When we have turned our attention inward to the Cave of the Heart, we can begin to taste the nectar of unconditional love.

It may come as a subtle sensation at first, in fits and spurts, seeping through the gaps in the armoring of our Heart.

As our awareness of this internal source deepens, the ego-mind and the pain-body will begin to resist. Let there be no doubt: focus on divine love and freedom from suffering brings about the end of control over you, and even their very existence.

They are fighting for their survival.

In this inner battle, we have many supports. One of them is the power of mantra. These ancient words or phrases have been given to us by great sages and have been used and further empowered by millions of people over the centuries.

The power of mantras is subtle, but it is great; indeed, it is unconquerable. The power is known only to those who use them to become free. It is known not through the mind, but by the direct experience of consistent practice.

When you begin to turn inward and connect your awareness with the heart, notice the quality of your inner focus. You may find it somewhere along the continuum from tenuous and shifting, to solid and stable.

Now, begin to say the mantra, imagining its sound emerging from the depth of the heart. You can say the mantra out loud, whisper it just under your breath, or repeat it mentally only.

Experiment to find out which way works best for you. The general rule is that a louder voice works better the more distracted our mind is. Yet, even while repeating our mantra silently, we can forcefully ‘yell’ the in your imagination to overcome disturbances, and then allow the inner voice to become normal again.

I personally love the mantra “Ram” best; my Guru gave it to me. I know its great power to first focus and then transcend. But you do not have to use the same mantra. Use any that speaks to your heart and has power for you.

Follow your own instinct.

After a period of experimenting with which mantra works best, stay with one primary mantra for focusing the inner H\heart. To use one mantra consistently as your primary tool will empower and awaken the heart-mind.

When I sit in stillness, centered in the cave of the heart and I repeat “Ram, Ram, Ram,” the effect quickly becomes apparent. The mind focuses and becomes steady. There is a sense of a profound and deepening calm. It takes me deeper and deeper with each repetition. Its resonance vibrates through my entire body. This inner-sound is healing, sacred and invites me to merge with the divine in me.

This deep heart-focus is the most delicious of all sensations. And it is not simply a sensation; it is far more than that. It is a merging with our Heart-essence, a profound peace, a cosmic recharging.

But most of all it means getting in touch with our true self. It is the space in me—and in you—that is timeless and unmoved by the waves on the surface of mind. It is the depth of the ocean, blissful and calm.

This depth of true peace is already present in all beings. It is the essence of what we are, but few know it. We can access it now using mantra—it will take us into a profound journey.

Our life may still be winding its way through time, like a river with many currents, eddies and whirlpools; but the river is also the ocean. Within it, there is always the taste of the great stillness and the love of its own depth.

In this stillness, this delicious heart-centeredness, the mind itself transforms and becomes its higher manifestation: intuitive intelligence, the heart-mind.

Now the mind no longer supports the ego but our liberation; now we have ‘pulled the plug’ on the unconscious addiction of the pain-body to living in a continuous struggle. Our awareness no longer supports it.

Instead, the inner call of the heart becomes increasingly powerful. It elevates all aspects of our existence still needing to be healed and transcended.

Our own wisdom is now safely guiding us home.

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Assistant Ed: Katharine Spano/Ed: Bryonie Wise