Reaching out to your heart in these sensory-overloaded times seems more like a passing thought than a mindful act.
You wonder to yourself, how do I get past the rush, deadlines and thoughts that I have so much to do in little time?
What’s really going on in that heart of mine?
Do I really want to know or is it easier to go through the motions for today?
Tell me, how’s the autopilot approach working for you? Are you feeling strong and energized or more like you’re batteries are drained?
Consider a genuine commitment to tune in to the heart and tune out to the world. Here are a couple of ideas:
Restore
Remember when you had a cough as a kid and your parent rubbed something smelly on your chest and lungs? For years, I wondered…what part of this act was true healing balm – the medicine or the hands full of love and good intentions?? (At Mom’s house, the answer depends on who you ask!)
At night, I close my eyes and lay my hands on my heart. As I slowly rub my heart, I offer it my thanks for being kind and open with myself instead of being critical and closed. I give it time to rest and shut down instead of troubling myself all night over someone or something that pushed my buttons.
For a few breaths, I release any heaviness from attaching my heart to negativity – real or perceived – out of my body. Guess what happens in minutes? My body starts to soften and a smile forms on my face. Goodbye madness, hello happy!
Be Silent
For five minutes (set a timer if needed), quietly check in and ask your heart:
- Are you full and overflowing or empty and exhausted?
- What is one way you celebrated each day from a place of love?
- Can you surrender one thought or feeling to return to a state of peace and joy?
Record your answers. Look for patterns. Adjust in ways that move you forward and keeps you whole. Watch the light grow and glow. Soon enough, you blast through the walls and create more beauty, more tenderness and more life. Your light will shine for others in big ways. That is the practice. This is the way.