| "The best and most beautiful things in the world | | | | feel like you are battling between your heart and |
| cannot be seen or even touched--they must be felt | | | | your head? I do. |
| with the heart." ~ Helen Keller | | | | According to Native American traditions, the heart is |
| Why do we have so many metaphors for the heart? | | | | the mind, it is the place of knowing. Does that mean |
| We tell each other to "follow your heart" and we talk | | | | we should stop using our head? I don't think so. |
| about people who are "hard-hearted" or someone | | | | What I do think is that we need to have a good |
| with a "heart of gold." We listen with an "open heart" | | | | balance between the two and know when to use |
| and when someone hurts us we get a "broken | | | | the intelligence of our heart and when to use our |
| heart." When we get deep into a topic we "get to | | | | head. |
| the heart of the matter." | | | | Here are some exercises for you to try: |
| I believe that we use so many metaphors about the | | | | Find a quiet place where you can be undisturbed for |
| heart because we inherently know that it is at the | | | | a few minutes. Take some deep, slow, abdominal |
| core of our being. | | | | breaths and relax. Then, place your awareness at |
| Caroline Myss, author of Energy Anatomy, calls the | | | | your heart center (you can place your hands there if |
| heart the "central powerhouse of the human energy | | | | that helps you to stay focused there). |
| system." Of the seven major chakras in the chakra | | | | Pay attention to how you feel in your heart right |
| system, the heart is literally at the center. It is the | | | | now. Is there tightness, warmth, sadness, a feeling |
| bridge between the lower chakras and the upper | | | | of heaviness or light? Ask your heart if it has |
| chakras. | | | | something to tell you (and listen!). |
| Because the lower three chakras all relate to our | | | | Now, if you have any decisions to make that you are |
| physical experience and the upper three chakras | | | | unsure of, use your heart to help. Imagine yourself |
| relate to our higher levels of consciousness and | | | | making your decision one way, then pay attention to |
| spirituality, the heart connects our physical self and | | | | how you feel in your heart. Switch gears now and |
| our spiritual self. | | | | imagine yourself making a different choice. Does that |
| We are physical beings as well as spiritual beings. If | | | | bring up a different feeling in your heart? Which feels |
| that connection between the two is broken, we | | | | more "right" to you? |
| cannot survive. Or, in other words, if our heart stops | | | | If you feel like your head and your heart are out of |
| beating, we die. | | | | balance (can't get your head to quiet down enough |
| Our physical heart is surrounded by a protective layer | | | | to hear your heart OR you feel your heart is ruling |
| called the pericardium. In fact, the pericardium is | | | | your head), try holding one hand on your brow and |
| considered in Oriental medicine to be separate from | | | | one hand on your heart. Imagine a flow of light |
| the heart, having its own meridian (Heart Constrictor | | | | opening up between these two points and pulsing |
| Pericardium). Energetically, the pericardium serves as | | | | back and forth. Hold for about a minute or two. You |
| a protective barrier around the heart, not allowing | | | | may actually feel a pulsation, tingling or warmth in |
| any energy to be drained to other areas of the | | | | your hands. It still works, even if you don't feel |
| body. | | | | anything so give it a try! |
| The heart is very important, physically and | | | | An open heart is capable of experiencing and sharing |
| energetically! | | | | the greatest virtues of humankind: unconditional love, |
| Have you heard the saying "Reason can win no war | | | | forgiveness and compassion. I hope you experience |
| against a heart-felt choice?" Is our heart actually | | | | your heart in this way every day. |
| stronger than our head? Should it be? Do you ever | | | | |