Speaker 1: 0:13

Hello and welcome to Roots of the Rise with me, sarah Hogan. Hello everyone, I am excited to talk to you about heart-based meditation today. So first we should acknowledge that there are thousands of different types of meditation, all with valid benefits and purpose. There's a misconception, though, that they all do essentially the same thing, that they have basically the same rules and yield the same results, and this just isn't true. Different forms of meditation have different guidelines and they have different benefits too. Mindfulness practices and controlled focus techniques actually activate different parts of the brain. Both are worthy, worthwhile methods, both are useful, but truly different.

Speaker 1: 1:01

I'm sure we're going to talk about all of that in the future, but today I really wanted to focus on heart-based meditation. I have dabbled in many different forms of meditation in the last decade since I began kind of investigating it as a tool, but heart-based meditation is the only method I'm truly consistent with, because it's the only one I have personally found that continues to help with tangible benefits, even after more than a decade of practice. And this has a lot to do with the fact that when you learn heart-based meditation, you actually learn two techniques. There's the actual meditation practice itself and then an integration technique that helps you deeply integrate the gains and shifts made via the meditation practice, and this really sets heart-based meditation apart from other modalities this learning of two techniques that make a whole practice and I really credit that with why it's been so continuously beneficial for me personally. Another common misconception is that you need to clear your mind of all thoughts during meditation, and maybe that's why you've immediately dismissed meditation as being not good for you, or that you can't do it because there's no way you can do that, or you've tried multiple other methods and find that you just can't quiet the mind. Good news, that's not a requirement with heart-based meditation. Here, thoughts are welcomed, allowed and accepted as part of the practice. It's one of the things I really love about the training. You will learn all about the brain, the specific functions of the right and left hemispheres, and why thoughts are perfectly accepted and welcome in this form of meditation. Another great thing is that you don't need any prior experience in order to take the free heart meditation training. This training is offered on a donation basis only, because all of us who teach heart-based meditation feel that it's our calling, our responsibility, our dharma to help as many people as we possibly can.

Speaker 1: 3:14

Life can be really hard. You know there is so much going on in the world, especially right now, that is stressful and challenging and very unstable, and so many people are walking around with this struggle and fear and pain and trauma in their hearts and minds and bodies. We all need and deserve a tool to help us alleviate stress, to help us find a place of calm from which we can then approach all these difficult challenges that are always going to come our way. They never stop. So when we teach heart-based meditation, we feel we are doing our part to help people find a way to be more at peace with themselves and their circumstances. And that sense of peace, that sense of being okay, that is a quality that ripples and de-escalates so often.

Speaker 1: 4:11

When I ask people what they've noticed has changed due to their heart-based meditation practice, their first answer is something along the lines of I'm more peaceful. And when you dig a little deeper, that manifests often in that they are simply able to roll with things a little more easily. Another common comment is from parents who notice that if they meditate prior to having their children come home from school, they just feel like they're a better parent. I know I certainly agree with this when I meditate before I pick my son up, I know that I am a better mom, I'm able to be more present, I'm happier, I have way more patience and our whole afternoon ends up being just a smoother, happier time together. And this ability to be more at peace, less reactionary that can be life changing.

Speaker 1: 5:10

Imagine if you were able to bring a deep sense of calm to an interaction with a family member who typically you have kind of explosive interactions with. You know where it starts off, okay, and then you say something and then they react, and then you react and all of a sudden you're in the middle of a, you know, full-blown explosion. What if, instead, they said the thing that they always say and instead of you having that deep reactionary response, you were able to just let it roll off your back and not have it create any upheaval? This can be one of the benefits of having a consistent, heart-based meditation practice, and I should pause and say that the word consistent is really important. You want to think about meditation the same way you think about going to the gym. If you go once a month, it's not that it's bad or not helpful, but is it actually going to give you any meaningful muscle gains? Probably not. You know, meditation is the same way. You have to be consistent in order for you to really reap the rewards.

Speaker 1: 6:22

You know, I'll tell you this, I had no real concept of meditation prior to my Ayurvedic practitioner training. If anything, I think I had that stereotypical notion of someone sitting in a cross-legged position humming to themselves, clearing their mind of all thoughts very kind of standard, uninformed ideas about meditation. But I was required to meditate for 200 hours in order to graduate from my Ayurvedic training, which was one of those blessings in disguise situations. I don't know that I would have stuck with it if I hadn't been required to. You know some forms of meditation, because they are so powerful and so effective. They can bring up a lot, they can stir the pot. You know, stress and trauma that's been stored in your body can be released, which isn't always a pleasant process. That's why, you know, there have been articles entitled the dark side of meditation, which is a bit inflammatory for my taste but also has a little bit of a kernel of truth to it.

Speaker 1: 7:24

We can bring up things that are difficult when we begin to meditate, but with proper guidance and support, it can be a deeply healing process. These things are coming up in order for us to be able to heal them. I know, without a doubt, that it's the combination of heart-based meditation, ayurvedic practices and spiritual mentoring with Dr Paul Douglas, the creator of heart-based meditation, who in college but it was all traditional talk, therapy, psychology, and while it helped and let me just say I am not disparaging traditional psychology therapy, psychotherapy, any of that If you find the right practitioner they can truly be life-saving and it is such an important element for some people's healing. I'm just saying from my personal experience. I always left feeling like I wasn't actually getting to the root of anything. Meditation is what opened the door for me.

Speaker 1: 8:41

So what really are the benefits of long-term meditation? Well, we can see a reduction in stress and anxiety. There can be improved mental clarity. Lots of people report better sleep and improved energy. Like we've already talked about, there can be fewer emotional triggers, which tends to lead to more harmonious relationships. I mean, most people first report just generally feeling more peace, generally feeling more grounded, more centered, more stable. But think again and consider the ripple effects of just that one thing. Like I said earlier, what if you had that sense of calm when you needed to do a big presentation for your boss, or when your kid breaks an arm and is looking at you panicked.

Speaker 1: 9:27

You know, one of my most important takeaways from all of my meditation training is that meditation is not necessarily about being calm and peaceful during the meditation. It's about being centered outside of meditation. Now, I'm not saying we don't all enjoy a great peaceful meditation. Who doesn't want to visit to Bliss Beach from time to time? I love yoga nidra practices, for instance, which is a beautiful guided meditation process. However, in the grand scheme of things, I don't care if I am peaceful and relaxed and clear and focused while I'm meditating. I want to be calm and clear when I'm giving a presentation to 40 people about forgiveness. That's when I want the sense of being grounded and settled. And one of the things that's so special about heart-based meditation is that it's not just about the meditation practice when you close your eyes and sit in silence. It's about learning how to really integrate this sense of peace into your day-to-day. Now, sure, some of that will happen without any effort, but there are ways in which we can enhance the process, that we canen that integration so that you have an even bigger sense of being grounded and settled and at peace and full of acceptance and joy, and that's one of the things that I really love about this form of meditation.

Speaker 1: 11:00

It's not just about learning this practice and then you know you're kicked out of the nest and good luck. There is so much support from day one. You don't get just a single day of training. It's set up so that you get three hour long sessions three weeks in a row. And this is so important because of the experience you get to have in between training sessions. So important because what trips a lot of people up is that they think they're doing it wrong. They learn it, they go home, they start practicing by themselves, and then they have some experience and think, oh, I'm not getting this right, or they can't remember what to do if sounds are really disturbing them, and then they just give up. So that's why I love how, when you learn heart based meditation, you have this ability to learn a bit of it. Go home, practice it for a week, see what happens, take notes, realize what you're confused about or what you didn't quite get in that first lesson, and then come back and share, ask questions, get clarification. And what's equally important is the continued support. Too often, people go to a meditation workshop and then leave thinking they should now be set for life with their meditation practice, and this could not be further from the truth.

Speaker 1: 12:12

Meditation is something that changes over time. Our experiences while meditating can be wildly different, even on the same day, let alone from month to month. You know your meditation on day one is going to be different, vastly different, potentially, on day 100, especially if you're consistent, especially if you continue to come to classes and learn how to deepen your practice. There are so many ways to do that, so many ways to enhance your practice as well as ease any discomfort or disturbances you may experience along the way. This is why Dr Douglas offers an online group session on the second and fourth Sundays of every month where heart-based meditators can come together and meditate, followed by Dr Douglas answering any questions you have about the practice, inner growth, healing and ways of navigating the joys and the challenges of life of navigating the joys and the challenges of life.

Speaker 1: 13:12

Furthermore, there are weekend meditation retreats every single month that are very low cost and that emphasize a certain facet of the heart. So one month you might be focusing on acceptance, the next might be gratitude, you might then investigate forgiveness, and these retreats allow you to not only deepen your meditation practice but also investigate your relationship to these spiritual tenants. And you know I say spiritual, but really these are just the basic aspects of life that we all wish we had more of. I don't know anyone who doesn't want more joy, or to be able to more fully accept a difficult situation, or to be able to finally forgive maybe themselves, maybe someone else. So these monthly retreats are a way for us to tap into who we want to be, and it's really nice to be able to ask questions about this process and to explore these topics in a safe and supportive community full of like-minded individuals who are also interested in becoming the best versions of themselves. While it's entirely okay to learn a meditation method and then never revisit the learning, you will find so much more depth to your practice, speed, to your growth, if you return periodically to ask questions and to listen to others talk about their experiences.

Speaker 1: 14:31

I could go on and on about why I love heart-based meditation, but, to quote LeVar Burton in Reading Rainbow, don't take my word for it. Take the training, have your own experiences. I always encourage people to begin by taking the training with Dr Paul. I will link below to his website so you can read more about heart-based meditation and sign up for the next training if you're so inclined. I do occasionally offer group trainings myself, but these days I'm just too busy and I've kind of shifted to do more one-on-one work and, honestly, why not learn from the originator of the method himself? So if you do take the training, I encourage you to consistently meditate with this method for a full month before you make any decisions about sticking with it or not.

Speaker 1: 15:17

I am happy to answer any questions you may have about heart-based meditation or meditation in general. Just email me at rootsoftherise at gmailcom. That is all for today. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and remember, know who you are, love who you've been and be willing to do the work to become who you want to be. Just a quick reminder this podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I am not a licensed therapist and nothing shared here is meant to replace the guidance of a physician, therapist or any other qualified provider. That said, I hope it inspires you to grow, heal and seek the support you need to thrive.