I was with a few people getting ready to do a heart concentration practice. I learnt this technique from doing Belsebuub’s courses in years prior. The aim was to simply feel the heart beats throughout the body.
Since it was evening time, I made a concentrated effort to focus on the heart beats more intently during this practice since I didn’t want to just fall asleep unconsciously. I also asked for help and guidance from my Divine Mother for the practice.
The person guiding the practice for the rest of us went through a thorough guided relaxation, which helped me a great deal to feel very relaxed for the whole practice.
The more I relaxed and asked for my body to relax itself, the more I noticed that tension was melting away and my mind was able to let go of any thoughts with ease. It felt as though I was fully concentrated and focused without tension and without thoughts.
Once fully relaxed, I got into the heart concentration practice. I focused my attention on the heart beats. There was a rhythm to them. I slowly felt a peacefulness overcome me like never before. It also felt as though each part of my body was ‘switching off’ with the relaxation.
I could feel this gradual astral split and transition from my physical body into my astral body as the practice continued. It got to the point where I could no longer feel my physical body as though in essence I had no physical body. This moment was profound as I got to feel what it was like to be separate from any thoughts, feelings, emotions or sense of having a body.
As this happened my heart beats got stronger and stronger, louder and louder. I recall thinking ‘I wonder if I am disturbing anyone else around me with the sound of my heartbeats?’
I noticed that, at this point, I was really at peace. I felt that time was non-existent, that only ‘now’ existed, and it was so easy to simply BE in that mode (this sense is really beyond words but I am sure you can relate to my experience). The stress of life’s pressures just didn’t exist and I never wanted this moment to end. I felt the help that I asked for was here showing me what is possible.
I can relate to that feeling and thank you for describing it so nice Sofios. If it’s the same one, I feel it like a starting point where I can move on to different states like meditation/analysis or astral projection. It won’t last long enough though and I think this is a matter of practice. I wish it would!
Thank you for sharing it!
Sounds like a great experience Sofios, that feeling of peace, free from the thoughts and emotions is something to be cherished deeply.
Thanks for sharing!
Such a beautiful experience Sofios!
Reading it made me realise and remember again the dilemma I have – I find it difficult to do a practice in the evening, because as you said, lying down on my back allows me to be more comfortable than sitting up, but it’s also more likely I would fall asleep. While falling asleep when doing a spiritual practice can be relaxing and refreshing, and sometimes give meaningful dreams, often I fall asleep too quickly and too heavily to get any benefit from it.
The other one is that I unconsciously start to consider relaxation as something not so important and boring in a way so I start going through it half-heartedly and too quickly to be properly relaxed, which doesn’t allow the practice to go deep enough as I continue being disturbed by thoughts because my body is tense or uncomfortable and not in a ‘deep enough’ state.
It’s good to remember that to overcome these obstacles I need to sit down and consciously create a strategy for it and not continue doing the same thing, hoping it would somehow be different this time.
How amazing to be free of the worries and heavy states and even the body for a little, as it can also create heaviness from tiredness for example. The heaviness can be overwhelming sometimes and difficult to budge but these glimpses to lighter and higher ways of being that show you it is possible are very encouraging.
Thanks Laura your accurate description of that sort of ‘entropy within a practice’ sounds very familiar for in some of my practices. Now to find a way out of that! Perhaps a renewed inspiration combined with a renewed effort, then a continued effort— to hopefully change things.
Hi Laura,
I’ve also found myself sort of stuck in situations like that with certain practises and I’ve found it really helps to play around with the times that I practise. There does seem to be a huge different in the way my body feels during the day for example – this is actually the easiest time for me to relax for some reason. Early morning can be conducive too, when I’m refreshed from sleep but still less mental than at the end of the day. Good luck!
Hi Sofios,
thanks for sharing, it’s wonderful when a simple practice brings such a profound effect. There have been times when concentration on my heart beats was my go-to practise, the feeling you describe of loosing sensation of your physical body and its constraints, being taken by the energy of your heart somewhere different – well, it’s very special.
Reading this also made me remember the importance of a good, thorough relaxation. I realise and then forget again that if I can relax deeply, it’s ‘half the battle’ and really the only way I can get into the next stage with any mystical practise.
I agree on the relaxation point Ella. But it’s something that impressively I manage to forget again and again.
Thanks Sofios, great account of the benefit of your heart practice.
Thanks Sofios, I found even reading your account very pleasant and relaxing. I think I know what you mean with that wonderful state you felt beyond all the heaviness of thoughts, worries etc. upon us. So much like ‘home’ and feeling right. Yet so much of the time we have some lower inner state in us that afflicts us. 🙁 And even if we manage to be clear, which is lovely of course, then still our overall general level, and the weight of the dimension here? doesn’t commonly allow such an experience you had. Very lovely.
Very funny about the loud beats btw 😀 No one asked you to turn them down a bit I take it then? 😉
Thanks for sharing this experience Sofios. It sounds like a special one, which certainly had an impact on you. I can relate to the sensation of the heart beats getting stronger and stronger, while concentrating on them during this practice. Your comment about wondering if your heart beat was disturbing others made me laugh too 🙂
Concentrating on the heart seems like such a simple practice, but can bring quite profound results, as you described. It’s great that from this seemingly simple practice, you were able to gain a real moment of peace, which seemed beyond time.
What a wonderful experience Sofios. An enjoyable read, thank you.