‘Follow your head, not your heart’

How many times have we heard that saying as if it was the only correct and realistic approach to life. Now, after seeing the results of heartless choices made in many areas of life from economics to social policy to animal welfare, we know that head alone can be cold and even cruel. It also places a perverse importance on following rules regardless of consequences.

Today we are living a lot of consequences of following our head at the expense of heart. But with the rising spiritual awareness in the world today, we are re-opening many closed doors, like the one that says ‘Follow your Heart’.

Far from being hopelessly romantic, the heart’s intelligence is higher than the brain’s and its electromagnetic field is much larger. For scientific evidence of the heart’s intelligence, have a look at the work being done by the Institute of HeartMath.

The heart has 60 times greater electrical activity than the brain. (Who would have thought!) It is the most powerful transmitter of electro-magnetic energy in the body.

The heart and brain do communicate and influence each other and, ideally, the heart should be the reality check while the brain the workhorse. This is the most powerful combination leading to spiritual intelligence.

When you don’t think too hard but let your distributed intelligence (head-heart-body) be your guide, you will see that thoughts-feelings-actions are much more in harmony. This means you burn up less energy and your health improves. Also, your dear heart will never limit you in the way the mind can.

The heart’s intelligence will avoid needless complexity and cuts through mental rigidity. The heart is where your faculty of intuition lies.

I once had a worrying thought, but instead of letting it take root in my mind, I switched to being aware of my heart. As soon as I did this my mind let go of the worry and I was at peace.

Some people say they find it difficult to tap into their heart intelligence, they are so used to working with their minds. Here are some simple exercises that will make your heart sense stronger.

Feel the pulse of life

1. Close your eyes and imagine your heart in your chest area.
2. With your finger tips, feel for the pulse in your wrist.
3. Breath in and out, notice the number of pulses per in and out breath.

When you do this a few times you start to feel in your heart area a general warmth, or even a glow whenever you turn your attention to your heart.

Meditation to Open the Heart

1. In a quiet time when you can be peacefully alone, focus on your heart.
2. Take a deep breath to fill your lungs, then exhale slowly.
3. Ask yourself ‘How do I feel?’ You don’t need to answer.
4. Inhale again, then as you exhale, imagine your heart has a front door and it flings wide open.
6. Continue relaxed breathing.

Visualisation – Elevator Technique

1. Close your eyes. Imagine that a miniature you has stepped into an elevator that’s in your mind.
2. See the elevator doors close and it descends to the heart area.
3. The elevator door opens, and the miniature you steps out on the Heart Floor.