The wisdom of the heart and how to access it

I want to share a technique I learned at the Institute of Heartmath, that with practice, allows you to tap into your own heart’s intelligence. It is simple, but don’t let the simplicity fool you.

You can use this technique when you are feeling stress, or when you have questions you need answered. There is a huge component of trust that is needed as you begin this. To discern hearing what you want to hear, versus hearing what the heart is telling you.

Where is this “voice” of the heart coming from? There are many theories. Many believe the heart is the seat of the Soul. What is the Soul? Now that is a question with many answers, depending on who you ask. But this is my belief and answer. The Soul, is that essence of us, the energy, if you will, that is everlasting. This essence is connected to the Universal Source, or God, or Jehova, Great Spirit, or whatever you many choose to call that which is greater than you. And for me, this is a source of Universal Love. This is the basis of Reiki.

In Reiki we call it the Universal Life Force Energy. The energy we receive and pass on is from this Source. Which is always based in love. We, Reiki practitioners, are only conduits, to conduct this energy. My visions of what our Creator “looks like” has changed over the years. From my Catholic days, it was a benevolent long-bearded man with a long robe. But now, I liken this Source as a big ball of golden Light. Warm and loving. And we are a part of this Light. No need to assign a human form to it, or a gender. That is man made. But if that is what helps you to understand a benevolent Source, that is perfectly fine. Not one of us can say we are right and someone else is wrong. Because we don’t know. This just happens to be my belief.

And if we focused more on the goodness of this Light, and less on arguing over who is the right religion, or the chosen religion, the better off we would all be.

So as extensions of this Light, we are always connected to it, and can access it when we want. Whether we cover that Light, or not, it is always within us. It is the wisdom within us.

I was looking at some old Catholic pictures of Christ, and guess what you often see. Jesus with his heart exposed surrounded in this beautiful golden Light. And saints with golden halos. I don’t think it is just a coincidence.

So, how do we access this wisdom and Love? Very easily. You can do this at a stop light, or relaxing on a couch, in the line at the grocery store. Wherever it is safe to take a few moments to close your eyes and relax. I will use the word “entrainment”. This is a state of balance within the body, a synchronicity of the heart and brain in harmony.

Take a deep inhale/exhale. Focus on the area of your heart. Put your hand over that area if it helps. Take a few deep breaths, really focusing on the breaths going into and out of the heart. Box breathing is a good technique to do. Inhale 5 seconds, hold 5 seconds, exhale 5 seconds, hold 5 seconds. Or adjust the timing to what is comfortable for you. This alone can help shift negative energy and bring the body back into entrainment.

Next, if you are trying to balance stress or a negative emotion, take that emotion (anger, depression, anxiety, etc) and put it in a bubble outside of your body. Next, focus on a positive memory, a loved one, a funny incident, a peaceful setting. Anything that brings a feeling of relaxation and joy. Focus on this as long as you can. Whether it is seconds to minutes. Really feel and experience this joy. When you need to stop, thank your heart for the feeling of peace. Doing this exercise can physiologically change the hormones of stress in your body and bring it back into entrainment.

If you have a question you need an answer to, or direction in your life, do this same procedure of breathing through the heart and focusing on something joyful. No need to put anything in a bubble. Once relaxed and focused on the heart, ask your question. Then wait for an answer. What pops into your head. You will know if the answer is authentic, by the way it feels in your body. It will always feel right. No feeling of incongruence. It may take a little bit of time to trust yourself on this. With time and experience, you will have no problem discerning the right answer, from one you feel you made up.

If you have any questions about this process, please email me.

I hope you give it a try, lots of love.