by Christina Sarich
February 08,
2018
from
TheMindUnleashed Website
Spanish version
Johanna Bassols is the creator of
the
Soul Reprogramming Method and founder of
the
Healers of the Light Academy. |
Image: Unknown
Tap into the
Innate Intelligence of the Heart
For far too long, but particularly in the modern, Western world we
have thought of the heart as simply a pumping mechanism responsible
for bringing blood to our organs.
The heart's physical importance is not to be underestimated, it
supports life, sending the blood of life to the tree-like limbs of
our vascular system - but this is an overly simplistic view of what
the heart is capable of.
Gregg Braden's
latest research elaborates on the ancient
technique of using the heart as an intelligent organ.
The heart's intelligence has been ignored for far too long.
What we've learned about
the heart's wisdom, however, in the past several years through the
Heart Math Institute and through the research of psychologists,
neurobiologists, and resurfaced wisdom teachings from our ancient
past, should inspire everyone to look at the heart in a completely
new way.
For those who are not used to using their
innate intelligence - that
is their intuition - tuning into the heart for answers to the most
profound and difficult questions they could possibly drum up might
seem ridiculous.
Why ask the heart whether
to stay in a relationship that is challenging, or even if you should
go through with a medical procedure?
It might seem ignorant or even haphazard to ask the heart questions
like these, but it has wisdom that the intellect cannot match.
Here's why:
The heart does not
send information through an egoic filter.
The heart knows your
past, your present, and your future. Its intelligence does not care
about your egoic constructs.
The heart simply speaks from a
completely neutral place.
What lessons will you learn
if you follow your heart?
You can think of it like a close friend who has your best interest
at heart, and who does not care about making themselves look good in
your eyes.
Hridaya
There is an ancient term that does not have a direct English
translation that describes this intelligence of the heart.
Hridaya, is the energy
which is contained within the heart chakra. This is not just the 'physical heart', but the
'spiritual heart'. It contains the
intelligence of God, or the
transcendental mind.
The word comes from the Sanskrit language, and the closest meaning
to English would be something
like this:
Hrid = center
Ayam = this
Thus, the spiritual heart
always brings you to your center. It will not veer away from your
highest self, always taking in a 360-degree (and beyond) view of any
situation you could possibly face.
The yogi
Bhagavan wrote once to explain this spiritual heart
in more detail:
Just as there is a
cosmic center from which the whole universe arises and has its
being and functions with the power or the directing energy
emanating therefrom, so also is there a center within the frame
of the physical body wherein we have our being.
This center in the
human body is in no way different from the cosmic center. It is
this center in us that is called the Hridaya, the seat of Pure
Consciousness, realized as Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.
This is really what
we call the seat of God in us.
Conversely the mind-brain
thinks of our past experiences, our past erroneous beliefs assigned
to those experiences, and takes all sorts of twists and turns
through a conceptual landscape that we've created to give us a
'right' answer to life's deep questions.
The mind-brain
creates false perceptions
where the heart is true.
A Zen Buddhist can also describe what happens when
we think with the
head (brain) instead of the heart.
We place a fog - a type of perceptual overlay on top of a situation
and then add an emotional investment. We call this 'real,' but this
couldn't be further from the truth.
Yet, we think we have to obtain a
siddhi (great
accomplishment or miracle) in order to obtain supernormal wisdom or
intelligence.
So, we go on trusting the
false perceptions of the mind-brain.
The
Neurobiology of the Heart
Moreover, if we were to look at the simple neurobiology of the heart
- there are many more fibers leading from the heart to the brain
than from the brain to the heart.
This means - as Gregg
Braden recently pointed out in a Gaia talk - that there is much more
communication being sent to the brain then being received from it.
As the
HeartMath Institute explains,
the heart also begins beating
in the unborn fetus before the brain has even been formed, a process
scientists call
auto-rhythmic.
We humans also form an emotional brain long before a
rational one,
and the heart has its own independent complex nervous system known
as 'the brain in the heart.'
The heart can also create a level
of coherence in the body just
through its rhythm, which regulates all its systems, and corrects
even diseased cells.
And finally, the
electromagnetic field of the heart is about 60
times greater in amplitude than the brain, and permeates every cell
in the body.
The magnetic component is
approximately 5,000 times stronger than the brain's magnetic field
and can be detected several feet away from the body with sensitive
magnetometers.
Tapping into the heart's intelligence
will give you wisdom.
How to Think with the
Heart's Wisdom
Here's what Braden suggests to help us learn to tap into the heart's
massive wisdom:
-
Focus on the
heart (and heart chakra). This sends a signal to the heart
that you seek its intelligence.
-
Slow your
breathing. This sends another signal to your body that you
seek higher intelligence, and not that of the normally
stressed, and freaked out ego. Deep breathing calms the
nervous system and quiets the brain.
-
Conjure a sense
of gratitude, compassion, or love. These are the feelings
which trigger an activation of the heart's energy.
-
Ask your heart a
question. The question should be brief and to the point.
-
Everyone will
experience the heart's intelligence a bit differently. You
may feel butterflies in your gut, a warm sensation growing
around your body, or tingling in your fingertips. You may
not feel any bodily sensations, but have a clear, short
answer that comes through your mind. Know that it likely
won't need a long-drawn-out story to 'justify' its wisdom.
The heart speaks directly and clearly. If it isn't, try this
process again to let your body know that you seek the
intelligence of the heart and not the ego.
-
Practice makes
perfect. The more often you do this, the easier it will be
to tap into the seat of pure consciousness - the hridaya.
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