that it has momentum. And you cannot fight it. If you fight it, it gets stronger. You give it added energy.

It's not by willpower to stop it (except for brief moments). You stop it simply by first recognizing not only the futility but the destructive nature of this type of thinking. You begin to see that the narratives in your mind produce a lot of unhappiness. 

At that moment you have a choice. You can continue being dragged along in the stream of fearful thinking, or you can say, I choose now to take my attention away from fearful thoughts.

 But where does it go? The fearful thinking wants your Consciousness to have your attention continuously. 

So a mini-battle ensues. No, don’t go there, I want to. No, Yes. 

Here is a simple way to gain some freedom. Bring your attention elsewhere. 

My recommendation is to feel your inner body. Say you wake up in the middle of the night with these negative thoughts. Instead of continuing to think, direct your attention to the internal energy field of your hands. Hold it there. A simple decision to feel the inner aliveness in your hands becomes an anchor for stepping out of the ego-mind by being present.

You feel the energy within the hand. It's very subtle at first, so you need to be alert so you can feel it. 

The alertness that goes toward your body is taking you away from thinking. Suddenly your hand feels more alive than it did before. That's only the beginning; you can feel both hands simultaneously. 

Then you realize you can feel other parts of your body. For example, your feet and legs. Then you become aware of an all-pervasive sense of aliveness through your entire body, your energy field. 

The fantastic thing is, by the way, you may also be mindful of your breathing, which is natural to your body. The breath flows in the breath flows out. 

The more you become aware of the body, the more you will become aware of the breath. The more you're aware of your breathing, the more you become aware of the body. This breathing will happen nice and low in your belly or Tan Tien.

 There's a beautiful aliveness there. And what happened to your mental activity? It has subsided almost wholly or entirely. Because you cannot be aware of your inner-body and, at the same time, think. A few fragments perhaps but not sustained streams of thinking. It is not possible because the attention has gone away from the conceptualizing or ego mind and into the inner body - your true self. 

Don’t look now, but you just meditated!

Here is some wisdom regarding Fate: if your fate is for you to have the coronavirus, you will be affected no matter where you go or where you try to avoid it. If your fate is not to have a virus, then you can be in the middle of all the people carrying it, and you still will not get it.

During challenging times, have a happy face.

Our positive part does have a positive effect on helping people. 

Smile all the time! Even with a mask on the smile will show through your eyes.

Everything is temporary. If you fall down, pick yourself up and try again. 

In gratitude, Lisa

I will teach meditation classes soon via zoom. If you'd like to be notified, please sign up.

 www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

New Year Beginnings

New Year - New Beginnings

Happy New Year!

As the New Year begins we often have some resolutions or habits we want to implement. Let’s breathe deeply and take a moment to remember that creating new ways of being can temporarily cause confusion or other discomforts in our life or routines. But hey, in the long run, it will be worth it, right?

Exercise and meditation are examples of ‘keystone’ habits (habits that create a ‘virtuous circle’. i.e. have a beneficial domino effect or feedback loop.) Keystone habits are intentional repetitive activities, which at first require effort and discipline, but are done because they are good in nature and build solid foundations for your future endeavors. 

‘Bad habits’, on the other hand, result from avoiding effort, discipline and intention. These habits feel like they are going towards comfort, rest, pleasure, but they actually slowly make us less capable, less healthy, and happy and often lead us toward pain cycles. Did you know that sustaining a bad habit often takes just as much effort as implementing or working on one that is better for you?

Unfortunately there is no “one step to heaven” secret to instant success for new habits, but I have learned some tricks which have helped me with creating new good habits.

1.     I schedule into my calendar when I will be doing the  new activity.

      2.     I make it as fun as possible.

      3.     If appropriate, I engage a friend to help be my 'conscience’. Usually this person is interested in creating a similar new habit.

      4.     As I decide to do the new habit I take a moment to write down all the benefits and reasons I have    to make the change (including the cons for not doing it). When the going gets tough I review my reasons. Laugh at myself for trying to take a shortcut. Realize how little time it will take me and  then I go for it!

      5.     At the end of the day I take a moment to be grateful for what I have done or assure myself that            tomorrow I have another chance if I happened to have skipped it today.

     Let’s make 2017 the best year ever! Use your wisdom from the past to help create a better you for the future. Good luck implementing some keystone habits.   

   

I hope that meditation is one of them!

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. See calendar page for the dates.www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

Spiritual Cramming

Spiritual Cramming

I’ve found myself – as I do periodically – with the feeling that I have some ‘free time’ on my hands. With that feeling, faithfully comes the itch to fill it right on up. Yes, folks I definitely scratched that itch.

This time I’ve gone for the spiritual gusto. My regular Sum Faht Meditation practice is firmly in place and inside of that practice I occasionally use a timing device (app) called the Insight Timer. This app is connected to other users. It is quite a delight to know that during my Wednesday evening classes there are usually another 3,500 people meditating across the world at the same time we are.

I decided to join a 12 week course called the Practice of Direct Awakening lead by Craig

Hamilton. Awakening is beyond the mind. One of the fun things he challenged our group with an exercise of sitting for 15 seconds and simply let everything be as it is. Success! Now do it for 30 seconds. No matter where your mind goes let it be and have no judgement. How about you try this too!  And when you are done, add a few more minutes of meditation. (Simple – Right!?) Be easy with it. Be who you really are right now.

Meanwhile, I have also joined an 8 week women’s group which

involves creating and singing beautiful heartfelt songs about life, love and feminine mysteries. Plus we are delving into our direct lineage and honoring all of the women who without whom we would not exist. This intention is also a powerful healing around being a woman in this world.

There is a gentleman, David Nicol, who is making a huge effort to join and educate people about the phenomena of Group Subtle Fields. I am listening in periodically to these talks. Even if you are not in the same room together you can actively connect/feel the energy a group.

The Book of Joy – an – audio book with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu – narrated by the husband, Doug, of my friend and medical doctor, Dr. Rachel Abrams, is currently escorting me during my drives to the various places life takes me. It is a personal goal of mine to be as happy as possible all day long. I am learning about the spiritual depths of joy versus the state of being happy from listening to these amazing spiritual leaders. I highly recommend enjoying your own copy of this fabulous book. One key component is the mental aspect of having a good attitude with compassion and generosity toward yourself and other human beings.

I’m laughing right now because I’m remembering that during all these years of meditating  (29) my Teacher has encouraged most people to not read books on spirituality because any questions you may have you can find the answer to by going within. You need only to sit in meditation. This advice really has worked for me. I am, however, reading a book right now called The Diamond Cutter – The Buddha On Managing Your Business and Your Life. This book has not only been entertaining, but has given me some sweet insights on the art of detachment. And a gentle reminder about how every moment contains the flow for infinite possibilities.

Lastly, I am giving a heartfelt plug for the book Cultivating Compassion – Simple Every Day Practices For Discovering Peace of Mind and Resilience. Why? Because I am proud of my little sister, Amy Pattee Colvin, who authored this book. Within its pages you will find help day by day for 66 days to develop a personal practice – discovering more about yourself with a compassionate heart.  

Of course all of this spiritual cramming is on top of my regular day to day life of running Water Star Motors, home and self-maintenance. I love my life!  

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. Or, if you prefer, book a private session. See calendar page for the dates. www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

Work Hard, Play Hard

Conscientious Work Has Great Benefit

One of my motto's for years has been, "Work hard, play hard." Another one that I live by is, "If I am to do something then I will do it to the best of my ability."

I was reminded about this as I spent time finishing one of my wood carvings to be judged in a show this coming weekend.

This is the way of the old craftsman who spends days, even weeks, working on a single piece because he wants to create something useful, beautiful, and meaningful. Not mass produced, not factory made, not mindlessly manufactured and consumed. Artistically enriching one's life and possibly bettering another's.

This is the way of the writer who pours her soul into a novel, not to crank out a best-seller every year but to perhaps change the way someone sees the world.

This is the way of anyone who works at a company - not just to clock in and get a paycheck, but to make a contribution. To do work s/he’s proud of. To create something powerful in the world.

This is the work of any artist or creator, any entrepreneur, any coach or athlete, any parent or auto mechanic … who puts more effort than is required into the work, because from that effort is created meaning.

My meditation Teacher is always reminding me (irritatingly so at times) that the work never ends. There is the practical work of making a lively-hood. The work of simplifying life as much as possible. The work of cultivating yourself to become the best human being you can be. We are given this gift to improve ourselves until the moment we die.

The more ah ha's and revelations one has during meditation; the more you know that you don't know. This is not in a sad way, however, it is in a joyous exploration of life's full offerings.

I hope you can find yourself working hard and playing hard today.

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. See calendar page for the dates. www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

Breath is Key to Life

Breath is Key to a Life Well Lived

Finding Space

Being aware of your breathing takes attention away from thinking and creates space. It is one way of generating consciousness. The breath is key to discovering inner space and connection to spirit. It creates gaps in the stream of thinking. Without those gaps, your thinking becomes repetitive, uninspired, devoid of any creative spark, which is how it is for most people on the planet. You don’t need to be concerned with the duration of those gaps. A few seconds is good enough. Gradually they will lengthen by themselves, without any effort on your part. More important then their length is to bring these gaps in frequently so that your daily activities and your stream of thinking become interspersed with space.

Be aware of your breathing as often as you are able. Do it whenever you remember. If you consistently do that for one year it will be more powerfully transformative then attending workshop after workshop. And breathing is free.

Be aware of your breathing. Notice the sensation of the breath. Feel the air moving in and out of your body. Notice how the chest and abdomen expand and contract slightly with the in – and outbreath. One conscious breath is enough to make some space where before there was the uninterrupted succession of one thought after another. One conscious breath (two or three would be even better), taken many times a day, is an excellent way of bringing space into your life.

Trees have space

Let’s now stop and do a short breathing exercise. Be sure you are sitting comfortably. Close your eyes and mouth. Place your hands over your belly. Breathe in with an internal count of five. Breathe out with a count of five. (Repeat for a total of five sets.) Relax and open your eyes.

Did you notice the natural pause between the inhales and exhales?

Even if you meditated on your breathing for two hours or more, which some people do, one breath is all you ever need to be aware of, indeed ever can be aware of. The rest is memory or anticipation, which is to say, thought. Another way to put it is the past or the future. Breathing isn’t really something you do but something that you witness as it happens. Breathing happens by itself in the now. The intelligence within the body is doing it. All you have to do is watch it happening. There is no strain or effort involved.

Many people’s breath is unnaturally shallow. The more you are aware of the breath, the more it’s natural depth will reestablish itself. This is like the breaths you see a baby taking.

Because breath has no form as such, it has since, ancient times, been equated with spirit. From the Bible: “God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living creature.”

The German word for breathing – atmen – is derived from the ancient Indian (Sanskrit) word Atman, meaning the indwelling divine spirit or God within.

The sky breathes

The fact that breath has no form is one of the reasons why breath awareness is an extremely effective way of bringing space into life, of generating consciousness. It is an excellent meditation object precisely because it is not an object, it has no shape or form. The other reason is that breath is one of the most subtle and seemingly insignificant phenomena, the ‘least thing’ that makes up the ‘best happiness’. Whether or not you practice breath awareness as an actual formal meditation is up to you.

Being aware of your breath forces you into the present moment – the key to all inner transformation. Whenever you are conscious of your breath, you are absolutely present. You may also notice that you cannot think and be aware of your breathing at the same time. Conscious breathing stops your mind. But far from being in a trance or half asleep, you are fully awake and highly alert. You are not falling below thinking, but rising above it. And if you look more closely, you will find that those two things – coming fully into the present moment and ceasing thinking without loss of consciousness – are actually one and the same; the awakening of consciousness.

Key thoughts from the book “A New Earth; Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose” by Eckhart Tolle

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. See calendar page for the dates. www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

Ode to Dante the Cat

Ode to Dante

Dante plays with Mandy

We found Dante at the Santa Cruz Animal Shelter in March 1997. We took the kids with us to pick out a cat for their Easter gift that year. I was told years later that I may have influenced the children's decision as to which cat to pick.

Dante's description said he was only 1 year old, but the vet seemed to think he was at least 2 or 3 years old at the time. If Dante was two when we got him then he lived a wonderful cat life to the ripe old age of 19. (93 in human years.)

We got to watch Dante transform from a nervous cat who licked the back of his legs so much there was no fur down the center of each back leg (like a dancer's hosiery) to a beautiful strong, calm presence. 

His greatest love was Faith who died three years ago. He was also fond of Summer Fun and Mandy.

Dante on the prowl

Dante was diligent at keeping watch over our home. He took his job as protector very seriously. He would often meet intruders head first though he was never more than ten pounds.

Meditating Cat

 Dante attended many meditation classes with us over the years. He would gently head butt each person's hand for some loving or to give the person encouragement. Many times he would sit and meditate with us for the entire class. He was most excellent at finding his center - tan tien .He also loved greeting the students as they came and left. Dante was the main inspiration behind Henry and I creating a magnificent indoor cat tree.

Dante test drives the tree

Two nights before his passing, Dante spent sleeping on top of either myself, Henry or between the two of us. The evening before he left we had hours with him sitting on our laps.

on his last day on earth Dante chose a sunny, warm place in our garden to rest his weary bones. He laid there from some time before lunch, we covered him with a blanket after dinner. He expired with the setting sun. Always the romantic.

We are dedicating our labyrinth we created Sunday, September first to Dante.

RIP under artichoke

From this day forward it will be known as Dante's Labyrinth. After we buried him in our garden our son, Dan, Henry and I lit some incense, offered our prayers and did a walking meditation through Dante's Labyrinth. It felt so sacred and beautiful. At one point the labyrinth brought the three of us together. I cannot wait to have my meditation students and friends walk this labyrinth with me.

We love you Dante and will miss you greatly. Thanks for being ever diligent and loving. Thank you for greeting us every day after work. Watching over us when we were ill. You have blessed us with your gentlest meow and have enriched our lives in more ways than I know. Our grandchildren will always remember you too. Your life was truly a meditation from the heart.

Please join me Monday mornings and Wednesday nights. See calendar page for the dates. www.MeditationFromTheHeart.com

Six Healing Sounds

Six Healing Sounds

During my last Monday Meditation Class I had a student who inspired my heart to revisit a Taoist practice I have learned along the path of my meditation life. This practice is called the Six Healing Sounds. Part of the Sum Faht practice stems from Taoism. Though this teaching is not specifically from my teacher is is in alignment with the flow of energy within the body.

My research led me to working with this version created by Mantak Chia via Universal Tao Publications. I was tempted to break the information up between two blog segments, but have decided against it knowing that people who really want this information will want it all at once.

The Theory behind the Six Healing Sounds: Healthy Body 

Having assessed the knowledge of the universe through internal practices, the Taoist masters discovered that each healthy organ is associated with a particular sound, color and quality of energy. Emotional problems, pollution, poor food, injuries, and overly strenuous exercise can overheat the internal organs causing them to weaken.

This changes the state of each organ’s sound frequency, color and energetic quality. The Six Healing Sounds practice helps to restore, balance and cleanse the vital organs by correcting these factors. They also stimulate the chi flow throughout the body to enhance one’s overall health and vitality.

The Cosmic Six Healing Sounds helps to release any excess heat that may be trapped in the cooling sacs which surround each organ. As you assume the postures and produce the sounds sub-vocally, their vibrations redistribute any excess heat into cooler regions of the body where it can safely be stored or used. Once organ energies are balanced, you have a good foundation for establishing and nurturing the virtue energies. This will help to maintain the Chi balance throughout the system.

What causes an organ to malfunction? There are many causes. Urban society creates a life full of physical and emotional stresses such as overcrowding, pollution, radiation, junk food, chemical additives, anxiety, loneliness, bad posture, addictions and sudden or over vigorous exercise. Separately and together these stresses produce tension and start to block the free passage of energy flow in the body. In addition, the cities that we live in often lack the safety valves provided by nature: trees, open spaces, and running water, which give forth a cooling, purifying energy. Continued overheating causes an organ to contract and harden. This impairs its ability to function and results in illness. One of the surgeons working with the Universal Tao Center in New York reports that the hearts of patients who have died of heart attacks look as if they’ve been cooked! And the ancient Taoists have a saying, “Stress cooks your brain”.

Chinese medicine teaches that each organ is surrounded by a sac or membrane, called fascia, which regulates its temperature. Ideally, the membrane releases excess heat out through the skin, where it is exchanged for cool life force energy from nature. An overload of physical or emotional tension causes the fascia to stick to the organ so that it cannot properly release heat nor absorb cool energy from the skin.

The skin becomes clogged with toxins and the organ overheats. The Six Healing Sounds speed up the heat exchange through the digestive system and the mouth. The digestive system is more than 20 feet long and runs from the mouth to the anus as one pipe in the middle of the body. It helps release excess heat from the fascia, cooling and cleansing the organs and skin. When all these sounds and postures are done in the proper order, body heat is evenly distributed by the intestinal tract throughout the whole body, and each of the organs is at the correct operating temperature.

Daily practice of the Six Healing Sounds will restore and maintain calmness and good health. Greater sexual pleasure and improved digestion will occur. Minor ailments such as colds, flu and sore throats can be prevented or thrown off easily. NOTE: Typical side effects of these practices are yawning, burping or passing wind. All of which are beneficial indicators of moving energy. Once learned, the entire set takes only 10 -15 minutes - you are worth it.

 

Lungs

 First Healing Sound: Lung Sound 

 1. Sit with your back straight, your hands resting on your lungs, and your  eyes closed. 

 Smile down to your lungs. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your  lungs.

 Picture a white light, fresh and pure like the energy of the mountains. Imagine a metal sound like a bell.

2. Take a deep breath. Close the jaws so that the teeth gently meet and part the lips slightly as you slowly exhale through your teeth making the sound “Ssssssss”. At first you can produce the lung sound out loud, but eventually you should practice it subvocally. (Subvocally means that you are vocalizing so softly that only you can hear the sound and feel the vibration inside the lungs.) (Keep the subvocal instruction in mind for the following five more sounds.)

Feel that the sound starts to move the chi in the lungs. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the lungs as the sacs (layers of tissue called fascia that surround every organ) surrounding the lungs are compressed.

3. Nurture good emotions. This is the most important part of this practice. Take as much time as you need to get in touch with the organs. As the excess heat lessens and the white - metal energy expands in the lungs then positive emotional qualities will have room to grow. Concentrate on the feelings of righteousness and courage as you transform any sadness or grief. Sit up straight and tall so you can feel courage. Try to maintain the feeling of the Lung Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and throughout your daily life.

4. Repeat the Lung Sound three to six times. For sadness, depression, colds, flu, toothaches, asthma, emphysema or depression you may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12 or 24 times.

Second  Healing Sound: Kidney Sound 

Kidneys

1. Sit with your back straight, your hands resting on your kidneys, and your eyes closed.

Smile down to your kidneys. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your kidneys.

Picture a blue light, like the sun shining on the deep blue sea.

2. Take a deep breath. Open the eyes and put your legs together, ankles and knees touching. Lean forward and clasp the fingers of both hands together around your knees. Pull your arms straight from the lower back while bending the torso forward (this allows your back to protrude in the area of the kidneys). Tilt your head up as you look straight ahead. Round the lips and slightly exhale with the sound “Chooooooo” as if you are blowing out a candle. Contract your abdomen on the exhale, pulling it toward your kidneys.

Feel the sound start to move the chi in the kidneys. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the kidneys as the sacs surrounding the kidneys are compressed.

3. Nurture good emotions. Sitting upright with palms over the kidneys radiate blue light, gentleness, stillness and alertness into the kidneys. Rest, close your eyes, listen to your kidneys. Smile to them and imagine that you are still making the Kidney Sound. Breathe normally and feel your fears dissipate as you transform them. Feel the gentleness also relaxing your lower back. Try to maintain the feeling of the Kidney Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and in your daily life.

4. Repeat the Kidney Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help alleviate fear, fatigue, dizziness, ringing in the ears or back pain.

Liver

Third Healing Sound: Liver Sound

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight, your hands resting on your liver, and your eyes closed.

Smile down to your liver. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your liver.

Picture a forest. Imagine the sun shining on the forest creating life force and green light.

2. Take a deep breath. Open the eyes and extend your arms out to the side, palms up. Continue raising the arms overhead, intertwine the fingers and rotate for palms up. Bend slightly to the left, exerting a gentle pull on the liver. Open your eyes wider because they are the openings of the liver. Slowly exhale with the sound “Shhhhhhh”.

Feel that the sound starts to move the chi in the liver. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the liver as the sacs surrounding the liver are compressed.

3. Nurture good emotions. Sit upright with palms over the liver and think to radiate green light, the forest energy and kindness into the liver. Rest, close your eyes, be aware of your liver. Smile at your organ and imagine that you are still making the Liver Sound. Breathe normally and ‘see’ your liver glowing with green rejuvenating light. Concentrate on the virtue of kindness and forgiveness. This will lessen anger, aggression and frustration energy. Try to maintain the feeling of the Liver Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and in your daily life.

4. Repeat the Liver Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help expel anger, clear red or watery eyes, remove a sour or bitter taste and to detoxify the liver.

Fourth Healing Sound: Heart Sound 

Heart

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight, your hands resting on your heart, and your eyes closed. Smile down to your heart. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your heart.

Picture a red ball as a sun setting.

2. Take a deep breath. Open the eyes and take the same position as for the liver sound. This time, however, you will lean slightly to the right to pull gently against the heart. With the tongue lightly touching the lower teeth open a rounded mouth and slowly exhale with the sound “Hawwwwww”. Feel the sound start to move the chi in the heart. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the heart as the sacs surrounding the heart are compressed.

3. Nurture good emotions. Sit upright with palms over the heart and think to radiate red light, love and inner joy into the heart. Rest, close your eyes, be aware of your heart. Smile at your organ and imagine that you are still making the Heart Sound. Breathe normally and ‘see’ your heart glowing with red fiery light. Concentrate on the virtue of compassion. Strengthening the heart for more love, inner joy, honor, respect and sincerity. This will lessen hastiness, arrogance and hatred in the heart; cooling any jealousy. Try to maintain the feeling of the Heart Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and into your daily life.

4. Repeat the Heart Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help relieve sore throats, cold sores, swollen gums or tongue, jumpiness, moodiness and heart disease.

Spleen

 Fifth Healing Sound: Spleen Sound

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight, your hands resting on your spleen, and your eyes closed. Smile down to your stomach and spleen. Be aware of the quality of the energy in your stomach and spleen. Picture the yellow of a beautiful field of sunflowers.

2. Take a deep breath. Open the eyes, move the arms to the front and place the first three fingers of both hands just beneath the sternum on the left side of the rib cage. Gently push your spleen to the back as you exhale a “Whooooooo” sound. This is more guttural or ‘throaty’ than the kidney sound. Know that any excess heat and toxins are expelled from the organs as the sacs surrounding them are compressed.

3. Nurture good emotions. Sitting upright with palms over the spleen and think to radiate yellow light, fairness, openness and stability into the spleen. Rest, close your eyes, be aware of your stomach and spleen. Smile to them and imagine that you are still making the Spleen Sound. Feel  the vibration of the sound moving and cleaning the energy in the stomach and the spleen. Breathe normally and ‘see’ your organs glowing with warm yellow light. Worries are lessened. Feel the fairness, openness, balance and harmony growing in the stomach and spleen; transforming any worry in them. Try to maintain the feeling of the Spleen Sound for increasingly longer periods after each practice and in your daily life.

4. Repeat the Spleen Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help eliminate indigestion, nausea and diarrhea.

Sixth Healing Sound: Triple Warmer Sound 

Triple Warmer

The Triple Warmer refers to the three energy centers of the body: The upper section (brain, heart and lungs) is hot; the mid section (liver, kidneys, stomach, pancreas and spleen) is warm; and the lower section (large/small intestines, bladder and sexual organs) is cool.

The sound “Heeeeeee” serves to balance the temperature of the three levels - bringing hot energy down to the lower center and cool energy up to the higher center.

1. Either lie on your back or sit in a chair. Smile. Inhale. Bring palms over face and exhale with a “Heeeeeee” sound.

2. Inhale fully into all three energy centers: Chest, Solar Plexus and Lower Abdomen. Exhale fully with the “Heeeeeee” sound. Imagine a roller pressing out your breath in all three areas. You can use your hands to help move your chi from above your head to your lower Tan Tien.

3. Rest. Focus on the entire digestive tract.

4. Repeat the Triple Warmer Sound three to six times. You may repeat this exercise 6, 9, 12, or 24 times to help relieve insomnia and stress. Note: The Triple Warmer can be done lying down in bed to facilitate falling asleep.