About the Author:
Claudiu Trandafir is a meditation teacher with more than 25 years of experience in yoga, Tantra and Advaita Vedanta. His knowledge comes from direct experience in cave retreats and much devoted study. He travels around the world teaching others about the Spiritual Heart tradition and practices. His students' testimonials are inspiring. Claudiu visits Canada in September and October 2009 to lead meditation retreats in Ontario, Quebec and B.C. He will present evening lectures in Toronto on September 9 and 15, 2009 and in Kingston on September 16, 2009.
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 September 2009
What is the Spiritual Heart?
By Claudiu Trandafir
The Spiritual Heart is our essential and ultimate nature, the
ineffable dimension of our being.
"In the spiritual traditions of India, as elsewhere, the ‘heart’ refers
not so much to the physical organ as to a psychospiritual structure
corresponding to the heart muscle on the material plane. This
spiritual heart is celebrated by yogins and mystics as the seat of the
transcendental Self. It is called hrid, hridaya, or hrit-padma (‘heart
lotus’). It is often referred to as the secret ‘cave’ (guha) in which
the yogin must restrain his mind. In some schools, notably Kashmiri
Shaivism, the word hridaya applies also to the ultimate Reality.”
Georg Feuerstein - Encyclopedia of Yoga
Become physically comfortable. Take a moment to come into stillness.
Breathe. Simply direct your attention toward the chest area. That very
fine and discreet vibration which is awakened there, in the absence of
any thought, in the quietness of the mind, is the beginning of a
sacred tremor, the most direct experience of the Spiritual Heart.
Please relax yourself, take your time and close your eyes for a few
seconds while you allow this vibration to arise. Can you feel it?
This subtle calling of infinity, radiating from the chest area, is the
most expressive and intimate representation of the Heart. Please open
yourself to this sacred tremor of the Heart, because contained within
it is the communicative warmth of the Truth. The real essence of the Spiritual Heart lies exactly in
this tremor, this very intimate vibration. Give yourself the time and
peace to feel it profoundly.
In our times, the connection between our superior intuitive
intelligence and the Heart has mostly been forgotten. Traditional
ideas about the Spiritual Heart can be applied through practical
meditation techniques. The Heart, seen as an organ of direct
knowledge, can and should be trained constantly in order to increase
its purity and capacity to love, witness, and surrender.
* Please note these reviews/articles are written by individuals, and in no way reflects the view of Yoga in Canada.
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