During the time I lived in Japan – almost 4 years in my lifetime, I came to very much admire their intricate appreciation for beauty… particularly the detail, care, and respect they have for each aspect of their art.
Most specifically, I came to admire the beautiful message behind Kintsugi.
Kintsugi is the art of repairing broken ceramics with liquid gold, to bring together pieces of broken pottery. The art enhances the breaks, refines the piece, and it is displayed with nothing to hide.
We all have our scars, or Samskaras. Best not to hide away in shame of our pain. I personally wouldn’t be doing this work today if it wasn’t for my deep longing to transform pain.
Becoming a unique and piece of beautiful of ‘human’ art, is enhanced by watering the seeds of mindfulness and compassion.
Many of us may understand quite deeply the ‘Power of Suffering’.
Indeed, we can grow stronger and kinder through life crisis with a resilience beyond words.
David Rowland writes:
I found that those whose world had been turned upside down by a major life event – natural disaster, death of child, loss of home and country, etc. – and survived, often expressed greater compassion for others as an outcome.
The many beautiful messages the kintsugi technique conveys:
- Breakages in our lives and hearts can become valuable.
- Intricate repairs can create more precious objects. This is the essence of resilience.
- We can learn from traumatic loss, grief, suffering and both negative and positive experiences. This makes each person unique, precious.
Below we share a meditation that focuses on Yoga sutra 1.36, resilience and the inner luminosity of the heart, anahata or heart chakra.
This meditation invites you gently to heal your precious scars….
Inner Luminosity of the Heart
Details
Suitability: Everyone
Primary Use: meditation, breathing, grief and loss
Primary practice: Yoga Meditation
Primary Origins: Mindfulness/Yoga Sutra/grief and loss
Any spiritual/religious references: Non sectarian
Primary benefit: Health, healing, stress, grief and loss, resilience, focus on heart chakra
Year released: 2019
Voice: Celia Roberts
Description
A meditation the focuses on Yoga sutra 1.36 and the inner luminosity of the heart, anahata or the heart chakra.
Anahata means un-struck and unbeaten and here we reside in the effulgent, everlasting light of the heart centre, creating resilience. The meditation also invites you gently to heal your precious scars….in reference to the Japanese art of kinstugi.
More Meditations for a Heart Centred Life: Meditations for Pacifying the Mind
Yoga is to cease the fluctuations of the mind and reduce the activity of mind (sutras Ch1 V 1-4) as described by Patanjali.
Can you notice the link between breath and thoughts?
Can you steady the breath and thoughts?
How can we use breath to pacify the mind?
How do we reduce this activity of mind? Patanjali gives us 6 sutras to pacify the mind (1.34 – 1.39)
Five suggestions for focus in the sutras below:
- 1.34 breath awareness on the out-breath,
- 1.35 objective awareness of physical sensations,
- 1.36 inner luminosity of the heart,
- 1.37 contemplation on a stable mind or a being who has been released from passions,
- 1.38 focusing on the stream of the mind in dream and deep sleep (1.34-1.38).
- 1.39 In whatever you choose practice one-pointedness on whatever you find pleasing and useful. Choosing a meditation according to ones affinities also brings mental stability…
What more can I do for a heart centred life?
Gentle meditation, asana and pranayama practice using long exhales, holding the breath out to quiet the mind.
Use of the forward bend, exhale pranayama’s to pacify the mind.
Meditation on bodily sensations and the five senses.
Practice a meditation for sutra 1.36 – A focus on the light in the heart. This will be a chest opening, inhale focussed practice or heart breathing.
I thank Leanne Davis, President of Yoga Australia for her wise teachings and reference her mentorship.
