Heartnotes

     The feelings were deep, and I could feel the pulsing of my blood as it moved throughout my body. On day five of the Vipassana meditation, I somehow managed to move past my skin, muscles, and tissue to see my skeleton for the very first time. It is a shocking reminder that our world is not solid.      Day 1: No talking, no eye contact, no gestures, no mixing with the opposite sex, and no smiling. The rules are strict and designed for us to disengage from others and go within the silence of meditation for 11 hours per day for 10 days. It wasn’t easy concentrating on my breath when my mind wanted to wander, but I managed. A ball of light made its way into the back of my eyelids and colors of purple, green, red, and blue exploded all around me. I felt good and positive with no disturbances. Outside my window the branches of the tree formed a perfect heart. It was my gift of encouragement and would be my focal point every day.      Day 2: At 4 a.m. the bell rang, and I had t