“By the Hong-Sau technique, one can reach the point of relaxing even the heart, and thereby rising above its compulsion to outwardness . . .”
As I read this passage by Paramhansa Yogananda from How to Awaken Your True Potential, I realized that my practice of Hong-Sau had gotten shorter and shorter and that, subsequently, my mind had steadily gotten more and more restless.
“Hold to the great calmness you feel during and after this [Hong-Sau] practice. Cling to that peace as long as possible. Apply it in practical life situations, when dealing with people, when studying, when doing business, when thinking.”
Was I utilizing Hong-Sau to its fullest extent or had it become something I did for a few minutes before starting my practice of Kriya Yoga? As I checked in with my mental state, I discovered ruminations on all sorts of life situations – mostly things like, “Why is that taking so long? Why isn’t this working properly? Why can’t that person act the way I want them to?” And so on.
I immediately started practicing Hong-Sau and what I noticed surprised me. The technique was decluttering my mind, yes, but it was working through the mechanism of the heart. By calming the heart, the mind’s chatter was quieting as well. As Yogananda said, “Reason follows feeling.” In other words, the mind follows the heart. An agitated heart will produce a restless mind. A calm heart equals a calm mind.
As my heart slowed down, my mind followed. And I remembered how priceless our techniques of Self-realization are. Do we need to know the science behind why Hong-Sau works? No. But it doesn’t hurt and it can be fun!
“Whenever a situation demands it, recall to mind the calmness you’ve felt during and after the practice of this technique, and, reliving that state, meet the situation from that calm inner center, where your natural soul-intuition will ensure the best possible outcome.”
To the deep calmness within,
Nayaswami Dharmadevi
P.S. You can learn the Hong-Sau technique in Lessons in Meditation or through the Ananda Course in Meditation.
2 comments
Barbara Fukuda
Thank you Dharmadevi for sharing your Hong-Sau journey. It reminded me to practice throughout the day to calm myself down in our uncertain world.
Darshan
Thank you Dharmadevi, for sharing with us these precious considerations about the Hong Sau technique of concentration. I do take them at heart🙏
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