Points of Focus: Weeks 5, 6 & 7

Heart opening

I recently did a short guided Tantric meditation that focused on the Heart Chakra. In this mediation, you were to visualize the heart center as a lotus flower. With every inhale, you imagined your flower (heart) opening. With the exhale, your flower closed in protection but not completely. Putting attention in that region and allowing safe receptivity was an interesting experience. In just a few minutes I felt a great expansion but also quite a bit of other things that were causing me to feel emotional. It made me realize that my heart exists more in the protected and safe place than the expanded and open place.

I'd like to think that my art practice is a place where I can allow myself to be more sensitive and have a free flow of heart based responses. But I'd like to investigate this more. So between January 29-February 14 I will begin each daily painting with this short Tantric meditation of the lotus flower/heart chakra. I will allow what comes up and be with those feelings, then paint. I think it will be especially powerful practice at this time because it will be hard to avoid the symbol of the heart with the coming of Valentine's Day on February 14. It will also be the time between the first two eclipses of the year, with the Lunar Eclipse falling on the Full Moon on January 31 and the following Solar Eclipse on the New Moon on February 15. Seems to be a good time to be conscious of, and release any heart centered blockages that may be preventing growth.

If you'd like to follow along but aren't sure of this lotus flower method, simply sit silently and give attention to the area around your heart. Allow whatever emerges and be with these feelings.