If you have ever wanted 2020 vision then now is the time to prepare….

Letting go of eye health ( we can cover that another day!) the New Moon in Scorpio today, 28th October at 16.48pm marks the two month lead in to the Summer Eclipse Season which starts on Boxing Day. (For further information on eclipse seasons and yoga read here.) The following meditation will help to ease into the energies surrounding not only Christmas Hellidays but also the Eclipse themes addressing our goals and how we can bring our work and home-life into balance.

These themes ask the questions we will all be exploring throughout 2020. How do I spend my time? Does this align with my heart? Does my job align with my purpose and direction in life? Am I pushing myself beyond my limits to get to my goals? Can I be more realistic about what I can achieve so that I don’t burn out? Am I enjoying life in the midst of getting stuff done? Am I actually spending quality time with my loved ones or is everything just a big to-do list? Can I break my old habits to see a new way of living, breathing and doing so that I can serve this planet better? Just some little questions then that will open the New Year and carry us into the next round of eclipses in June.

This soothing meditation uses a calming breath practice ( pranayama) that relieves anxiety and promotes calmness and mental clarity. It also brings some insight into your relationship with yourself and others. You might like to sit with this meditation before you make any rash decisions. It helps us to access, open and live from our heart centre and encourages us to act from the space of the Neutral Mind. This is the Vision for 2020 – to live from the space of the heart.

On a physical level, this meditation strengthens the lungs and heart. If you want to improve your lung capacity this is a good place to start.

Meditation for a Calm Heart

Posture: Sit in an Easy Pose, with a light jalandhar bandh (neck lock). Place the left hand on the center of the chest at the Heart Center. The palm is flat against the chest, and the fingers are parallel to the ground, pointing to the right.

Make Gyan Mudra with the right hand (touch the tip of the index [Jupiter] finger with the tip of the thumb). Raise the right hand up to the right side as if giving a pledge. The palm faces forward, the three fingers not in Gyan Mudra point up like an antennae.

The elbow is relaxed near the side with the forearm perpendicular to the ground.

Eyes: Either close the eyes or look straight ahead with the eyes 1/10th open.

Breath: To start… Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils for 3 to 5 counts. Then suspend the breath in and raise the chest. Retain it for 3 to 5 counts. Then exhale smoothly, gradually, and completely for 3 to 5 counts. 

After several rounds of this, the breath will feel deeper and calmer. You can move to the full breathing for this meditation. Inhale slowly and deeply through both nostrils. Then suspend the breath in and raise the chest. Retain it as long as possible. Then exhale smoothly, gradually, and completely. When the breath is totally out, lock the breath out for as long as possible. (Those with high blood pressure should only hold the inhalation in for a brief moment. A held exhalation is ok to try though.)

Concentrate on the flow of the breath. Regulate each bit of the breath consciously. When you hold the breath in or out for “as long as possible,” you should not gasp or be under strain when you let the breath move again.

To End: Inhale and hold briefly and then exhale. Repeat twice more. Relax.

The home of the subtle force of prana is in the lungs and heart. The left palm is placed at the natural home of prana and creates a deep stillness at that point. The right hand that brings you to action and analysis, is placed in a receptive, relaxed mudra in the position of peace. This posture induces the feeling of calmness. It creates a still point for the prana at the Heart Center.

Try it for 3 minutes. If you have more time, try it for three periods of 3 minutes each, with one minute rest between them, for a total of 11 minutes. For an advanced practice of concentration and rejuvenation, build the meditation up to 31 minutes. This is the meditation that I will be adding to my daily Sadhana throughout the next 3 months. If you want to join in and share your experiences, I would love to hear how it goes for you.