What's in your heart?
What’s in your heart? A question Caren Benstead (Founder of The Well Retreat) asked me when we were exploring dreams for new offerings at The Well. This small, but mighty question made me take a breath. Wow, how often does an employer ask you, ‘What’s in your heart?’ I’m guessing not very often, if at all, unless you are fortunate enough to have someone like Caren in your working life.
I have been blessed with wonderful managers in my career to date and I am forever grateful to them, however the constraints of a corporate environment, means that quite often, budgets or the business’s strategic goals speak louder than our heart’s desires and I completely understand that in order for the business to survive and ultimately thrive, these are the parameters that need to be governed.
But what if our heart is nudging us towards something else?
Not only did Caren genuinely want to know, she also wanted to support me to make them a reality. Well, this question really got me thinking, what actually is in my heart? How often do we even ask ourselves that question, and secondly, do we stop to listen to what our heart says, or do we dismiss our heart so readily, being ruled by the practicalities of our thinking mind, other people’s opinions and life in general?
I decided to take some time to listen to what my heart may whisper to me…
I meditated on the question, journalled and let my mind wander while doing my other daily tasks. What came to me was less of an obvious knowing, more a subtle energy rising within. My heart didn’t sing out as soon as I posed the question, it was a gradual emergence of this feeling. When I took action to follow the faint feeling, it was then that I gained a more certain sense of knowing, things just started to feel right. I would wake excited with ideas and be filled with inspiration as I lay down to sleep. It’s these energies of feelings, surges in our body, that tell us, this is our heart speaking. Perhaps this is the same as tuning into what we may call our intuition or our soul’s voice.
What if our mind gets in the way?
Of course when exploring these musings, our thinking mind may well predict all the possible problems and ask us, ‘how is that possible?’ Or say, ‘that will never work.’ Sometimes those doubts may be too great to make any changes, or the timing may not be quite right. Perhaps we can start by exploring smaller curiosities, what about where to go for a walk, or what to have for dinner? It can be as simple as noticing what brings us joy, what lights a spark within us. Perhaps we feel an urge to reach out to a friend, let’s follow that and see where it may take us. Knowing these fragments of fulfilment, may in fact lead us to living a life where we welcome more of these moments.
The future may not always be clear to us, it rarely is, however taking some steps to follow something that excites us must have the potential for experiencing some joy along the way right? Well, that’s the stance I’m currently taking and trusting in the words of Erykah Badu:
"Follow your heart.
It will get you to where you need to be."
So I wonder, what’s in your heart and where may it take you?
If you are feeling intrigued to explore what’s in your heart, I’ve included a heart-lead mindful practice and some journalling prompts for you below. I wish you much joy as you venture into this space.
Heart-lead mindful practice
Sit in a peaceful environment, no distractions. Place one hand on your heart and one on your solar plexus, just below your ribs. Take some deep, slow breaths and invite your awareness to flow to your heart.
You may have a particular question to ask your heart, or you may be open to any insights. Spend a few minutes noticing with curiosity any thoughts that arise and any sensations in your body associated with them.
Try not to force thoughts or feelings, just invite this moment of presence with yourself, free from any expectation or judgement, a peaceful sense of acceptance for anything you may happen to notice. Please do not worry if you are unsure, these things take time and we can absolutely still feel the benefits of a few minutes of mindful practice to connect to our calm.
Journal prompts to invite your heart to speak
What makes my inner light shine?
What would I love to welcome more of in my life?
Where am I feeling stuck?
When have I denied or ignored my heart?
How can I bring more love to my heart?
When have I trusted and followed my heart before?
If there were no constraints what would I choose to do?
If I were to follow my heart, how would I feel?
What simple action could I take to explore my heart?
With love
Sarah x