Leading from the Heart...
“…let’s see with our hearts…”
Does the heart have ‘eyes’ and vision ?
“…the great heart within…”
Does the heart have ‘voice’ and expression ?
Today, I ask my Power to allow my heart’s vision to be seen and my heart’s expression to be lived into. I practice to feel the warm connection to my Power, to my Self, and to other beings.
For some of us, the experiences of a life lived in dis-embodiment and dis-connection have left us unable and unwilling to feel into the vision and expression of our hearts. At best, as we practice the principles of recovery and yoga, we reach a place where we can allow and accept the possibility of a heart beating beneath our breast plate, powering our circulatory system, and being infused by the life force that arrives with each breath…and that acceptance opens us to a moment of peace. The reward of that peace can be inspirational and motivational toward continuing to practice opening to the wisdom of the heart and feeling into the courage required to make the choices we need to make.
My teacher suggests that we take a posture for meditation “…that gives voice to the great heart within you…”. This reminder that every posture, every moment, every breath provides an opportunity to be in connection with the heart is an affirmation that “the past does not equal the present” and that change is always available. Having been taught that recovery is owning agency, the ability and responsibility to choose, I affirm that teaching by choosing to ask for help from Source to allow the heart to be seen and expressed. I take my seat; or move onto my mat; or share my experience, strength, and hope; or hold space and share practice; or meet the mundane requirements of moving through each day; with an intention to have a ‘felt experience’ of being present in my body and open to connection.
My habit and conditioned response is to resist feeling, and these practices work against that resistance, and thus are challenging. Yet, I remember, from when I was much younger and involved in physical training regimens, that working against resistance yields growth and impactful results. And so, with gratitude and respect, I invoke the Recovery 2.0 prayer reminder to “…thank you, for the joys AND CHALLENGES of life…” and continue to practice, in order to become aware of, and familiar with, the feeling of “warm connection” that lies beyond my anxiety and insecurity and overwhelm and sheer terror of emotional allowance and acceptance. As the practice deepens and becomes consistent, the ability to Self regulate and differentiate expands and the voices of dis-connection become recognizable and manageable. Beyond that plateau I find that I am able to acknowledge and live into the moment by moment awareness of what is happening now, and to hold that gently and compassionately, without the need to modify nor ignore. This allowance and acceptance, consistently applied, is felt as surrender and opens the door to trust…in God, in Self, in the intelligence inherent in the heart, in the collective spirit of other beings in relationship.
Today’s quote : “ Courage is the price that life exacts for granting Peace.” Amelia Earhart
Today’s prayer: “Today I pray for the courage to do what I am called to do.”
Be It So.
https://youtu.be/b9L0ewWvge8