Meditation at Work - Hara Aligment Technique

The Eastern Japanese "Hara" concept was first introduced to the Western World by the German psychotherapist and spiritual master, Karlfried Graf Durckheim. The Hara Alignment Meditation technique takes approximately 5 minutes and can be done sitting at your desk before starting your daily work or before attending a meeting.

Objective of Meditation: To balance your energy field, to prevent or reduce tension, fatigue and stress and to bring back inner peace.

Standing in Hara: The Japanese's traditional expression "Standing in Hara" refers to the following characteristics:

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  Awareness that is centered in the present;


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  A healthy sense of self with neither too much ego nor too little;


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  A sense of purpose that transcends the personality;


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  A sense of connection to both heaven and earth;


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  The ability to respond to any life circumstance.

Hara means "stomac" in Japanese
To learn to listen and think with our stomac

Tan tien means center of gravity

Meditation:

Place both feet on the floor and be sure that your back is straight. Place the hands, with the palms down, on your thighs. Movement is permitted during the meditation if needed. Be sure to keep yourself comfortable. Gently close your eyes if you wish or use a downward gaze.

Look down and inward, inside. Follow the energy to the Tan tien located in the lower part of the abdomen. Connect with the Tan tien. See the Tan tien as a glowing coal about the size of your fist.

From the Tan tien draw an imaginary column of light downward through the layers of the earth into the center core of the earth. Anchor the column of light to the center core of the earth. Leave the column in place.

Bring your attention back to the Tan tien and connect with it again. Visualize a column of light moving upward inside in front of the spinal column from the Tan tien through the top of your head and way up to the North Star. Anchor the column of light to the North Star. Leave the column in place.

Bring back your attention to the Tan tien and connect with it again. Begin to expand the Tan tien slowly outward in all directions. Expand the Tan tien untill it envelops your whole physical body. Finally, visualize the Tan tien as a big cocoon of white and golden light surrounding your body.