Embodiment · “Being Precedes Having”
The Two Openings
Open the being to a higher consciousness by two concentrations — in the heart-centre, a loving call to bring forward the inmost soul (the psychic being); and above the head, an aspiration for the descent of peace, silence and force into mind, life and body.
In 5 lines: Begin in the heart: rest attention in the centre of the chest as a loving call inward, inviting the inmost soul to come forward — a call, not analysis. Let it open in its own time. Only later, and gently, place the consciousness above the head and aspire for peace and force to descend into mind, life and body. Stay receptive, never grasping; if pressure builds, ease off.
What it is
This is the receptive half of Integral Yoga — where the triple labour supplies effort, this is the opening that lets something come in. Aurobindo describes two complementary concentrations.
The first, in the heart-centre, is a loving call inward to “bring forward the psychic being” — the inmost soul behind the surface personality — to lead the nature. The second, above the head, is an aspiration for the descent of a higher Peace, Silence and Force into mind, life and body.
Aurobindo generally treats the heart-opening as the safer and more central one, and the above-the-head concentration as powerful but to be approached with care. It sits in embodiment state because the aim is a change of inner state and felt consciousness — a settling, widening, or “descent” experienced through the whole being — rather than mere conceptual insight.
The Method
A faithful rendering of the two openings: Opening 1 — concentration in the heart (do this one first):
- Bring attention gently to the centre of the chest. Aurobindo: the aim is “to open that centre and by the power of aspiration, love, bhakti and surrender remove the veil which covers the soul.”
- Make it a call, not analysis — “a call to the Divine to manifest within us and through the psychic to take up and lead the whole nature.” Warmth and devotion, turned inward.
- Let the inmost soul-presence (“the psychic being”) come forward in its own time; you invite, you don’t force. Opening 2 — concentration above the head (approach gently, later):
- Place the consciousness in the head, then (Aurobindo says) “afterwards, above it,” with “an aspiration and call and sustained will for the descent of the divine Peace, Power, Light, Knowledge, Ananda into the being.”
- Its effect, in his words, is “to bring peace, silence and liberation from the body sense, and open the way for the lower consciousness to rise up to meet the higher consciousness above.”
- Stay receptive, not grasping — aspire and wait; do not pull or strain for a result. (Sourcing note: “remove the veil which covers the soul”; “a call to the Divine to manifest within us and through the psychic to take up and lead the whole nature”; “afterwards, above it”; “the descent of the divine Peace, Power, Light, Knowledge, Ananda into the being”; “to bring peace, silence and liberation from the body sense …” are short quotations from Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga. Steps summarise the consistently taught practice.)
Source & Lineage
Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950), founder of Integral Yoga. The “two openings” are described in his letters on meditation and in his account of the triple (psychic–spiritual–supramental) transformation, Letters on Yoga.
Distinct from neighbours. The heart-call also appears in the Mother’s entry as a support to the triple movement; here it is paired with the above-the-head descent as a standalone two-part opening, which is Aurobindo’s specific architecture.
It differs from generic heart-meditations and from “rise to the higher Self” practices in its two-direction structure (in, then up) and its descent-into-the-body aim — Integral Yoga seeks to bring the higher down into mind, life and body, not to ascend out of them.
Common refinements
Going to the head first. Lead with the heart; it is safer and more central. The above-the-head work is for later and lighter use.
- Straining for a descent. Pulling or forcing creates pressure and can destabilise. Aspire and receive; if nothing comes, that’s fine.
- Making the heart-call analytical. It’s a turning of love inward, not thinking about the heart.
- Chasing phenomena. Lights and energy-sensations are not the point and not a measure of progress.
- Ignoring warning signs. Headache, over-stimulation, anxiety, or feeling “spaced out” mean ease off or stop.