How do heart-centered practices work?
It depends on the particular practice, but here are some general things I have noticed.
They help me reorient. To shift from seeing something as a problem (an enemy, wrong, bad) or neutral, to befriending it, finding kindness towards it, and seeing it as a support. And this goes for anything from a situation, to another person, to myself and parts of myself, to life in general, and God.
My energy systems comes more alive and brightens.
It’s experienced as an opening of the heart. And with that comes an opening of the mind. There is more receptivity, sincerity, curiosity, and interest. (And less rigid, defensive, and fixed views.)
It helps me notice what in me is not quite on board. It helps me notice parts of me where there is still wounding, trauma, identifications, and unfelt feelings, unloved lovables, and unexamined beliefs. I can meet these, allow, rest with. Relate to them with respect, patience, and light curiosity. If it feels right, I can do the heart-centered practice for these scared and unloved parts of me. Or I can explore them through inquiry. Or invite in healing through whatever healing practices are available to me.
These shifts are naturally reflected in my life. I notice when and how this happens. And if it doesn’t, that’s OK and also an invitation to see what’s going on. Something in me may be triggered that temporarily clouds over a more clear and kind way of being.
What are some examples of heart-centered practices? The ones I am most familiar with are ho’oponopno (Hawaii), tonglen (Tibet), heart or Jesus prayer (Christianity), and perhaps also the Christ meditation. (See other articles for descriptions of these.) And there are many more from many different traditions. Heart-centered practices can be profoundly transformative, and that’s something people from all cultures and times have paid attention to.
And what’s the main reason heart-centered practices are so transformative, healing, and central to most spiritual traditions? It’s because they help us align with reality. If all is the divine, then holding onto enemy images brings us out of alignment with that reality. It creates discomfort, stress, and suffering at an individual level, and also social and even ecological problems. Reorienting helps us align with reality, which brings a sense of peace, clarity, kindness, aliveness, and a natural engagement.
Note: I have deliberately used a more conventional language some places here. For instance, everything described here is part of the divine play. It’s the divine temporarily and locally taking itself to be a separate being, and a being that sees parts of the world as an enemy (a problem, bad, wrong etc.). There is nothing inherently wrong in it, but it does create distress and suffering. And that’s the call back to a more conscious alignment with all as the divine.
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Initial notes….
- how do heart-centered practices work?
- helps us reorient
- from seeing something as a problem, enemy, wrong, bad or neutral
- to befriending, finding genuine kindness towards
- anything – situation, others, parts of ourselves, life, God etc.
- energetically
- come alive, more and more alive energy in / around the system
- heart & mind
- experienced as an opening of the heart
- which comes with an opening of the mind
- more receptive, curious, interested
- less closed, rigid, fixed
- noticing
- as with any practice, helpful to notice anything in us not quite on board
- anything fearful, holding back etc.
- include in the heart-centered practice, do towards these parts of us
- can also investigate in other ways and invite in healing for
- life
- naturally reflect in life
- don’t have to try, will flow into daily life naturally
- can be aware of remaining blocks, explore those, include in the heart-centered practices (do towards), invite in healing etc.
- types of practices
- ho’o, tonglen, metta
- heart / jesus prayer
- christ meditation
- etc. (many more from different traditions)
- ….
- helps us reorient
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