Do you put your head or your heart first?
The research is clear: the heart is where it is at!
The HeartMath Institute in California is doing cutting edge research on the physiological state termed “heart coherence”. They are learning:
- The heart sends more information to the brain than vice versa. (The heart is smart).
- The heart responds first to unknown future events that the brain can’t predict. (The heart is intuitive).
- The heart is better able to shift us into gratitude and happiness than the head. (The heart is optimistic).
- Establishing heart coherence leads to better hormonal balance, improved immunity, a lower blood pressure, and a reduction in stress hormones. (The heart is healthy).
And yet despite knowing all of this, I still let my head guide me!
I “think” my way to the solution. I analyze my choices from every possible direction. I perseverate on what others might want from me. I rationalize why remaining stuck is OK. I literally get pulled down the rabbit hole by what my head tells me.
We must start to trust our heart….
How?
I’ve started a very simple practice. I routinely throughout my day place my right hand over my heart, close my eyes, and pose the question I’m currently struggling with. I feel into my heart and notice if it expands into a “yes” or contracts into a “no”. At first when doing this I felt nothing, but with practice, I’ve become very tuned into the subtle sensations. My heart can literally speak to me.
At this turning of the seasons, we often experience a heavy heart, feeling more tearful, sad, and even reliving some of the things we believed we had already grieved.
These coming weeks are ideal times to clear the heart, shed the tears, and commit to listening more to the wise guidance of the heart.
If the answers in your heart feel really far away, or feel covered by the heaviness and intensity of life, this meditation can help clear the heart. The result is a much deeper connection to your wise and beautiful heart.
