Heart Spiritual
In Sri Anand Yoga (SAY), Heart assumes great importance. It is at the centre of the SAY philosophy and practice. Heart along with the Breathing Rhythmic Practices constitute the core of SAY. We have already seen the scientific aspect of heart. We will now see the spiritual side.
Biologically, human heart is not exactly at the centre of the chest. It is slightly skewed towards left of the centre. Medical Science explains this as because the heart’s bottom-left chamber (the ‘left ventricle’) is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood around the whole body, so it needs to be stronger and larger than the right ventricle, which only pumps blood to the lungs. However spiritually it has different implications. Our planet Earth's axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun. This tilt is responsible for the seasons of Earth and the resulting the variety of weather during different parts of the year. It adds a fantastic beauty and splendour to the nature on earth. In similar way, the tilt of our biological heart is also responsible for various 'seasons' of our biological body as well as for our moods. It should be noted that all our external organs like eyes, nose, ears, hands, legs, shoulders, hips, head, neck are perfectly symmetrical and balanced on both sides. Our heart performs a very central role in the functions of our body. Therefore its skewness towards left side assumes significance.
The spiritual heart is exactly at the centre of chest. For practice of SAY, we consider the spiritual heart at centre of the chest.
In tantric system, this is called Anahata Chakra. anahata means "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten". Anahata Nad refers to the Vedic concept of unstruck sound (the sound of the celestial realm). Anahata is associated with balance, calmness, and serenity.
In Sanskrit Anahata means "sound produced without touching two parts" and at the same time it means "pure" or "clean, stainless". The name of this chakra signifies the state of freshness that appears when we are able to become detached and to look at the different and apparently contradictory experiences of life with a state of openness (expansion). Normally we are not used to the effect produced by the confrontation of the two opposite forces. At the level of Anahata chakra appears the possibility to integrate the two opposite forces and obtain the effect (sound, in this case), without the two forces being confronted (without touching of the two parts). This energy is specific to cooperation and integration, which brings peace and a new perspective in a world which, up to this level (considering only the energies specific to the first three centres of force: Muladhara, Swasdhistana and Manipura) was made only of a more or less conscious confrontation between opposite forces. The name Anahata suggests, in fact, the synergetic effect of the interaction of energies at this level. Anahata is represented by a lotus flower with twelve petals. Inside there is a smoky region at the intersection of two triangles, creating a shatkona. The shatkona is a symbol used in Hindu Yantra, representing the union of male and female. Specifically, it is meant to represent Purusha (the Supreme Being) and Prakriti (Mother Nature) and is often represented by Shiva and Shakti.
The 12-petaled lotus symbol of the heart chakra contains within it two intersecting triangles forming a six-pointed star. These triangles represent the force of matter moving upward toward liberation and the force of spirit moving into manifestation. It is at this chakra that they are evenly combined, creating a center of peace and balance.
In the Anāhata Chakra we hear Anāhata Nāda, the constant, fundamental sound of the Universe, the eternal vibration of the Self. Its sound is SO HAM – “That I am, I am That”. We perceive it as a subtle rhythmic melody similar to a heartbeat, but much softer and more wonderful. The poet, Srī Kabīrdās, was inspired by this melody within the heart to write the following verse:
“The flute of the infinite is played without ending, and its sound is love. When love renounces all boundaries it arrives at the truth.”
We have seen that our heart has its own magnetic field which is much larger than the field of our brain. Though as per science this field is considered as a weak field extending just a short range of few feet, in spiritual science we consider the heart field to be of infinite proportions. In physical science there is a curious phenomena of action at a distance. One of the strangest aspects of quantum physics is quantum entanglement: If you observe a particle in one place, another particle—even one light-years away—will instantly change its properties, as if the two are connected by a mysterious communication channel. Scientists have observed this phenomenon in tiny objects such as atoms and electrons. Albert Einstein colorfully dismissed quantum entanglement—the ability of separated objects to share a condition or state—as “spooky action at a distance.” This is one of the unsolved mysteries of physical science.
In similar way, our heart field has influence over infinite distance. This ability of the heart to exert such an influence is greatly disturbed due to our unbalanced living style. In SAY practices we balance and reinforce the heart field and make it fully functional.
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