When your heart tells you not to do something, but you go ahead and do it because you want to, or think you should do it, how do your feel afterwards?

I know that when I have not followed my heart I’ve regretted my actions.

The heart that I am talking about here is not the physical heart, but the core of our being or the seat of the soul.

It is located in the same area as the physical heart and is the locus of the “I” thought. This is why when we refer to ourselves, we point to the middle of our chest.

Its other names are “mystical heart”, “spiritual heart” or ”hrdhaya” in Sanskrit.

It is connected to the universal consciousness, and prompts us to our highest and best good.

The heart sends us subtle messages as physical sensations, feelings and thoughts. These lead us to right choices and positive outcomes in the long run.

But because these messages don’t seem to be based on reason or fact, we often push them aside or ignore them altogether.

Interesting Heart facts

The Heart Math Institute (www.Heartmath.org) is a not-for-profit research organization in the U.S. that helps people connect to the intuitive guidance of their heart to reduce stress and regulate emotions.*

Their heart research has shown that:

• The heart creates the strongest electrical and magnetic field in the body.
• The magnetic energy is 5000 times stronger than the brain’s magnetic field.
• The brain receives instructions from the heart, and not vice-versa.

I believe that the reason for the last fact is that mystical heart is our localized station for receiving cosmic intelligence.

Its wisdom is a combination of impartial reason and noble emotions. Its guidance always comes from love and advances our soul’s evolution.

The brain hears the messages from the spiritual heart but often overrides them because of the fears and selfish desires of the ego—our lower self.

It’s interesting to note that the physical heart, and not the brain, is the first organ that forms in a growing fetus.

Opening The Heart Center

Opening up to the spiritual heart has many advantages such as:

• Helps us listen to the wisdom of our soul.
• Connects us with other beings and the world in a compassionate, meaningful way.
• Aligns us with our higher purpose and evolution.
• Reduces the ego and egocentric reactions to people and circumstances.
• Attracts good into our lives through its powerful magnetic energy.

Here is a visualization exercise that can help you open your heart center.

1. Find a quiet place and time when you can sit undisturbed for about 10 to 15 minutes. First thing in the morning is a good time to do this exercise.
2. Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor with your back straight to allow a smooth flow of energy in your body.
3. Close your eyes.
4. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and calm your mind.
5. Put a soft smile on your face and bring your focus to your heart center. See it emanating a happy, shimmering pink light energy.
6. Breathe deeply into your heart center, fully expanding your chest. Hold the breath momentarily, then breathe out and relax. Repeat this deep breathing 3 or 4 times.
7. Now imagine pink circular waves of energy starting at your heart center that widen as they move away from your body.
8. Each time you take a deep breath, imagine the circles expanding even more. You are building the magnetic energy of the heart that draws your higher good to you.
9. Play with your imagination and make the circles as big or small as feels comfortable to you.
10. Visualize your up-coming day. Enfold the events, and interactions with people that you will be meeting in the expansive, loving pink energy of your heart. By doing this, you are opening yourself to meeting them from a heart-centered perspective.
11. For guidance on an issue, focus on your heart and ask for a solution. Wait and be aware of the thoughts and feelings that come up. Or, be receptive to anything that you might hear inwardly or see in your mind’s eye.
12. See conflicts resolving and difficulties melting away as you will meet your day with a greater sense of peace and ease.
13. Keep holding these expansive feelings until you feel a “click” or a stop, and the energy starts to ebb.
14. At this point you could mentally repeat an affirmation such as:

• I am divinely guided and loved.
• Only good comes into my life.
• I am magnetic to my higher good and it is magnetic to me.
• I bring love and a positive attitude to everything that I do.
• I am safe and centered in the light of love.

15. Breathe deeply, slowly come out of your state and gently open your eyes.

Bringing Peace and Love Into Our Lives

Most of our daily disputes and disagreements with others come because of a clash of egos. The ego is quick to see differences, judge and form expectations of people and how things should be done.

Learning how to open your heart dissolves the conflicts from your mind.

Outer situations and people may remain the same, but now you will be able to meet them with equanimity and acceptance. A peaceful attitude such as this can uplift the energies of people around us and change things for the better.

When we open our hearts, and listen to its infinite wisdom, we become agents for peace and love in our lives and those around us.

*You can view the Heart Math Institute’s short video entitled, “The heart’s intuitive intelligence—a path to personal, social and global coherence.” https://www.heartmath.org/about-us/videos/the-hearts-intuitive-intelligence/

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