Evening Meditation

A simpler way -
rest the mind in the heart.
Love has no name.
The So'ham swan
will take you there,
alighting without a sound
on the unfathomable stillness
in your chest,
where a mist of
secret longing
goes up from the earth
to kiss the sky,
healing every creature
who bows to drink
from these waters.
Cherish your gift.
Greet this breath
as a golden flame
consuming every thought.
What burns you away
completely,
you become.

The last line of the poem became the subtitle of the book I recently published with artist Rashani Réa. So'ham is the ancient breath-mantra of Advaita meditation, meaning, "He I am." The early treatise on Christian meditation, The Philokalia, and the ancient Yogic text, Vijnana Bhairava, give exactly the same instruction: "Place the mind in the heart."