Question: Guru, very often when meditating in a group in front of the room, when I concentrate on my heart centre, I find that my breathing is very heavy and very distracting.

Sri Chinmoy: The thing is that while you are meditating, you do something with your eyes which is not good at all. You strain your eyes to a certain extent; they are so tight and stiff. You are normal, but your eyes are just pinched. So when you do something unwise with your eyes, the actual pressure falls on your heart centre and it is very harmful to your aspiration. If you can keep your eyes normal while you are meditating, without tightening them, then this pressure will go away. So when you meditate, try to feel a smooth flow inside you when you breathe in. You can keep your eyes open or keep your eyes closed; no harm. Only don't make them unnaturally stiff.