The Heart Breath from Sekhmet: Transformation in the Belly of the Goddess

To be most effective in any intentional act of healing, co-creation, or transformation, much of my work starts from and is threaded through the heart center. True wisdom is perceived from the heart. Every process, every meditation, every act of healing and conscious creation that you will encounter in this book starts with you becoming centered and focused, developing and directing your intention from the heart.

The Heart Breath process, through which we can quickly and easily bring ourselves into alignment with the higher purpose of the work, was initially published in Alchemical Healing and has been included in every one of my books since. Its practice has been employed by thousands of practitioners around the world. The Heart Breath is fast and effective, and its value expands with use. We will begin with a powerful induction that prepares you for whatever work is at hand in this book or in your life…

Heart Breath

Relax and take a couple of deep, grounding breaths. Look within to find the eternal flame that dwells in the sanctuary of your heart center. As you bring it into focus, accessing whatever inner senses are available to you— sight, hearing, feeling, knowing, or imagination—feed your heart flame with love.

As you continue to pour love upon your flame, notice how it responds.

Notice how your ability to love grows. Love is the fuel. As you continue to pour love upon your flame, it may brighten, intensify, or in some way grow and spread warmth and light throughout your being.

While you continue pouring love upon your flame, begin to breathe as though you are drawing the power, vitality, and intelligence from the heart of the Earth up through all the strata of the Earth, drawing from all the elements, minerals, and plants. Pull the energy that comes with your in-breath upward, into your body. . . . Inhale the power and vitality of the Earth, drawing it with your inhalation up through your body to your heart center. . . . Hold your breath for a moment while the power and intelligence of the Earth mingles with the love that you are continuing to pour on your heart flame. . . . As you exhale, your nourished breath radiates out from your heart center, igniting every cell of your body with vitality, intelligence, life-force energy, and love. . . . [Pause.]

After several strong earth breaths, continue pouring love on your heart flame while you inhale from the heart of the Earth. . . . Now, simultaneously extend your consciousness upward toward the heart of the universe. While you are inhaling the power of Earth, you can also inhale from the Sky, drawing down the power, vitality, and intelligence from the star nations and all the intelligence of the universe that surrounds and permeates all of creation. . . . As the power of above joins the power of the Earth in your heart center, see-feel-know-imagine the further nourishment of your heart flame. . . . Hold your breath for a moment as these energies combine with the love you are continuing to pour on your heart flame. . . . With each exhalation, experience the growing life-force energy, intelligence, love, and radiance that extend throughout your body and beyond. . . . [Pause.]

Once you feel yourself in alignment with the consciousness and power of Earth and Sky, you will be prepared to enter into the journeys and rites of this Sekhmet work and each meditation and initiation.

The Heart Breath practice helps to establish a direct connection with the intelligent sources of our universe and can be used at any time to bring you back to center if you’ve strayed. It also helps you to maintain your center as you function throughout your day. It can serve as a beacon with which to call forth appropriate guidance to help you meet your needs at any time. Consistent practice of this process, either as part of a daily meditation or by simply choosing to take a moment to focus, will result in a sustainable awareness that is sane, balanced, and rewarding.

Although the practice itself will become smoother, easier, and will eventually integrate so that it is only a matter of your attention to bring yourself into centered and balanced equilibrium, you need to remain vigilant so that it does not become a rote formula. The Heart Breath requires revitalization and a conscious awareness of the sources of energy required to keep this practice alive. Done by rote, it is in danger of becoming devoid of the spirit and intelligence it is meant to invoke, not unlike many religions that have resorted to dogma and lost the vitality of their initially inspired spontaneous magic.

The Heart Breath is a starting point that also holds the position of a fulcrum, the nexus point between the grounded, dense, solid, and often volatile energy of earth (matter) and the magnificent, radiant, and complex intelligence of the stars and the universe that enfolds and surrounds us (spirit). It is a road map to your place of power as a lightning rod, capable of transforming the energy and intelligence of Source into a coherent matrix of information and power.

The Heart Breath serves as a basis of all of your journey-work and hopefully will develop into a natural breathing pattern that helps to keep you grounded and centered.