THE HEART LOTUS
“The ancient yogis believed that within each of us lies an actual center of spiritual consciousness, called “the lotus of the heart,” situated between the abdomen and the thorax, which could be revealed during deep meditation. It is said to have the shape of a lotus flower and that it shines with an inner light.”
(by Pushker Panday, Dec. 29, 2022 jamesislandyoga.com)
Early the other morning I sat outside to do my centering practices and admired the sunrise silhouettes of the cabada palms that line our property. Their graceful, fanlike fronds reminded me of the lotus mudra, or hand gesture, that is used in various yoga practices. Compassion, forgiveness, affection and lovingkindness are just a few of the qualities that are symbolized by the lotus mudra. More significantly, in these “interesting” times, the lotus mudra represents growing out of darkness into light, because it is rooted in the muck at the bottom of the pond, and yet blooms in pristine, multi-petaled glory on the surface of the murky water.
Gazing upon water lily or lotus blossoms is enough to soothe body, mind and spirit, but why resort to mudras or indeed any of the Eastern spiritual teachings in this modern, Western, day and age? I guess the obvious answer is “why not?” Considering what we see and hear about socio-economic crises, polarizing political parties, rampant consumerism and widespread environmental destruction, I’d say we need all the help we can get.
Transpersonal anthropologist Hillevi Ruumet writes of the evolution from lower levels of awareness or consciousness to what she calls the Aloha Center: “Much of what we decry as deterioration in today’s Western cultures, particularly in the United States…is [due to] a tragic spiritual vacuum resulting in pathological ego-centeredness and its fallout in brutal competition, “win-at-all-cost” attitudes, violence, suicide, homicide, hopelessness and an epidemic of addictions. Moving to Aloha [the heart lotus] would solve many of these collective problems.”
Ruumet believes it is imperative that we progress both individually and collectively from the base instincts and primitive urges of our ancestors to the intelligent, compassionate, and altruistic humans we have the capacity to be. The lotus is a perfect symbol of this growth, and one that I am adapting into my daily routine, to remind myself that, though I may have fully matured physically, I still have a lot to learn on this evolutionary journey.
To perform the lotus mudra one places the lower palms, baby finger and thumb-tips together, and spreads the other fingers into a wide bowl shape that represents the open flower of the lotus. I visualize this bowl full of light, representing everything one needs to progress in their evolution of consciousness, and then I place in the bowl the names of people or projects that I wish to see sustained and guided by the inner light that Panday describes.
The branch of yoga that is mudra is way beyond the scope of this blog, but, to my mind, it’s not so important that I do the lotus, or any mudra perfectly (indeed there are many internet websites that offer different variations) as it is to set my intentions clearly and practice my chosen mudra consistently. My intention is a response to what I see as an either/or, “us vs them”, winners and losers mentality. Nothing that I have studied about the evolution of consciousness supports this way of relating or behaving. I agree with Ruumet that the only way we can perpetuate the human race is to reach a critical mass of people who subscribe to collaboration and consensus over confrontation and combat, operating on the premise that nobody wins unless everybody wins versus the divide and conquer model that seems increasingly popular.
And that’s all I have to say about that.