Hrdaya Yoga

Hṛdaya Yoga as taught by Jonathan Evatt

Yoga is the art and science of spiritual awakening. It is the skilful means to awaken Man to his or her spiritually enlightened pre-existant potential, artfully bringing that potential forth into the body in all its many gross and subtle layers and dimensions. Hṛdaya Yoga, as conceived and taught by Jonathan Evatt, is an approach to yoga centred in the heart; it is the application of practices and wisdom drawn from the heart (or essence) of a wide variety for world spiritual traditions.

The deeper aspects of Hridaya Yoga centre within the practice of deep meditation guided by the intention to awaken into and through the body. This is done with the understanding the body of Man is multidimensional, consisting of the gross physical elements we are most familiar with through our senses, through to very subtle, refined, and non-localised elements it takes skill and dedication to develop the perception to recognise.

The Hridaya is the metaphysical or cosmic heart within Man. Physiologically some say it sites a little to the right of the physical heart. Slightly toward the right breast. The most eloquent description of the Hridaya was perhaps made by the great sage Sri Ramana Maharishi. You can read his description here: The meaning of Hrdaya

Hṛdaya Yoga International

Hṛdaya Yoga International is a non-registered and organic organisation utilised to represent the Hṛdaya Yoga teachings of Jonathan Evatt. If you have an interest in contributing to the organisational aspects of Hṛdaya Yoga please feel free to inquire.

The Spelling of Hṛdaya

Let’s take a look at the word Hṛdaya. You will notice through this site two forms of this word. Hṛdaya and Hridaya. The prior is the way it should be written in the English alphabet. The “r” as a diacritical dot underneath it. However, many people have no idea what that dot is and don’t know what effect it has on the pronunciation. Because that r does not show up on most (if any) keyboards, it’s also a problem for most people to write. So the word Hṛdaya might be substituted with Hrdaya. Unless one is familiar with Sanskrit pronunciation will still have that issue to contend with. Thus the phonetic spelling becomes Hridaya. The H is also relatively silent. Rr-daya yoga but give you an idea of how to pronounce Hṛdaya. It’s important we use both forms of the word on this site because the majority of people searching online for information on Hṛdaya Yoga will search using the word Hridaya (or possibly Hrdaya). Who knew one word would be so complicated!

About Hṛdaya Yoga

MAN (male and female) is a Divine Being spanning many dimensions both seen and unseen. Mostly unseen and formless. It is the formless aspect of MAN that gives rise to and subsequently supports and nourishes the form-side of MAN. This is as true for MAN as is it is for LIFE itself.

At the centre of MAN we find three manifestations of what may be referred to as the Heart.  There is the physical heart with which you are familiar, slightly to the left of centre. Most of us know a little about this profound feature of the Human anatomy—yet most of what we do know is a misconception, a half-truth, even a total fiction.

some of us still believe the heart’s primary role in the body is the pumping of blood

In the middle of the chest there is the heart “chakra” or wheel-like energy vortex, referred to in Sanskrit as the Anahata. Ordinary MAN knows little, if anything of this feature of MAN’s subtle anatomy, for it is within the domain of the unknown.

Slightly right of centre, according to certain mystics, yogis, and visionaries, there is the Hṛdaya or Hridaya (phonetic spelling). The Hṛdaya could be referred to as the cosmic Heart of MAN, although words are inadequate. To ordinary MAN this aspect of MAN’s anatomy is deeply situation within the domain of the unknowable.

that does not mean it can not be experienced

It is from here–the Hṛdaya—that MAN’s’ life and world manifests into form—into the known—emerging from the formlessness, from the unknowable within. It is into here that MAN’s world returns when he or she is ready

or not

to move on, allowing the next experience to emerge.

Hṛdaya Yoga is the practice and direct experience of the very essence and source of MAN, of you and your world. It is the ultimate form of healing, for it is the only true source of health, vitality, and the awakened Mind. Hṛdaya Yoga as a practice draws from many inner and outer yogic and martial forms and traditions, and yet it is, in essence, formless. Through the exploration of Hṛdaya Yoga one uses form—breath, movement, body, mind, sound, prana, chi, attention—as the doorway into the formless. Diving into the spaciousness of Being we have been knowingly or unknowingly searching for all our many lives.

Nowhere to go. Nothing to do. Nothing to become. Life is.

THAT I AM

Many of us have heard of Yoga. Many have even learnt some yoga moves and postures. Some of us practice this yoga. Some of us teach yoga. Yet what is yoga? Is it the exercises we do on our beautiful mats? Is it the breathing we skilfully pay so much attention to? Is yoga the movements, is it the stillness, the gaps between each breath and each movement? Is it something we attain (with enough discipline and practice)? Is yoga a verb or a noun?

According to the Heart of MAN—the Hṛdaya—yoga is a state of Being. Yoga Practice, therefore, is simply and profoundly your conscious participation with Life, with an orientation toward this state of Being, of Union or unity consciousness. Yoga, in this sense, is therefore an approach. Nothing more. Nothing less. An approach to breathing. An approach to the body and the movement of the body. An approach to doing the dishes. An approach to health. An approach to Life.

The approach that comes most naturally to the Heart (at least whilst its innocence is intact) is that of inclusiveness. To be inclusive to Life presupposes a willingness or an orientation toward intimacy.

Into-me-I-see.

Hṛdaya is about relationship, connection, and oneness—whilst embracing the apparent multiplicity of the form side of Life. What is the quality of your relationship with your body, right now? What is the nature of the relationship between your body and your mind, and your heart, and the tree you most recently touched,

be that with your eyes, your hands, or even your lips

and with your Beloved? Is your relationship with your body one of striving? Is your relationship to your spiritual nature one of trying to attain? Just where, exactly, do you intend to go with that?

Yoga is Union. Ha–tha Yoga is the Union of the Sun and the Moon, the masculine and feminine sides of Awareness. Kundalini Yoga is the union of the creative power coiled within the (feminine) base and roots of your body with the fruits of your Being as expressed and made manifest through the (masculine) branches extending out from your Mind and Spirit. Taoist Yoga is the union with the Tao—the ineffible, infinite, Isness that can not be put into words—

and yet it is right here, just a vague veil obscuring it from your experience

—awaiting your participation.

The great sage Ramana Maharishi Yogi describe the Hṛdaya in the following way:

“Just as there is a cosmic center from which the whole universe arises and has its being and functions with the power or the directing energy emanating therefrom, so also is there a center within the frame of the physical body wherein we have our being. This center in the human body is in no way different from the cosmic center. It is this center in us that is called the Hridaya, the seat of Pure Consciousness, realized as Existence, Knowledge and Bliss. This is really what we call the seat of God in us.

“It is this Hridaya that is said to be different from the physical heart, regulating the blood circulation. The Hridaya has its being on the right side and is not commonly known or felt. The primary thought in us arising as ‘I,’ when traced to its source, ends somewhere in us and this place, where all thoughts die, where the ego has vanished, is the Hridaya. From this center is felt and enjoyed the Pure Consciousness.

“Hridaya described as ‘the literal, actual, physical seat of the intuition of the Self’ has the meaning explained above. Perhaps the words ‘physical seat’ may create some confusion. What it really means is that there is a center of Pure Consciousness in the physical body. It is related to the physical, but is not itself physical.

“The word Hridaya is a composite of hrid and ayam – “center, this”. It is the center on the right, which we reach as a result of meditation (Samadhi). From the Hridaya, consciousness arises to the sahasrara through the sushumna and from there spreads out to all the parts of the body through the several ‘nadis’. Then alone we become conscious of the objects around us. Man, due to the illusion that these have real existence, experiences suffering, as he strays far away from his Self. The seat from where all these arise and manifest is the Hridaya.

“Whether in sleep, joy, sorrow, fear or satisfaction, we return to this heart and that is why we feel lost to all consciousness of things around. If by meditation or Vichara we attain to our centre, the Hridaya, and thus are our real Self, we enjoy unalloyed bliss.

“In the course of tracing ourselves back to our source, when all thoughts have vanished, there arises a throb from the Hridaya on the right, manifesting as ‘Aham’ ‘Aham’. This is the sign that Pure Consciousness is beginning to reveal itself. But that is not the end in itself. Watch wherefrom this sphurana (throbbing) arises and wait attentively and continually for the revelation of the Self. Then comes the awareness, oneness of existence.

“When we steady our breath we feel the steadying of our thoughts. Then the thoughts turn inward and melt away at a point. Watching this point, where the thoughts vanish, will also help us to merge ourselves in the Hridaya.”

Welcome to the mysterium tremendum of the Hṛdaya.

If you are wondering, Hridaya is the phonetic spelling of Hṛdaya. In Sanskrit this is a three syllable word. Hṛ-da-ya. For a detailed explanation of these three syllables, click here.

 

Note regarding Hridaya Yoga as taught by Claudio Trandafir

Please note Hṛdaya Yoga International and the spiritual teachings of Jonathan Evatt
are not in any way affiliated or associated with Claudiu Trandafir
(represented online at www.hridaya-yoga.com). People looking for
information on his teachers should refer directly to his web site.
Jonathan and Claudiu have never met, and they have each brought forth
their respective teachings independent of one-another, without knowledge
of the other. Independent at least as much as can be claimed at the
level of duality.