Role of the heart and the power of connecting to it:

Some experiences hold us hostage, until we find the keys to unlocking the doors leading to the beyond. There are always keys to be found, at every level. May the Heart seek, see and bring the keys into our daily experience, with joy, at this added expression of love in our lives. Knowing that they are the gifts inherent in our experience.

The role of the head and heart are very different. Let us better understand the heart as a source of power and intelligence which can be tapped into, to help us better navigate life’s challenges.

The power of the mind is immense! The centre where incoming sensory information is received and analysed, our thoughts and perceptions have a powerful role in creating our reality, as do our unconscious memories, beliefs and conditioning. Our mind is like a muscle, its structure can be altered by becoming more present, conscious and discerning about the responses we make. It can constantly learn and make new connections, but without the heart working by its side, its power is limited! The mind can get stuck in patterns of thinking which are not always fruitful. It can decide what it is open to while closing itself to useful information and new possibilities, as it likes to think it knows. This has a particularly negative effect when we are faced with changes in life, and we need to seek new perspectives and solutions. And change, at this time which we are alive, is inevitable.

The mind works logically and mostly in the way it has been conditioned to respond, unless we are in a state of presence.  The heart, meanwhile, works in a more intuitive way. It seeks clarity and understanding, whilst holding a space of acceptance and a more optimistic perspective. The heart seeks new perspectives and possibilities, with an openness to life, in the face of challenges and limitations. The mind judges, while the heart is non-judgemental. Engaging with our heart actually makes our thinking more rational, as there is less fear. The heart has many special innate qualities like love, care, compassion, gratitude, joy, patience and forgiveness.

Disconnection from our heart is disconnection from ourselves and our true nature. Our true nature is to be connected to our hearts, for love is our nature, our essence. When we are connected to our heart, we are not lost. We can bring light to each situation. Our heart is our personal guide through life and together with our gut, the source of our intuition and inspiration and it knows our true needs. It is a big part of our internal guidance system. Our heart has the power to change our perspective into one of deeper truth. Our connection to heart and feeling body is relative to our spiritual connection.

Tapping into the hearts perspectives of appreciation, joy, care, compassion, non-judgement, forgiveness and love increases our energy levels giving us more energy reserves to bring into our lives. These qualities motivate us to act in ways which help to nurture ourselves and others. These heart felt feelings are not just good for our emotional well being, but also have a positive effect on our physical and mental well being. When we see through heart centred perspectives, the quality of our thoughts and inspiration and feelings increase. This opens doors into new states of being and experience and expands our range of possible action. Our energy levels and immune function also increase so our physical health improves!

The more in balance, embodied and aligned with our truth that we become, the more clarity, energy and joy we will experience. This is the result of love. Loves medicine is vaster and deeper than we can imagine, until we really get to know it. I am only just beginning to see its power.

The heart plays such a crucial role in healing. It contains the deepest medicine, that will navigate you through challenges and imbalance. It is the heart that will uplift us into new ways of being and living. The upliftment, joy and elated feelings that come from its openness are so powerful and the sweetest medicine for the body. When these feelings come, revel in them! These feelings send a strong charge of energy to all of our cells, that send the message of ‘All is well, you may relax, let down your guard and your tensions. Take this time to soak in the life force.’ And believe me, the body responds to this message! Healing is our co-creation, it is not about waiting around for something outside of ourselves to help us. It is about finding our power within. 

A balanced human being uses their mind and heart in partnership. Our heart communicates to our brain, so it has a large influence on it. The heart can communicate in four different ways:

Neurologically, through nerve impulses via the nervous system. Biochemically, through hormones and neurotransmitters. (The heart produces oxytocin, dopamine and atrial peptide, all of which reduce the stress hormone, cortisol.) Biophysically through pressure waves, (which can send a signal to the brain sooner than blood can signal a change in brain activity). Energetically, through the electromagnetic field which emanates from the heart and influences our whole body. (Taken from Doc Childre & Howard Martin-Heartmath Institute*)

The heart and brain both emit an electromagnetic field which can be read by an electrocardiogram (heart) and electroencephalogram (brain). This machine produces a wave like signal for us to observe the state of the energy field.

The heart produces the largest electromagnetic field in the whole body, it’s signals are much stronger than the brains. Studies have shown that the waves recorded with the electrocardiogram are influenced by how a person is feeling at the time. Good emotions create a harmonious rhythm. As this field envelopes the whole body, the information contained within the field, which includes your emotions, is communicated to your whole body. Studies have shown that the heart actually responds to external stimulus before the brain does!

This research has been carried out by the Heartmath Institute. They have demonstrated the effects of emotions on the hearts electromagnetic field, the effects of stress on the body, and ways of alleviating anxiety. They speak about the concept of coherence. Coherence is an optimum state of being. In quantum physics coherence refers to particles/waves cooperating with each other, so apply that to your bodies components. It is when our thoughts, feelings and actions are in alignment with each other. It is when our heart and mind work together as partners.

When our hearts intelligence is engaged, the uplifting energy that is created helps our bodies components work in better harmony with each other. Uplifting emotions assist our physical and mental healing. Uplifted emotions also create a harmonious rhythm when measuring using the electrocardiogram. Our autonomic nervous system works with increased harmony and our body becomes more energy efficient. When our bodies work in harmony, we become more balanced.

Uplifting feelings are very real medicine for the body from my experience. They indicate alignment in your life, but they also massively help to create alignment and internal balance. So it is not about waiting around for these feelings to appear, but actively engaging in cultivating them through our focus, alongside processing the less uplifting feelings!

Feeling love based emotions creates more energy available for utilisation, while low emotions sap your energy.  Incoherence is caused by the hormones which are released as a result of the stress response, which significantly depletes our system over a long period. When we produce a stress response, our body redirects our energy from growth and repair, to immediate use. This ‘fight or flight’ type response causes our mind to switch from the area where conscious thinking takes place (neocortex) to the more primal area of the brain where we respond from instinct and emotions. This isn’t ideal for optimal brain functioning. Therefore, coherence allows our mind to work optimally, with most awareness.

When we consciously choose a heart centred feeling over a low feeling, we counteract the effects of stress hormones that are produced during anxiety or distressing feeling. We enter a different realm of thought which further uplifts us and reduces the build up of fearful energy resulting from reactive or fear based thoughts, which can weaken our energy system over time.

Realising how thoughts and emotions can substantially create or drain energy in your system can be powerful. We can generate an immense source of innate energy through shifting our focus towards our heart. With this understanding of how our emotions affect us physically, we can focus on cultivating heart feelings as a type of medicine. This can be helpful in preventing or reversing energy drains and creating a new momentum towards a more positive reality. This is about what we bring into our lives now. What energies are we building with?

This isn’t about repressing our negative emotions for they have their own purpose in what they show us and how they encourage us to enact change. We can meet our challenging feelings through our hearts intelligence so we do not lock ourselves into repressive states of being. A full spectrum of emotions is healthy, but we can meet ourselves with love during despair. We can see deeply into what is being shown to us, and know we have the tools to nurture our situation rather than hitting the self destruct button. This way we can learn to navigate our feelings rather than be ruled by them and it can help us to stop self-defeating behaviour. We can become more familiar with the raw qualities of the energies we feel rather than judging our feelings. We will see change come around for the better much sooner when we keep our hearts relentlessly open.

We can tap into uplifting emotions through sitting still with ourselves and working with your focus and perception. What influences our feeling state is our perception, so our perception can influence the type of rhythm your heart is emitting to your whole body and environment. It influences the messages every one of your cells receives from signals from both the heart and the brain. This can influence the behaviour of your cells. That is how powerful it is. It is significantly beneficial for us to seek positive perspectives. This is achieved through tuning into our hearts intelligence.

 ‘Perceptions start a cascade of biological effects that colour our next perception and reaction. This can spiral. Pay attention to perceptions and reactions and address them with your hearts intelligence. Perceive events from a place of intuition, balance, poise and flexibility. You have the power to stop yourself from thinking yourself into misery.’ (Heartmath)

You can instantly increase your hearts coherence by becoming present in the body and focussing on the space around the heart. Slow and deepen the breath while breathing into the heart area. Focus on the feeling the heart brings. Place your hand onto the heart if this helps or focus your mind on someone or something which you love, or that makes you feel peaceful. This will help to regulate the heart beat and reduce anxiety and help to counteract stress hormones. How does this space feel? Open, heavy, numb or something else? If it feels heavy or numb do some deep breathing while focussing on the heart and send it light.  If you feel warmth, you can spread the heart feeling all around your body by moving it with your concentration. Finding your own internal source of warmth and sending this loving energy all through your body will help to bring deep relaxation. When you are connected to the heart, if you have any uncomfortable feelings they can be dissolved in the heart.

The heart is an immense source of power that we should endeavour to remain connected with. It keeps us moving forward gracefully and with dignity and helps us to connect to a sense of meaning. With less judgement, we can connect to a greater sense of clarity. The openness of our heart makes it easier to be with what is with greater peace and acceptance with an ability to see the bigger picture. Through our care, it gives us fire to nurture and to enact change. The heart sees possibilities rather than limitations. The heart manoeuvres us beyond our fears towards light and healing. We can love the one who is scared, forgive the self where there is regret and have patience and faith where you feel stuck.

Some experiences hold us hostage, until we find the keys to unlocking the doors leading to the beyond. There are always keys to be found, at every level. May the Heart seek, see and bring the keys into our daily experience, with joy, at this added expression of love in our lives. Knowing that they are the gifts inherent in our experience.

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‘An open heart is like viewing life with a wide angle lens. With more of the world in view, you see more possibilities in the picture’

For these feelings to have real power, we need to be sincere and consistent in our intention in seeking these sources of light. Our motivation must be sincere for these powers to be activated to their potential. Connection to these feelings will activate the bodies regeneration process and make you feel mentally and emotionally recharged. Core heart feelings are an innate intelligence, some of them are described below:

The Hearts Medicine

Appreciation

Appreciation brings a lighter energy and uplifts you from a sense of heaviness. It is self pity’s antidote as it focuses on abundance rather than lack. Reflecting upon what you appreciate every day has a profound effect on your life. Treating life as though everything is a gift helps us to keep a positive outlook. And reminds us that our challenges are polishing and strengthening us up. Not losing sight of the wonders which surround you, helps keep you open to the light.

Compassion

Treat yourself with the same kindness you would your most cherished friend. Tune into your suffering with the understanding that you are human. It is not easy to be human. Be gentle and soothing towards your suffering and challenges. Compassion is openness to what is, it has no demand.

Non-judgement

Looking at things from a neutral perspective where you are not overly attached to or identified with what is going on which allows us to become less emotionally charged. Non-judgement allows you to open up towards what is, in acceptance. It seeks to understand the bigger picture. Non-judgement looks at the world through the heart rather than the mind. This helps us to really be with what is, as it helps us to see beyond our limited perceptions and mental constructs of reality. When we judge ourselves, our feelings or our situation, we often create extra layers of unnecessary suffering. This type of suffering I find is usually suffering of the ego or due to our mentally created constructs of how we and reality are or should be, rather truth.

Forgiveness

This comes from a very pure and understanding place in the heart. It frees you from holding onto negative feelings, which can drain you and keep you locked in negative patterns. It is a shift in attitude to move forward with courage and less blame of others, or the self. It will help you to be completely present with what is, creating a more open space.

Care 3

Care has a regenerating energy.  It is a motivator for movement towards health, healing and facing life head on. That which we care about enough to focus our attention upon, gives energy to that thing, and information exchange takes place. Our will becomes activated towards what we care about. It is very powerful.  

Patience

Lightens the pressure you place upon yourself. Patience allows life to unfold as it will. Patience is trusting, surrendering. Patience is a letting go of results and just being with life as it is. Patience is the ability to be present in the moment without the pushing and pulling of desired outcomes. And when we can be fully present, our focus or our power to enact change or create is actually strongest.

Faith

Faith is saying ‘Okay life, take me by the hand, I trust you to take me to where I need to go.’ It is saying, ‘All is as it should be’. It helps us to keep motivated and gives us the energy to keep going, knowing that everything is part of a bigger picture. Things will make sense in time, meaning will come to us soon, we just need to be with what is. Life challenges us to keep this attitude throughout. Faith helps us to keep our heart relentlessly open.

Joy is alike the golden juice of the sun, vital life force. Its home is within every one of our hearts. It is very balancing and healing for the body.

This passage is an excerpt from the ebook- 'Journeying with tinnitus as companion'- though it is relevant to us all.