Ram Dass leads a meditation where you are breathing out through the top of your head, bouncing back and forth between form and formless, the one and the many. From this place, you can open your heart to all beings and experience just how much you do love this universe.
"There is no form, it’s God manifest. It’s the unspoken, it’s the void. It’s the one."
- Ram Dass
Transcript from Ramdass.org
At this moment, just focus in the middle of your chest.
Imagine there's an opening in the middle of your chest. And that even though you're breathing in and out of your nose or your mouth necessary oxygen, etcetera, with each in breath in through this hole in your chest, you are drawing something very subtle, not even on the physical plane. It's been called soma, it's been called elixir, it's been called ambrosia, it's been called Pran, it's been called living spirit. Think of it as a very fine mist. With each breath, draw it into the middle of your chest, and let it pour through your body, to the extremities, to the tips of your fingers, to the tips of your toes, through your torso, your head.
And then in the out-breath, when you're breathing out through the center of your chest, any stuff in you that is keeping you from being with the universe -- the tensions, the fears, the negativity, the doubt, the grudges, the anger, the loneliness, the self pity -- breathe it out, just breathe out, let it go on the out-breath. And then fill once again with this healing, very fine mist, and let it pour through your body. As it pours through your body, let it dislodge the tensions that may have settled in your back, or in your stomach. The heavy thoughts, thoughts of paranoia, feelings of inadequacy, of doubt, the judging mind, just let it all be loosened, dislodged. And on the out breath, breathe it out. Make the breath slow and deep. And keep that imagery very strongly in mind, that you're drawing in a very fine mist, filling your being, and then releasing all of the stuff you don't need to be in the spirit.
If there's a great sadness in you, just let it go. Breathe it out, you don't need it. If there's anger, hurt. If you've been hurt, if you have pain. Don't demand that it go away, you might breathe it out and you'll still feel sadness, it may be such a deep reservoir of sadness. But what you can let go of, let go of. And then fill with this very fine healing mist.
Now rest quietly with your eyes closed and just listen to me for a moment. Imagine now that out before you is all of the universe of form, all of the world as you see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, and know it, including yourself. And now imagine that at the top of the head, you also have a hole, an opening, and that above your head is the formless out of which form comes. There is no form, it's God manifest. It's the unspoken, it's the void. It's the one.
Now, you will breathe in through your chest when I tell you, suggest you do. Just listen now, drawing the universe into your heart, the middle of your chest, and you will breathe out through the top of your head, going out with your breath, go up with your breath and go back into the formless. And then on the next in breath, draw the formless down into your heart, and then with the out-breath, breathe it out through your heart and recreate the forms which are spirit made manifest. Then with the in-breath, draw it back into your heart, breathe out through the top of your head going up until you're resting above your head, then draw the breath in, come back down into your heart, and then manifest out into the world. So it's in, up, out, down, in, out. Do that for a few minutes now. Start very slow, deep breathing, so you keep going between form and formless, between the one and the many.
Keeping your eyes closed, remain resting in the middle of your chest and listen to me for one moment longer. Now that you have released what you can of those things which keep you from being a pure instrument for the transmission of spirit, and that you have learned to draw the spirit through you, you will find yourself in situation after situation where, when you look out at the world, you see suffering. Maybe it's somebody you love that's suffering. The suffering might physical, it might be psychological, it might be spiritual. It might be somebody that's a political prisoner, somebody that's starving or dying of cancer, or just lost in depression, or caught with drugs, or caught in a painful violence.
Whoever comes to mind, bring their image before you, standing or sitting or being out in front. With your breath, go up above your head, letting yourself go out through the top of your head. Again, bring that fine mist, that spirit, down through the top of your head, the formless, down into your heart. And then on the out breath, send it out, keeping that being in mind. And with your mind, imaging surrounding that being with light that is peace, that is healing, that is love, that is spacious. Then go back up into the formless until that is just pouring through your heart and out and surrounding that being or those beings.
If there is anybody towards whom you feel anger, that you would like to find the deeper space, bring that person before you. And through this light, or this love, see that being in a deeper way. Let your heart open in this process.
Keep going back up into the formless where you are the one, and then come back and allow the spirit to come through you to manifest as a healing force.
And the thought is not that I demand this person be healed of their suffering, but rather, if it be in the way of things, let there be healing. Not my, but thy will.
And if it is you that is suffering and in pain, imagine yourself standing or sitting before yourself, and surround that being with that same golden light of love, of peace, of space, of compassion.
Open your heart a little wider. What more can you do for the world than become a conduit for the living spirit to be manifest?
Experience just how much you actually do love the universe. All the forms coming before your eye. As you go back into the one and come back into the many, see how precious all the forms are.
Okay, now just come back and rest in your heart. Open your eyes and relax, stretch. Mmmm.
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