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As this lunar cycle’s theme is “HEART”, I’ve been contemplating on the question on how we can listen to our hearts better. When I say “heart”, I mean the heart energy center in the middle of our chests and here is where our Soul and the Divine part of ourselves (Spirit) reside.
By paying attention to what our Soul has to say, we can gain clarity on what our purpose here on Earth is. It helps us to prioritize what’s really important in our lives, and for our actions to be aligned with our heart’s deepest callings.
Listening to our heart doesn’t mean that we just allow our emotions to lead us and make impulsive decisions. Rather, we are tuned into the wisdom residing inside our heart. We allow our intuition to guide us, and trust that we are in the flow of Life. We respond rather than react, and that’s how we can live more consciously in our life with meaning.
In today’s blog, I will guide you through my own 3-step process to help you listen and connect to your heart better. The steps are simple to follow, yet you do need to take the time to actually do them.
Step #1: Turn Down All Distractions
Imagine your Soul whispering to you. How would that sound like?
Usually people describe that sound as the small still voice inside the heart. If we are not used to listening to our Soul, then it’s really like a whisper. It’s very hard to listen to a whisper when we are constantly bombarded by other loud voices outside and inside us.
In order to listen to that whisper, turn off all the distractions around you. That includes checking your phone, watching news or TV, listening to the radio, and conversations with other people.
This also includes turning down the inner critic voice inside you. Instead of letting your ego to judge or criticize yourself, imagine you are holding space for your best friend – which is your heart. Be non-judgmental and kind. Listen attentively and keep an open mind.
A simple way to move away from all the distractions is to enter a physical space which is quiet and that you can be alone for a little while.
My Tip: Check out my blog on “Getting Started with Your First Superpower – Meditation” on how you can prepare a quiet and sacred space for meditation (or time to drop into your heart space in step #2) by engaging your five senses.
Step #2: Drop Into Your Heart Space
The simplest way to drop into your heart space is through meditation. However, I find that sometimes starting with physical movement or exercise, like yoga or Tai Chi, can help with this process.
In my own daily practice, I usually begin with a japa meditation (chanting a mantra for 108 times), and the silence after the chanting can help me drop into my heart space better.
Physical exercise is a great gateway to help drop into the heart space too, providing you have some quiet time afterwards to do so. For example, the corpse pose (shavasana) at the end of a yoga class can help us to do this.
Sometimes it can be a labyrinth walk, a tea ceremony, journaling, or a combination of soul-nourishing activities.
These activities help us get out of our minds, and anchor our consciousness into our heart centers better.
Once we are dropped into our heart space, that’s when we can tune in and listen.
My Tip: I love this 2-step meditation from Gregg Braden called “Quick Coherence Technique” to align the heart and the mind and it is super easy to follow. Once I follow this meditation, it takes me in instantly into my heart space. I highly recommend trying it out.
Step #3: Trust Your Heart’s Guidance and Act On It
Now that you have paid attention, maybe you can actually hear your Soul’s whisper. Maybe it’s a very loud yet gentle voice sharing a word, a simple phrase, or an answer. Maybe instead of hearing anything, you can see images floating through your mind. Or maybe you have a sensation in your body, a feeling or a deep sense of knowing.
There had been so many times that I heard what my heart said, but when it came to the time to act on it, I panicked and doubted myself again.
My mind started to judge and analyze. Would I look silly if I do this? What would other people think of me? Was this really the right answer?
At the beginning, we may need more confirmation from the outside world before we can trust our hearts fully. That is totally normal, since we were never taught to trust our hearts at school. That’s when I will ask the Universe for signs and support. If this is really what I should be doing, please show me a sign.
Sometimes I get a nudging feeling from my heart, and I couldn’t get the thought off my mind. Sometimes I overhear other people saying something that is completely on point with my heart’s guidance. Sometimes I pick an oracle card and the message reconfirms with my feelings. These are the signs from the Universe.
When I trust my heart’s guidance and act on it, there is a deep sense of knowing that I am doing the right thing, or at least I am on the right path leading up to something.
We will never know if the actions we do are “right” for other people or the world. But when we act according to our heart’s guidance, we KNOW that the decision is right for us. And that’s what matters.
My Tip: I love picking an oracle card as a reminder, confirmation, or additional message for myself. Below are a couple of my favorite card decks that are powerful and easy to use.
- Soulful Woman Guidance Cards by Shushann Movsessian & Gemma Summers
- Work Your Light Oracle Cards by Rebecca Campbell
