The power of the heart knows many layers and expressions. Each time we let its warmth and love in, we experience new things, new possibilities, new layers … This gives us so much joy and life energy. While at the same time we experience how these sparkles extinguish when disappointment, disillusion and grief trouble our hearts.

We can re-light these sparkles by freeing our heart from its burdens which will also help us in creating a brighter world. Contributing to a better future is a shared responsibility for all of us. This is also about exploring the true power of the heart and its awareness in our everyday lives. Through this journey we become more and more connected with the heart and start making real differences.

Relieving our hearts

We will undeniably create a brighter future from the inspiration of a light heart than from experiences of disappointment, frustration and fear. In order to accomplish this we have to relieve our hearts from the burdens of negative experiences, feelings and thinking patterns. Although these current times really shake our grounds, challenge the existence of our lives and trigger negative sentiments, we might also perceive them as an invitation.

An invitation to start relieving our troubled hearts and to face what lies underneath. The trick is to face this without judging or labeling things in good and bad, nice and not nice, … and to welcome all experiences, emotions and feelings open heartedly. And to allow them to be present as they are.

How to blossom your heart?
Focus on your heart while gently breathing from your belly. Observe how your heart becomes bigger and more spacious when giving attention. Like a bud slowly opening, blossoming and becoming a beautiful flower. Notice how everything can be present as it is, and smile. Keep on breathing from your belly.
This exercise empowers open heartedness.

Heart-touching moments (of connectedness)

Surely we all know moments that remind us of what truly matters in life. Moments in which we experience the need or importance of being cared for. In which someone reaches out without judging and we truly feel understood or listened to. It is easier to grasp such moments by our heart than by interpreting them rationally. For this we simply have to let the experiences in and let go of all of the judgements, labels and stories we generally give them.

We have to lay down shields of (self)protection and let go the inner conversations of the mind and its desire to label things in right and wrong, and start the conversation with our heart. When doing this more often, we slowly shift our daily focus on the mind and its thinking towards the heart, its warm embrace and carryfull support. We start making more heartfelt choices this way.

Holding Space

Holding Space is a wonderful example of this. It’s about being present in our heart; about being there for someone by giving support from an open heart. This implies dedicated support without being judgmental, without wanting to solve or improve someone’s situation nor wanting to ‘fix’ the other. By doing so one gives space and encourages the other to be oneself. One empowers, supports and shows care without judging or bringing in conditions.

Besides holding space is about ‘holding one’s own sacred space’. This means creating space for oneself, being centered and in connection with the heart. To realize this, it helps to ask our heart more often what is needed Now. This also makes it easier to stay true to ourselves and our unique path.

Consciousness of the heart

Our daily actions become more aligned with our heart when considering within each moment what we think and feel and when connecting with this open heartedly. This way we cultivate making heartfelt choices and start acting from the pure power of the heart rather than from a troubled heart. As we become more present without judging, we can easier see beyond the troubles, separateness and uncertainty of things.

This gives us more inner peace and clarity, and we begin to realize we truly meet another when being present in the heart in full awareness. We feel encouraged to choose more often for the warm embrace of the heart, its love and compassion in all that we do. Till it becomes part of our natural behavior and we welcome everything and everyone (in life) open heartedly, and unconditionally.

Actions from the Heart

It takes real courage to take this road. But if one does, one becomes aware of a connection from the heart word-transcending. One then truly becomes the powerful force love is.

May this encourage each one of us to fully explore the journey towards connectedness from the heart in our everyday lives and make the world a brighter place this way.

This article – published on OMTimes on May 30 2017 – is part of a series on consciousness of the heart
1- A journey towards connectedness from the heart
2- Wisdom of the hidden knowing
3- How to rise above the tension of money?
4- How to actually sow seeds of love and expand the horizon of possibilities?
5- Expanding the awareness of the heart