An Invitation to Live with an Open Heart
The Heart is the connection to the world. If you are feeling disconnected to the world around you, you are most likely disconnected from yourself as well.
The Full Snow Moon is coming and it got me thinking about change, growth, and the renewal of Spirit. We have reached the midpoint of winter here in the Midwest, and the chill is beginning to settle in. As we look forward to the warmer days of Spring, we are asked to reflect on how we have transformed. Have we opened our hearts to share our gifts with the world or have we pulled the frigid cold inward?
To live a life with a frozen heart is to live in coldness, defined by difficulties, and in the absence of love. None of these are conducive to human life.
Hard times are not meant to swallow us whole. Challenges are there to determine the truth. It is a demand for proof that what you say you want is aligned with who you are. We are not meant to set up camp in the dark, but rather find the fire within and remember the very truth of who we are and what we are made of.
It takes courage to harness this fire and move forward with an open heart. But this act of love melts ice into water, and fear into love.
Signs you are struggling with an armored heart:
Experiencing frequent bouts of loneliness
Tend to isolate yourself
Tend to hold grudges
Have difficulties receiving (love, help, support, etc.)
Have difficulties giving
Frequent feelings of jealousy
Feeling overly territorial or defensive
Difficulties establishing safety
Difficulties establishing your uniqueness
Difficulties trusting
Associate love with danger
People please to establish connections
Ultra-competitiveness
Heart conditions such as anxiety, arrhythmia, hypertension, circulatory problems, etc.
Here is an exercise to reconnect with your heart:
Sit or lie down somewhere you feel comfortable. You can choose to sit in silence, by a window to hear the birds singing, or play your favorite relaxing music.
Begin by connecting to your breath. While you breath in through your nose expand your belly outward, and as breath out through your mouth, retract your belly button towards your spine. As thoughts arise, gently brush them to the side.
After a few minutes or so, bring your awareness to your chest, the area of the body that houses your heart and heart chakra center.
Place your hand over your heart and identify any physical sensations you feel. For example, tightness, tingles, contractions, radiating, buzzing, etc. Do this for a few minutes until you have fully sat with the sensations and no new ones are arising.
Ask your heart what emotions are tied to these sensations, what do they want to tell you, and finally, what do they need from you?
Do your best to validate your emotions and meet their needs. Maybe it’s saying something like “I am sorry that happened to you. I completely understand why you feel that way” or “I love you, I am here for you, and I will never leave you”.
Imagine that you are sending loving energy out from the palm of your hand into your heart. You can get as creative as you want! Give it a color, a word, or if you are attuned to Reiki this is a great time to use it.
When you’re done take a moment to process what came up. Do you need to cry, write, or go on a walk to move some dense energy out? Can you integrate what your emotions told you by making changes to your daily lifestyle and rhythms?
When we learn to trust ourselves, our heart is our greatest ally. It will become the compass that guides us to our true north, and back home to ourselves.