Having your energies centered will create a feeling of more stability, peace and harmony for yourself. By coming to center I mean a focusing of your energy at a central point in the body. By doing this we avoid our focus being scattered and we can respond with a more coherent and balanced approach to life. You become less likely to be upset by other people and events and you can regain your equilibrium more quickly and easily when this does happen.

As a therapy teacher I encourage my students to center themselves at the heart chakra as this is the balance point of the chakra system. The symbol of the heart chakra is the Seal of Solomon, which combines a triangle pointing up to the Heavens and a triangle pointing down to the Earth.

So how do you come to center? There are several ways of achieving this state quickly and easily. You can use them daily, or as often as you need to.

Sound
You can use a sound to bring your mind fully into the present moment. Focus on the point in the center of your chest that is level with your physical heart. My favorite instrument for doing this are tingshas, those little cymbals sold in pairs. They are sounded by striking one gently on the rim of the other. Take a couple of slow deep breaths and then strike them just in front of your heart center and listen until the note fades away and becomes inaudible. This is also a pleasant way to settle your energies before a meditation and to bring yourself back to normal waking consciousness following meditation.

Alternatively you could use a singing bowl, bell, or a chime. You want to find an instrument that carries a pleasant and reverberating note when played, giving a feeling of spaciousness and plenty of time to come to center.

You can use your own voice. Toning is a very effective way to bring your focus to your center. The bija mantra for the heart center is ‘Yam’. Either tone ‘Yam’ as a long sound or repeat ‘Yam, Yam Yam’ several times until you feel your energies are centered. Think of your voice as being bell-like in its tone. Some people prefer to chant ‘Om’ or tone ‘Ooo’ or a relaxing ‘Aah’, try these sounds out and see what suits you.

Tapping
If you tap firmly (not too hard!) in the center of your chest just below where your collarbone meets your breastbone with the fingers of one hand you will center yourself. As a bonus you’ll also stimulate the thymus gland which then helps to boost your immune system. You can either tap in one spot or tap around this area in a small circle. In healing this is referred to as ‘tapping in’ and is a very quick way for the therapist to check that their energies are centered prior to a treatment.

Crystals
Choose a cleansed quartz point with a ground base that allows it to stand upright. Sit down and place it on a table in front of you, roughly at the level of your heart center. Gaze at the point intending that you are connecting with its energy at your heart whilst you breathe your awareness into this chakra. The size of the quartz isn’t too important, it just needs to feel right for you. If you don't have a quartz with a flat base you can stand a point upright in a bowl of sand. You should find you become centered within a minute or two at most.

If you feel really discombobulated you can put yourself in a Seal of Solomon layout for 10-15 minutes. Lie down and place 6 quartz points around you, three creating an upward triangle and three creating a downward triangle. So you are placing one point above your head, one on each side of your hips, one below your feet and one each side of your shoulders. Have the points facing outwards from your body for the first 5 minutes to release any stresses and then turn them inwards towards you for 5-10 minutes. You can also place a stone on your heart center if you want one, choose a green stone such as malachite or aventurine. Make sure you are well grounded when you finish and have a drink of water.