We recently attended a book launch for the new The Four Sacred Secrets at wellness LA hotspot, Gracias Madre on Melrose. The high-vibe night was co-hosted by Usher, one of many celebrities who adore authors Preethaji and Krishnaji, top mindfulness advocates and meditation gurus.
The married duo behind the book have a powerfully unique approach to meditation and a worldwide following, with devoted fans who include Gerard Butler and Melissa Etheridge (both in attendance). Preethaji and Krishnaji run a notable meditation center in India and recently hosted the world’s largest group meditation ever. Their annual Ekam World Peace Festival gathered close to a million people meditating for peace and embracing a mission of shifting global consciousness.
The Four Sacred Secrets combines a proven scientific approach with ancient spiritual practices “to help access the hidden power of consciousness, shed anxiety, and cultivate a life of wealth and happiness”. The book is full of immediately useful insights and meditations, including their signature Soul Sync meditation which we sampled at the event and are sharing below. Want to dive deeper? Check out this video where you can follow the meditation with a little extra visual guidance…
The Great Soul Sync Meditation
The Posture: Sit in a comfortable chair or on a meditation cushion. Rest your palms on your thighs and use your thumbs to count out breaths on your fingers. Start with the index finger of your left hand, then your middle finger, and so on until you reach a count of eight. If you’re meditating with a child, you can shorten the count to four.
How It Works: When we practice Soul Sync, we silence the chemical activity that triggers conflict so that we can move into a beautiful state of relaxation and calm.
Step One: Start by taking eight deep inhalations and slow exhalations. As you move from one breath to the next, keep count with your fingers. It’s natural for your attention to wander frequently. Simply bring it back and continue the count from where you lost your attention. By the time you finish this first stage, your parasympathetic nervous system will be fully active. This kind of breathing activates your long, winding vagus nerve, which exits the brain and interfaces with the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. Activating your vagus nerve causes your entire autonomic nervous system to basically chill out.
Your pulse will begin to slow down, and your blood pressure will be more balanced. Even your digestive system will react positively. According to Dr. Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, this conscious repetitive movement of your hands further enhances the motor and coordination centers of your brain, thereby increasing efficiency throughout the brain. It facilitates memory formation and memory retrieval.
Step Two: Inhale deeply and, while exhaling, make the humming sound of a bee at a base pitch. Making the hum as long as you comfortably can and listening to the sound with total attention deepens your relaxation. Do not stretch your exhalation to the point of straining. Once again, repeat for eight full breaths. This part of your Soul Sync improves your sleep quality and calms your blood pressure.
Step Three: Observe the pause between inhaling and exhaling for eight cycles of breath. When we inhale and exhale, a natural pause occurs after each inhalation, right before exhalation begins. Observe the pause. This might be a bit tricky. However, once you begin to perceive this pause, you will experience a slowing down of your thoughts. Do not try to force a pause, hold your breath, or exaggerate it. Your breath should be natural and smooth.
Step Four: Take your meditation beyond calm to expansion. For the next eight breaths, inhale and exhale as you inwardly chant “Ah-hum,” which means “I am” or “I am limitless consciousness” in the ancient language of Sanskrit.
Step Five: Imagine or feel your body transforming into light. Imagine the floor, the table, the people around you – everything – expanding into one unitary field of energy. In this field of consciousness, everything is connected. There are no separate objects, no separate people, and no separate events. You; every person you have ever met or known; every species of plant or animal that has ever existed; all your hopes and aspirations; everything you have ever seen, felt, heard, or known; everything you have ever thought or conceived – all exist as one unitary field of consciousness. There is no separation or division. In this field, thought and matter are one. Desire and reality are one.
Step Six: After you have immersed yourself in that endless expanse of light, begin to feel or imagine your heartfelt desire as if it were happening in the now. Imagine, for example, that you have the desire to heal your relationship with a loved one. In this stage, feel and imagine the joy that a transformed relationship would give both of you. Or if you’re dreaming of starting a new career, see and feel yourself in your role. Experience the state you would be in when you would actually live your dream. Stay in that space for a few moments. Open your eyes and move on when you’re ready.
