I am Here.

Imagine yourself sitting in your kitchen. Point to the sink. Point to the floor. Point to the refrigerator. Now, point to yourself. Where did your finger land? On the center of your forehead? Your stomach? Your shoulder? Based on the number of times I’ve watched students do this exercise, chances are you pointed to a place in the middle of your chest. This is your Heart Center. Why do we usually point to this spot? Is it because we recognize that this spot houses who we truly are within?

According to yogic teachings, there are three sacred places in the body, and these are the three parts surrounded by bone: the head, the heart, and the pelvis. The head, the place of the greatest protection, houses our brain. The chest is a little more open than the head, but still, the ribs surround our heart and lungs. The pelvis is the most open, a bowl holding our abdominal and reproductive organs. Energetically, we identify the mind as the intellectual and analytical processor of the body. The pelvis holds our creative energy, our passions and desires, as well as our emotions.

Our task in Purna Yoga is to train the mind and the pelvis, through Centering techniques, to bring their energies and gifts to the heart center for transformation so that we may live our dharma. Every Heartfull Meditation technique I share with you, I learned directly from Purna Yoga co-founder, Savitri, who created them. These techniques are truly life-changing and have helped me to become more loving, more compassionate, more joyful, and more engaged in my life.

Meditation is the art of focusing. In Heartfull Meditation, we use our hands, the breath and our imagination to focus on different parts of our body, to visualize light in the body, and to feel beautiful feelings in our heart center. Placing the middle finger of the right hand on the Heart Center is a simple Heartfull Meditation technique that helps us to stay focused on this special place within us. It enhances our natural intuition and helps us feel connected to our inner voice of wisdom.

To find your Heart Center precisely, draw a line from your armpits to the center of your chest. The centermost spot on that line is the Heart Center. Bring the middle finger of your right hand to this spot, ideally skin to skin, and gently massage, press, or tap the finger. As you inhale, think to yourself, ‘I am here.’ As you exhale, think, ‘Here I am.’ Hold for a few minutes, feeling love and gratitude and imagining a flame of light in your Heart Center. Let this technique deepen your intuition and your connection to your spirit within. Think of your spirit as a dear friend who is always there, always with you, always willing to help you live your dharma.