"Meditation is a journey to the ocean of calm. As you read these words, you can slip into the ocean of calm at any time. An amazing truth about the ocean of calm, deep inside yourself, is that it has many different layers. As you sink deeper into the calm, you come across layers of love, bliss, compassion, joy, delight, and a range of other fragrances and textures. Deep beneath all of these lies your heart.

"What is your heart? How do we get there? Why would we really want to do this?

"I'm not referring to your physical heart, which pumps blood throughout your body. Nor to the center of your chest, which some traditions refer to as a center of energy called the heart chakra. Nor to 'heart' in the Buddhist sense, which is located in the mind. All of the above are just doorways into a deeper part of you. Your heart, as in the phrase 'the heart of the matter,' is your essence, your center, your core.

"But you know all of this already. You already know your heart, because it's the:

• Feeling you had when you fell in love
• Experience of a sunset whose beauty brought you to stillness
• Powerful intuition that turned out to be correct
• Most profound moment of prayer
• Deepest experience of meditation
• Emotion you felt when seeing inspiring art
• Sensation you had when you read a life-changing book
• Moment you witnessed the birth of a child

"Your heart contains your:

• Wildest dreams
• Deepest longings
• Innermost secrets
• Core values
• Essence, the very source of your uniqueness

"Your heart is in the place where:

• Creativity is born.
• Inspiration finds its voice.
• Wisdom whispers its secrets.
• The footprints of God are seen.
• The heartbeat of the universe is felt.
• The fragrance of love can be smelled.
• The sweetness of compassion can be tasted.
• The texture of what is eternal can be touched.
• The endless journey into yourself begins.