A guided-meditation/script instructing listeners to hold an ongoing aspiration to open the heart—especially during moments of contraction, anxiety, withdrawal, or despair. It emphasizes remembering the life-purpose of opening the heart for the benefit of all beings, using brief prayer-like phrases ("I aspire", "May I open my heart towards myself") and practical scanning prompts to notice and return to that intention.
Have you ever really been fulfilled where it wasn't rooted in your heart being open? Let's presume that you agree that the most fulfilling moments of your life had to do with your heart being wide open. And then let's remember that, that a good portion of our life, our heart, is not wide open. And what to do? First of all, remember that my number one aspiration is to have my heart be as open as possible. And that remembering is gold, that remembering is sacred. I want my heart to be as open as possible. So plant that seed. Even or especially when I fall, I want to remember that in spite of falling, I want my heart to open as much as possible. And now face the little moments, the little huge moments where you contract, where you withdraw, where you get anxious, where you get wary, where you're dissatisfied. And the question is, are you open to opening your heart towards yourself? And of course, the answer is, most of the time, no. Can you remember that? I aspire? I aspire to open my heart towards myself when I can't open. And can you have the wisdom to stay at those two levels of life at once? One level, reactive, contracted, withdrawn, anxious. And another level, you're in a prayer. May I open my heart towards myself. I'm caught. May I open my heart towards myself for the benefit of everyone? This is not a narcissistic prayer. Loving yourself when you're caught is the least narcissistic impulse or thought that you can possibly find. So now here you are, you're caught in this resistance towards another and the prayer you're remembering. I aspire. I am asking to open my heart as much as possible. And you're still caught, you're still contracted. And now the question is, how much can you stay with the aspiration? And how much is the contraction going to rule you? And how much can the aspiration be focused on opening your heart towards yourself. And the other, that is your dignified life work, that is real life. I aspire to open my heart, especially when it's closed. And I aspire to have the courage and the humility to live with this prayer while my heart is partially shut down. See if you can stay with the prayer. I want to remember that my life purpose is to open my heart to myself and towards those around me. This is my life purpose. It doesn't matter what I feel, it doesn't matter what I feel. I still have this aspiration. This is my focus. This is what I want to remember. So scan. Where do you forget most? Do you contract? Do you withdraw? Do you get anxious? Do you feel despair? It doesn't matter which is yours. Don't come back. Just return and remember who I really am. Is this aspiration to open my heart? And that will generate thought, that will generate intention. That is intention. And the more you remember, the more we remember, the more the purpose of life is right there in the moment. May I open, no matter what I feel, my heart for the benefit and well being of all mankind, of all beings.
