Heart Connection

I have been recently working with a young human on emotional regulation and breathwork.

It has been profound, to say the least. We have worked on externalizing the internal world by creating emotion creatures, which has led to amazing and brilliant conversations.

My questions are things like: What does the anger creature sound like? How do they move? Who is the scared creature? What do they need? Do they have any friends? How do they breathe?

Being a part of these sessions, I find myself thinking, Wow, I wish I would’ve had this when I was young. My appreciation for this work is huge. What is also so great about it is that I’m learning so much through teaching. Kids are so brilliant. They remind me so much of what is important in life.

One thing that has become very clear is the importance of being connected to the heart while experiencing the full breadth of a human life in each moment.

I think being connected to the heart is one of the most important things humans can do, and I think it is absolutely possible in every single moment.

To me, the heart is the core of consciousness. The heart is one of the greatest miracles. The heart is one with planet Earth. It is at the center of all life.

Healing might just be the path of reconnecting with the heart.

Perhaps enlightenment of consciousness exists, but I don’t see the human experience becoming devoid of emotions or challenges anytime soon.

What I do know to be available is that even in the throes of deep despair and darkness, we can include our heart in our awareness.

That’s kind of what I’ve been teaching this kid: to include the heart in their awareness, especially while we are interacting with these challenging emotional creature friends.

Even when the heart is not in our awareness, it is still working perfectly, quietly whispering its wise guidance into our ears.

One way to connect with the wisdom of the heart is by intentionally bringing your awareness toward it. I think connection, in general, has a lot to do with awareness.

I’ve been working on being connected to my heart during incredibly mundane moments. It is obviously easier to feel connected when interacting with or doing things I love. I am reminded that the rest of my life deserves that same level of connection.

Including my heart in my awareness moment by moment, and returning to that connection after getting distracted, is what I think helps me remember why I’m here—what my purpose is at the root.

Even though I don’t know where I’m going, my heart’s infinite knowing tells me what to do now.

They say, Trust your heart. Walk a path with heart. Be heart-led.

These are more than just words or phrases. They must be actualized through healing and by practicing what you learn along your healing path.

Healing is learning to love yourself. To me, that means you are connected to your heart, and you know it.

Some people are naturally giving and loving, but are they connected to their heart, or are they simply acting from conditioning?

Maybe after connecting to your heart, you realize you want something else for your life. Maybe being selfish is exactly what your heart wants for you in this phase.

This touches on shadow work, which helps you meet yourself—all the fragmented and disconnected parts within the darkness that can keep your heart guarded, untouched, defended, and disconnected.

Sometimes your whole heart is in the dark because it is shrouded with pain. This is why the path back to your heart can be arduous, with many obstacles and derailing stages.

Working with your brain can only take you so far. It can be an incredible ally, but it is half informed, at best.

To me, a heart-body-mind-spirit connection is the goal we are all after. This is what we are here to do as humans.

If you need help paving that path back to your heart, find it.

If you don’t understand what this means or how to develop and strengthen your connection to your heart, simply lean into understanding who you are and what you are made of. If you do that with the right intention, I think you’ll find your heart beating, just as it always has throughout your whole life. And with that, perhaps you’ll feel gratitude for this incredible gift.

An Invitation to Practice

Feel Your Heart, Be in Love

Take 5–10 minutes today to simply be with your heart.

Find a comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes if that feels supportive.

Take a few slow, deep, intentional breaths, filling your belly, then your chest, and exhaling fully through your mouth.

Gently place your hand over your heart and begin breathing your awareness into the center of your chest.

Can you feel your heartbeat? Can you include in your awareness the rhythm of your heartbeat and the rising and falling of your breath?

If not, that’s okay. Keep breathing. Keep your awareness there.

Notice that your heart has been beating your entire life, pumping blood throughout your body without question.

It has been there through every joyful moment, every heartbreak, every celebration, every fear, every mistake, every success, every night of sleep, and every ordinary moment in between.

For the next few moments, invite appreciation for this incredible creation.

See if gratitude naturally begins to arise for the ways your heart has always been present with you as you experienced life.

Give thanks to your heart in whatever way feels available and unforced. Name a few things you love about your heart.

Take a few more slow breaths.

This practice, though incredibly simple, can make a huge difference in how you move through the world.

To complete today’s newsletter, read the following out loud or silently to yourself.

May I have an intimate relationship with my heart so that I may remain connected to its wisdom.

May I have clarity around my wounds, behaviors, conditioning, and anything that disconnects me from my heart, so that I may gently find my way back.

May I have the courage to keep returning to my heart, even when life feels difficult, uncertain, or painful.

May I move through this world with deep presence, responsiveness, and flexibility.

May I remember that when I’m connected to my heart, I will always know what to do next.

And so it is.