Before the pandemic disrupted life as I knew it, I was a regular at the local Body & Brain Studio. A national chain founded by Ilchi Lee, it focuses on mind-body training and features a blend of Yoga, Tai Chi, meditation, and breath work. Lee is also a New York Times best selling author. I finally got around to reading one of his books, Connect: How To Find Clarity and Expand Your Consciousness with Pineal Gland Meditation.
Lee argues that a loss of connection to ourselves gives rise to most of our seemingly intractable problems. Through pineal gland meditation, we can empty ourselves of thoughts, emotions, and information that give rise to disconnection and fill that space with abundant energy and bright consciousness. In so doing, we reconnect with our true selves and gain insights regarding what we really want, how we might solve problems and make decisive choices, and set a direction for the future. Reconnecting with ourselves also enables us to forge connection with our bodies, with others, and with the world.
To connect with ourselves, we must turn away from all the stimulations and desires of the visible world and turn our focus inward. Pineal gland meditation accomplishes this end through a three-step process.
The first step establishes a connection with the body. We lie on the floor with our arms set perpendicular to the body facing upward. We then tap our toes together for 5 sets of 100 taps with a brief break between sets. As we tap our toes, we breathe deeply and imagine that we are releasing stagnant energy out the bottoms of our feet starting with our legs and moving up gradually to the tops of our heads. Having released this energy, we visualize pure divine energy entering our bodies through the crowns of our heads and filling us up. (Note: This is a great exercise to prepare for sleep!)
The second step establishes a connection with the soul. This exercise endeavors to separate soul energy from emotional energy as the power of emotion decreases as the power of soul increases. Sitting in the lotus position, we close our eyes and breath deeply to induce a relaxed state. We tap our fingertips together 50 times, rub our palms together 10-20 times, and then hold our hands about 1” apart, feeling the radiant energy between them. We alternate spreading our hands apart and bringing them close together while sensing feelings of heat and magnetism multiply. As we breathe through the nose and exhale through the mouth, we move the hands roughly 2” away from the chest, palms facing the heart, to send warm, pure energy from the palms to the heart. We move the hands all over the body’s energy field, eventually returning the hands to the heart.
The third step stablishes a connection with divinity. Once again sitting in the lotus position, we activate the hand energy by tapping our fingertips together 50 times and rubbing the hands together 10-20 times. We then move the hands all over the face and the sides, back, and top of the head. When finished, we place the hands on our knees facing upward. We then slowly raise the hands to shoulder height, palms upward, and imagine energy and heavenly blessings descending upon us. As we let our consciousness grow, we establish a connection with the universal brain for two-way exchange of information and energy.
Lee asserts that this methodology not only enables us to connect with our true selves, but also allows us to experience everything as interconnected. The brighter and broader our consciousness, the greater our empathy for all beings.