Heart-fully Living
In our lives there are many places we can take refuge: retreat centers
, lakes, forests, gardens. For me, time and time again, I am amazed at the refuge I can take in my heart.
You see, if you're like me, you lead a very full life with lots going on. All of this attention and energy on doing tends to move "me" up into my head and away from the peace and wisdom in my body. With all the tools and practices I have, this still happens to me! This is one of the myths of transformation and enlightenment: once you arrive you never leave. The truth is, it's a practice - we expand and we contract, we go up into our head and we come back into our body, we are super busy with lots to do, then we are deeply peaceful and relaxed.
One of the cornerstones in my daily practice is HeartMath. HeartMath is an institute formed more than 20 years ago in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California. Over the years they have done world-class research and created amazing, simple practices for connecting to the power of your heart. You know, A LOT of religions, philosophies, and wisdom traditions TALK ABOUT coming from the heart, but have you ever noticed no one ever tells you exactly HOW to do that? I think they don't tell us because THEY DON'T KNOW! So, it's really not their fault. They know the heart is a good and powerful thing, they just don't know how to reliably and consistently bring that power alive in day-to-day life.
Well, HeartMath does, and so do I as a Licensed HeartMath Practitioner. In this article we're going to investigate a little further into this power of the heart and explore some of the challenges the average person will have in bringing this wisdom alive in their life. While the practices are simple, there is reason why someone once said "The longest journey a person will ever take is from their head to their heart."
A wise person will enlist support for that journey. You don't have to go alone. A strong, reliable connection to your heart is one of the main things a good coaching program can build and create for you. And with that, you always have your own built-in refuge restoring and inspiring you to Heart-FULLY Living.
As I transitioned to living more from my heart than my head, I experienced just how loud and dominating the messages, thoughts, and voices from my head can be, and how quiet and unassuming those from the heart can be. No wonder most of us don't live from the heart - with the head screaming so loudly we can hardly hear it! The head is loud because its job is survival. It perceives everything as a threat and must therefore, absolutely, get your attention! Because as far as it can tell, in its isolated, separated view of the world, if you don't do what it says, you will die (or at least something bad will happen)!
Listen to your head-based messages closely and I think you will find most of the messages have fear of something bad happening as their motive for action. These can be big fears or small fears. Let's take getting to work on time as an example. Most people get out of bed and get to work on time to avoid a negative consequence. Acting out of a fear that "something bad will happen" is a sure sign your actions are coming from the head. The fears may be of something as small as a look of disapproval from a coworker, or something as large as a notice of termination for tardiness. Being motivated by this fear may get you to work on time, but your experience in the process is not one of choice; "you" are being run by a fear-based machine, worried about what will happen if you don't do what it says.
Take a look at what your experience is like when your actions are based in this fear. Are you waking up with a sense of joy, purpose, and excitement for the day? Or do you feel tired, grumpy, rushed, and thinking about all the things you have to do that day? Just look and make a note. The problem with living from the head all the time is your life experience is based on, and is all about, FEAR and avoidance of bad things happening. Which sucks (to put it bluntly) even if you avoid those bad things happening!
There is another way. And that way is the heart. As I was learning to live from my heart, and experiencing challenges in doing so, my coach had me stop and check in with my heart on what the root of the challenge was. As I connected with my heart and asked this simple question, its response was "Go ahead and listen to your head. Then stop, and take the few moments it takes to settle down and listen to me. After listening to both, then choose which path to follow and action to take." Like most heart-based wisdom, this made total sense! And it's exactly what I do.
The head will dominate you with fear, but living from the heart (like putting God, Great Spirit, or Universal Intelligence at the center of your life) is a CHOICE you make. God/Universal Intelligence/Great Spirit/Source will never dominate or force you to do anything. Partnering with the Power of the Universe is a CHOICE YOU MAKE that doesn't happen automatically. Being run by your head happens automatically and is not a choice. This is the default. I cannot overemphasize this point: Being run by your head happens automatically and is NOT a choice. Living from your heart is a CHOICE YOU MAKE - and one that you will make over, and over, and over again.until it becomes a habit.
When you live from your heart, your life experience becomes based in trust, love, and creation (rather than fear, control, and survival). These two experiences are completely different universes. And as you practice living from your heart, seeing the magical results it produces and how amazing you feel, your mind tends to relax a bit. It still has its job to do, but as the voice of your heart gets stronger, the voice from your head will tone down a bit.
To begin to access Heart-FULLY Living, try this:
When you are REALLY in your body, connected to your heart, you will find that your fears, worries, and concerns - even your childhood programming - have no sway. Notice throughout your day today "where your awareness is." Part of the HeartMath practice is bringing awareness to your heart. Notice that you have control of "where your awareness is." Right now, it is most likely over here on this page with these electronic letters and words and likely "up in your head" as you interpret and filter the meaning they have for you. Put your hand on your heart and see if you can shift your awareness to its location in your body. Perhaps close your eyes as you do this. Notice if anything changes for you. Do this throughout your day today.
Congratulations! You are one step closer to your mojo!
by: Roger Kenneth Marsh
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