The Second Heart

This page is an introduction to the Second Heart, its ways and methods of embrace, and techniques to build skill in its use.

Knowing the Second Heart

For one to truly know the Second Heart, you must become familiar with its form and function. Most spiritual organizations and religions, have a belief in the soul. Most, however, consider the soul to be a separate entity, an aspect of yourself that is not you.

”luminous being are we not this crude matter” ...Yoda

The Sith understand it for what it is. The Soul is not a separate entity, or remote part of you, it IS you. Or to put it better you ARE a soul. The others teach that you HAVE a soul, we understand that you ARE one.

But even this understanding fails to truly represent your connection, as the soul that you are, is really no more then the Force. It is the sum of the Force that is contained within your body. Your soul is the source of energy that connects to the Second Heart. This is why the Japanese call the Second Heart the seat of the soul.

The Location and Pathway to the Force

As you are truly the Force, called the Soul, you primarily exist outside of the body. If I was to give a three dimensional representation of this location it would be an area above and slightly behind the back of the head. This is why painting of saints and others highly spiritual figures have always been represented with a halo around the head.

To give you an approximate visual perception of how we exist as part of the Force, would be an iceberg. An iceberg exists as a small point coming out of the water, but it is only a tip, in reality the full mass of the iceberg exists under the water. Well flip this upside down, imagine the full you outside of your body with just the tip entering into the back of the skull and reaching down to the second heart. This is why the Japanese call it the “seat of the soul” because it is where is rests within the body

Focus on the Second Heart

Mind Body Coordination

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on the use, and application ,of Mind body coordination. Suffice it to say, that it is an essential skill the student must develop. See we are not really conscious of using either the mind or the body on a regular basis. The Mind is formless, colorless, odorless, and it flies from one place to another all day long. We meditate to stop its movements, or we focus to direct its purpose. On the flip side of that, the body has form, substance, color, and its movements are restricted. When these two disparate entities are brought together the Spontaneous build up of Living Force (chi/ki/mana) Occurs. It is through this primary correlation that technique is created and applied.

Breathing in the Force

Breathing in the Force means whole body breathing. It can be described in the following three ways:

         External Breathing (Lung Breathing)  Drawing air into and expelling from the lungs through the nose or mouth.

         Internal Breathing  The process in which an animal or person takes in oxygen from the air and releases carbon dioxide through the circulation of blood in the vascular system; The process in which air is carried through the bloodstream to the lungs where carbon dioxide is removed and oxygen is carried through the blood to the rest of the body.

         Skin Breathing  The skin breathes taking in oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide. The skin also regulates body temperature by allowing heat to escape.

Correct Force Breathing should be natural and comfortable, not forced. Mankind exists as a part of the universe. By breathing, the Ki (Living Force) of a person's whole body intermingles with the Ki (Universal Force) and becomes refreshed. Breathe out so that your breath travels infinitely to the ends of the universe; breathe in so that your breath reaches your Second Heart and continues infinitely there.

By doing Force Breathing, you are able to develop coordination of mind and body as well as be able to face any difficulty or danger.

How to do Force Breathing

         Sit with big toes crossing lightly, both knees slightly open, about two fists apart. Place both hands lightly on the thighs with fingers naturally pointing downward. Straighten the sacrum and relax the whole body while bringing the mind down to one point.

         Exhaling  Close eyes gently. Open mouth slightly and start to exhale calmly, as if saying ³ah² without using your voice. Maintain the same sitting posture while exhaling. Imagine that the whole breath comes out slowly from the entire body. Exhale for about 15-20 seconds.

         Complete Exhalation  Imagine breathing out completely down to the toes while you incline the head slightly forward and bend body slightly forward. Pause calmly for a few seconds.

         Inhaling  Keeping the same posture as when finishing the exhalation close mouth and being to inhale calmly through the nose with a smooth, relaxed sound like the tranquil sound of an ever-flowing stream. Imagine inhaling gradually from the toes through the legs, abdomen, and chest for about 15 seconds.

Note: Maintain the same posture while inhaling; do not move head or shoulders upward during inhalation.

         Complete Inhalation  When your breath has reached through to the chest, return the upper body to the original position. As you finish the inhalation, your head should return to the original position calmly. Note: Do not over-stretch or lean back when returning to the original position.

         Complete Cycle  By the time you feel you have finished inhaling, maintain the same posture for a few seconds before beginning the next exhale. Total length of cycle (exhalation, pause, and inhalation) is about 45 seconds.

Like the essence of training coordination of mind and body, Ki Breathing will start to positively effect your daily life. It is not necessary to demonstrate how much you can do Ki Breathing by the number of hours you breathe, how long you can breathe, etc. Ki Breathing exercise is an invisible practice, like the developing roots of a tree. Through slow and consistent practice, you will benefit most from Ki Breathing and you may eventually notice the depth of your roots.

The Second Heart

Once we realize that we need to unify our mind and body, we are faced with the question of where to concentrate it. Simply, the seat our our connection to the Force, the Second Heart.

For thousands of years, people of the Oriental and the Occidental world have understood, perhaps instinctively, that the Second Heart is a place of Importance; and through breathing, meditation, and focus, it became a well developed practice. By concentrating the mind on this point, the force is naturally directed there, it is submerging itself and expanding out. Through various exercises you will learn to move this energy to and fro, and the benefits these techniques accrue.

From the outset, you will probably not be able to conceptualize where exactly the Second Heart is. I have received messages asking if the Second Heart is inside or outside the skin? is it in the pelvis or gut? I have even been mailed sketches of the human body with a request to “please mark the spot”. Instead of doing any of this, I offer a few simple exercises in which one can perceive the second heart themselves, and learn the first lesson of focus on it.

These exercises, some of which require a second person, should be approached with the intent of testing the Mind Body coordination (focus on the second heart) not who can push pull or conquer the other. This is one of the few times in training where the student needs cooperation with their partner at first. Each time you sit to perform the exercises you should do them twice at minimum. One time don’t focus on your Second Heart. The Second Time Do.

Sitting in the Heart

         The Sith takes a position of sitting meditation.

         Closing his eyes the Sith takes a few calming breaths, begin Force breathing.

         The Sith sits in realization that the universe is infinite, it extends in every direction, so he is truly the center of the universe.

         From this infinity he condenses it by half, now he is half a universe.

         then he condenses it by half again, now he is a solar system.

         now he condenses it by half again, he is the planet

         now he condenses it by half and he is the city

         now he condenses it by half and he is the house

         now he condenses it by half and he is himself

         now he condenses it by half and he is his second heart.

         now he continues condensing the Second Heart infinitely.

As he goes deeper and deeper into himself he will have achieved complete focus of mind body coordination on his Second Heart.

The Tester, when he feels it is time, tries to push the Sith a over, by pushing a shoulder or lifting a knee. He will be as Immovable as a rock.

Now the Sith releases his focus on his Second Heart, and takes a few minutes to just observe his thoughts, or daydream.

The Tester repeats the process from earlier. Notice how easy he falls over.

Note your results in your journal

Sitting in the Heart 2

Like the First, this method is designed to focus the mind on the Second Heart and keep it there.

         taking a few breaths he gently relaxes the mind, and begins Force breathing.

         leaning forward till he is at 40 degrees he rocks back, focusing on the fulcrum of movement

         now he rocks back to roughly equal angle

         now he rocks forward but stops at 50 degrees

         now he rocks back to the same

         now he rocks forward but stops at 60 degrees

         now he rocks back to the same

         now he rocks forward but stops at 70 degrees

         now he rocks back to the same

         now he rocks forward but stops at 80 degrees

         now he rocks back to the same

         now he continues to rock infinitely, always keeping his mind at the point of rocking, the his Second Heart

after a few moments of perceived stillness the tester apply pressure on chest, or back or lifts legs. The Sith is a rock.

after a few tests the Sith relaxes his concentration and focuses on a body part. knee elbow finger tips, anything will do

tester repeats the test. The Sith will generally loose balance or at least bend allot.

Note your results in your journal

Distraction of the Heart

Sadly we don't live in a world where we are never touched, never bumped, never distracted. As a practical method for advancement and Force use, a Sith must learn to located and focus on their Second Heart in any situation. Obviously the best training for this is to constantly focus on the Second Heart while going through out your day, but that is much like masters saying "just think of nothing during this hour long meditation". It is unreasonable for us to assume you will be able to achieve this as positive result in real life, without giving you the skills to achieve it. With this in mind i offer this next exercise.

         He takes a few breaths to relax his mind, and begins Force breathing.

         he begins to focus on his Second Heart (which should be second nature at this point)

         The test begins touching him at random places, knee ear, forehead, elbow, chest, back.

         As the Sith's mind is drawn to the feeling of the touch he forces his mind back this second heart as quick as possible.

         After rapidly touching a few different points on the body in succession the test applies one of the previously established testing techniques.

         If the Siths mind returned to the Second Heart quickly the test will be passed, if not, the test will be failed.

Note your results in your journal

The Pillar of Strength

As Sith we do not spend our days sitting and contemplating life, no, instead we attack life with vigor and ambition. To move us towards that goal, we adopt a standing meditation posture to begin our Second Heart work. All though the illustration shows the arms raised in front of the chest, it is not necessary, as this is a variation exercise used in the event that the arms are being tested. The spine must remain straight. Keeping this in mind, stand in a way that you feel comfortable

Before going on to the next text, insure that you can comfortably adopt the Pillar of Strength position. Its key points are outlined below.

         Weight over center of the balls of the feet* Hips are tucked* Slightly lean forward from waist* Spine lengthening in both directions* Shoulders, elbows, And chest are relaxed* All muscles are relaxed* Softly gaze out to horizon and up 5 degrees* Chin tucked lightly, facial muscles relaxed* Fingers are gently spread, middle fingers pointing toward each other* Sink you Second Heart Down* Knees are positioned over feet* Outside of feet is parallel with shoulder width

The Test.

Pushing the shoulder

         The Sith stands facing his tester, he adopts the Pillar of Strength position, begins Force breathing, and begins focusing on his one point.* The tester gently places his hand on the Shoulder of the Sith. Starting slowly and working up, the tester apply ever increasing pressure. If the Sith keeps focus on the Second Heart the will not twist at his waist.* If the Sith loses concentration on one point his waist will pivot and the tester will push past him.* Switch back and forth a few times between Second Heart Focus and focusing on any other body part.

Note your results in your journal

Pushing with hands raised.

When one raises their hands their balance normally shifts. From a physics perspective, the second the hands raise, the point of fulcrum raises with it. as will the focus from second heart region raise to around chest level. This test illustrates quite well the need to stay focused on Second Heart.

         The Sith stands in the pillar of strength position but this time raises his hands high above his head.* The Tester places a palm on the sternum. Starting softly and increasing pressure, the tester presses on the sternum until the posture is broken.* The tester repeats the test with the Sith focusing on anything else.Perform this exercise multiple times and note the difference.

Note your results in your journal

Stooping

You are always changing position in your life. You don't walk around in meditation positions every day, so Sith are expected to be able to perform, to focus on the Second Heart, even when they are in odd positions.

         The Sith bends down as if tieing his shoes and begins Force breathing..

         The Tester, from behind, pushes forward on the hips of the sith.

         If the Sith tenses his shoulders or tries to push back, forgetting his Second Heart. he will be pushed forward.

         If the Sith maintains focus on the Second Heart, without tension in the shoulders, he will not be pushed forward.

Bending Backwards

         The Sith stands with his left foot forward (about a shoulders width from the back foot), begins Force breathing, and leans back with the upper half of his body.

         The tester place a hand on the Sith's chest or shoulder and apply pressure down

         If the Sith's focus is where the hand touches him in the upper body his balance will break and he will stumble.

         If the Sith keeps his focus on the second heart during the test, relaxing his shoulders the tester will have much more trouble pushing and the Sith will not stumble.

Leaning On

This one is fun, as the tester tries to drop quickly the Sith can be startled into failure. So this exercises works allot with the Focus of mind in the moment as well.

Variation 1

         the tester bends over on hands and knees.

         the Sith ,bends at his waist, and begins Force breathing.standing at a 90 degree angle to the tester, and places folded arms on the testers back.

         The tester, when he feels ready, abruptly drops down to the floor.

         If the Sith holds focus on the second heart he will not stumble

         If the Sith , having rested his weight on the testers back, focuses instead on the tester he will stumble and fall.

Variation 2

In this variations a door is used.

         The Sith leans against a door, placing his weight against it, and begins Force breathing.

         The tester is on the other side of the door, and at a random moment pulls the door open swiftly

         If the Sith has kept focus on the Second heart he will not fall

         If the Sith has instead placed focus on the shoulders where they touch the door, he will fall back

Walking with the Second Heart

The last exercise we are going to do now adds, movement to the equation. I do not feel it necessary to explain the importance of this to Sith trainees. If you cant figure it out close this file and go and join the light.

         The Sith begins walking towards the tester, and begins Force breathing..

         The Tester Standing with arms extended prepares to stop the Sith

         The Sith keeping focus on the Second Heart looks past the tester and walks forward

         If the Sith keeps focus on the Second Heart the tester will have a hard time stopping him, or even be bowled over.

         If the Sith repeats the test but focuses on the testers hands touching his chest on impact he will be halted with little effort

Remember this is a Force/Focus test. It is not meant to be a pushing war. If the Sith starts "leaning into" the test or keeps pushing with legs to eventually plow through the tester, then the test is a failure. You are looking at the difference in effort it takes to stop one focusing on the second heart, and one focusing elsewhere. you are not trying to defeat each other with muscle.

Note the variations and movement test results in your journal

Remember, these tests are not to be practices once, or even a few times, and then abandoned. A wise Sith will come back to these over and over again, as his training progresses.