You're tired. You've had a bad day. Nothing seems to have gone right. You've yelled at your kids. You've been angry at your spouse. You're worried about money, work, business, the car, the bills, the in-laws, etc.
So, what's wrong? Has your heart/love chakra closed down and prevented love from flowing out of your soul? Is love really the answer? Yes, it is! However, the answer lies not in your need for love, but in the need to open up and release the flow of love from your heart to yourself, those around you and the whole world. Remember, love is already inside waiting to be released. It does not have to find you nor be found.
By now, you are probably asking, "yes, but how do I do that?" The first step is to gather some props. These are the aids that will facilitate the release of your "caged up" love. You will also need music . . . lots of it. You are going to saturate yourself with sound and music. Rock and roll, love songs, oldies but goodies, dance music, etc. are all valuable in facilitating your journey into the frontier of love. A good stereo cassette deck, receiver and quality 30-60 minute cassette tapes are also necessary. Working with a partner is valuable but not an absolute must. I will explain this later.
Next, find a secure private room, closet, garage, sanctuary; preferably one that is soundproofed enough to ensure privacy and freedom from disturbing the family and neighbors. I mention this because the method that I am going to suggest will probably release some very powerful emotions, sound, cries, screams and shouts.
The Method
Lie on your back on a mattress. If you don't have a mattress, lie on a soft carpeted floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the mattress or floor. Open your mouth as wide as you comfortably can. If your mouth, lips, teeth and jaws have been used to clamping down on feeling expressions, they may want to do so again. Therefore, consciously try to remember to keep your mouth open during the breathing process. Use your hands to hold your mouth open, if necessary. Start to breathe deeply through your mouth, not your nose. Breathe deeply and directly into your stomach, then fully into your chest cavity. This is called belly breathing. Remember to breathe deeply into your stomach first, then fill your chest cavity. Breathe comfortably at first. As you become used to it, gradually increase the depth and volume of breathing. Be prepared to do this for perhaps 15 minutes to a half an hour. You will find that deep belly breathing has a cleansing healing effect.
Next, begin to make an "AHH" sound with each exhalation. This will open up your throat segment/chakra. Even if it seems awkward, silly and stupid at first, continue exhaling with sound. Gradually your resistances will disappear. As you express the "AHH" sound, hold it until all your breath has been expelled. Squeeze out the last ounce of air consciously, as you complete the sound. Continue to do this until your body adjusts and feels comfortable with the activity. Soon the sound and breathing will expand to make the noise grow louder. You may experience the first signs of rising emotion. Encourage this activity and continue to breathe deeply with sound. Even thought emotional sensations may rise and subside, stay with the breathing sound. Eventually, you will be able to sustain these sensations of feeling. This is the beginning phase of the release. However, there may not be any real connections or insight attached to these emotional sensations. The deeper you breathe, the more your heart and your unconscious will open up and release bottled up feelings. Soon you will be crying, screaming and sobbing deeply and your mental images and feelings will become crystal clear.
If you are working with a partner, he or she can play and record music from the radio while all of this is going on. Communicate to your partner which songs open your heart and which ones do not. Record the songs that allow for the release of feeling. Have plenty of tissues or handkerchiefs on hand. If a partner is not available you will need to pre-record the music using your intuition as to the most useful selections. Choosing to select and record music by yourself will create interruptions while working on the method. Some people do this quite well and it may be preferable to work this way when you are alone. Remember in opening the love/heart chakra, it is music (oldies but goodies, love songs, rock and roll, dance, etc.) that will pull love out of your heart So make your music system your ally. The deep breathing "AHH" method and music saturation will trigger feelings and break down the chains that surround your heart/love chakra.
During the experience you may feel like moving different parts of your body to help release feelings. Again let your body and intuition guide you. Moving the hands, arms, feet, legs, and pelvis will open up new realms of emotion. Let your body move to the music. Dance is the language of love and it is not necessary to stand up to dance. Remember that movement, deep mouth breathing, and sound combined with music saturation will create a transformative love experience. If it is more comfortable working this exercise while lying on your stomach, do so. Feel free to experiment with different positions. You are an explorer . . . an adventurer into the realms of the unconscious and love itself. Continue to experiment with this method for several days until the experience is complete and integrated for you.
If you are not satisfied with the method at first, don't be discouraged. You may be especially armored and need to persevere. Eventually, the extra time and effort that you put into working on yourself will pay off. Don't be surprised if you feel freer, more open, peaceful, calmer, and closer to your loved ones at the completion of the experience. Sex could be great too!
Audio tapes of the method and compiled music are available for purchase. Write to: Paul J. Hannig, 10170-4 Larwin Ave, Chatsworth, CA 91311 or phone (818) 882-7404.
This article appeared in the Fall 1999 IPA Newsletter.
