Once I asked Swami Kriyananda, "How does one develop receptivity on the spiritual path?" His answer, I found, to be very helpful. He said, "Relax the heart and practice non-attachment." When we relax the tensions around the heart and let go of our desires and attachments, then we can be pure instruments for divine love. Or as Sri Yukteswar said, "the natural love of the heart" expresses itself and we live without fear and in true freedom.
We have a way, as humans, of becoming attached – attached to people, to things, to circumstances – you name it and it would seem we have the potential of becoming attached to it!
Especially when it comes to matters of the heart, we try to hold on to those people and situations which we associate with bringing us joy and happiness.
It is so easy to forget that love, happiness, and joy are right within us and we can (and should) experience these qualities at all times, no matter what the outer circumstance.
Attachments can manifest as little (or big) “strings” that go out from our hearts and connect to people, places, and things. It is so subtle at times that we probably won’t even notice it is happening. Yogananda said to make it a practice to “die daily”, that is to say, to empty ourselves of all desires and attachments and make ourselves a perfect “temple” for the Divine Light to shine through us.
One amazing practice that I try to remember to do every day (and when I don’t, I do notice a difference) is to cut these cords that bind my heart. Our minds are so powerful, a simple visualization can do the trick for cutting cords and making our heart chakras bright and beautiful. The visualization can be customized any way you’d like. There are no rules and these are only guidelines to help you make this practice your very own.
- Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight and body and mind relaxed.
- Say a prayer to the Divine in whatever form you relate most to.
- Invite any Masters, Saints, and Angels you feel connected to.
- Visualize your heart center as a golden globe of light.
- Imagine that any negative emotions like fear, anxiety, depression, etc. as well as any attachments you may have are strings or cords that bind the heart.
- Mentally sever all of these attachments (good, bad, indifferent no matter the label in your mind) and release them into the Divine Healing Light.
- Feel that your heart is being bathed, purified, and uplifted in the love and joy of God's presence.
- See your heart chakra being buffed clean until it is fully polished, sparkling, bright, and beautiful.
- Relax, rest, and enjoy lifting the heart's energies up to the point between the eyebrows (the spiritual eye).
- "Rest in God, live in God, in his joy, in his love."
- Give thanks to the Divine.
