Excerpt from: Everything Is Energy New Ways to Heal Your Body, Mind & Spirit by Marilyn C. Barrick, Ph.D.

A Meditation on the Heart

          I close this chapter with a meditation on the heart that I often suggest to my clients for the transformation of painful experiences as well as understanding the inherent lessons.
          Take a moment to identify an experience that makes you cringe when you remember it. Once you are in touch with the emotional impact, follow these instructions:

          Place your hand over your heart (a little to the left of the center of your chest). Move your hand around until you can feel your physical heartbeat. Notice the gentle thump, thump, thump of the heart. Close your eyes and stay focused on the heartbeat for a full minute or two.
          Continue to be aware of the heartbeat as you also place your attention on your breath. Breathe in and out, in and out, in and out. Put your full attention on the combination of the heartbeat and the breathing. Stay with that for another minute or two.
          Stay with the awareness of your heartbeat and breathing as you think of a beautiful, uplifting experience that arouses appreciation, exhilaration or inspiration. You might think of sunlight sparkling on the water in a beautiful lake, a rainbow in the sky or the snowy heights of a majestic mountain. Or it could be the thrill of sailing or surfing, iceskating or swooping down a ski slope. Or simply a blissful moment of inspiration, a feeling of exultation or victory.
          Focus on the combination of your heartbeat, the rhythm of your breathing and the beautiful experience for several minutes.
          Now ask yourself, “What is my lesson? What is the lesson for my soul?” Accept whatever comes to mind. Write it down for further contemplation.