iamheart.org
Heart Rhythm Meditation
Basic Steps for Beginners
Take your time. There is no wrong way to begin.
Step 1 — Settle Into Your Chair
Sit with both feet flat on the floor. Rest your hands in your lap. Let your back be supported. Close your eyes or soften your gaze downward. Allow your body to simply arrive.
Step 2 — Take a Few Natural Breaths
Don’t change anything yet. Just notice your breath as it is — coming in, going out. Feel the rise and fall of your chest. Let your shoulders drop.
Step 3 — Slow Your Breath Down
Begin to breathe a little more slowly and fully. Breathe in through your nose for a count of about four. Breathe out through your nose or mouth for a count of four. No strain. No forcing. Just a gentle lengthening.
Step 4 Breathe Into Your Heart
Place one hand over your heart if you like. As you inhale, imagine your breath flowing directly into your heart — filling it like a room filling with warm light. As you exhale, let that warmth spread through your body.
Step 5 — Find a Feeling of Appreciation
Think of something simple you are grateful for — a person, a place, a moment. It doesn’t need to be big. Let that feeling settle in your chest as you continue breathing. This is the heart of the practice.
Step 6 — Stay and Be Still
Continue for five to twenty minutes. If your mind wanders — and it will — that is completely normal. Simply return your attention to your breath and your heart. Gently, without judgment, every time.
Step 7 — Close with Gratitude
When you are ready, take one deep breath in. Let it out slowly. Open your eyes. Notice how you feel. Carry that stillness with you into your day.
A Good Place to Start
Five minutes each morning is enough to begin. Sit in the same chair, at the same time, each day. The rhythm you build in your body will carry you. You don’t need to be perfect — you just need to show up.
— Omar
Your neighbor & meditation teacher
