Sparking the Inner Fire

Resources

Apr 21

I gift myself a biannual psychic reading from a trusted, dear intuitive friend. Sometimes it’s because my life went further off the rails; other times, it’s a nurturing check in and realignment. And even though each reading is unique to the period in my life, she often repeats one phrase—a single thematic through line:

"Get Out Of Your Head And Into Your Heart"

I admittedly dismissed this advice for the first few sessions because it sounded overly glib—like the message on a Yogi Tea bag or a Dove Chocolate.

Yet, I came to realize something. My head—my thoughts—are experts at deception. My overthinking tendencies talk me into or out of anything while paralyzing me with fear. I imagine that in those readings, the psychic knew what I was thinking and saw it was at war with how I was truly feeling. My internal GPS knew the way, while my head convinced me otherwise. You, too?

Through the practices of Yin Yoga and Reiki, I came to learn the body’s three major energy centers: head/heaven, heart, and root/earth/Hara.

They’re each infinitely powerful in their own way, but the head…oof. It’s sneaky. As my teacher says, “Our thoughts reflect our beliefs. Our beliefs run our lives, especially the unexamined ones.” If we think we’re unworthy or unable, we believe we are. Of course, the inverse is true: if we think we’re able, we are. Since we are human, though, our thoughts love to sprint full-speed towards the negative spaces: worry, anxiety, and fear, and these beliefs shape our world.

The wisdom of the heart reminds us otherwise. This magnificent midpoint in the body is a training ground inviting us to practice loving ourselves while expanding our capacity to hold all others in empathy. But the heart is its own minute trickster—this muscular organ needs to be trained and cultivated like any other muscle in our body.

Thankfully, the ancients gave us a spiritual user manual for the heart.

The Buddah identified four qualities of the heart space that require development. They’re known as Brahma-viharas, or the divine abodes. They’re translated to mean:

-loving-kindness

-joy

-compassion

-equanimity

and they create a heart space that is full, open, clear, and strong.

By practicing Yin Yoga, meditation, and breathwork, you can embody the principles of Buddha’s Divine Abodes and train your heart.

I warmly invite you to my Yin Yoga module on May 18-19, where we’ll explore the anatomy of the heart and cultivate compassion. This weekend Yin’tensive is designed for anyone who wants to explore methods to nourish their hearts, whether they’re new to Yin or experienced practitioners.

To celebrate the May's heart module, enjoy my gift of a digital sigil curated for the heart and the element of fire. I use this Reiki-infused intention to remind me of the heart's abodes and to live in compassion.