The Difference Between the Heart and Mind

For months I have heard abundance experts talk about how important it is to be present in your body and allow yourself to act through your heart in order to live in "flow". While I have been heeding this advice and making a conscious decision to be present and act from my heart, I found I was still missing pieces to the puzzle. Most of my decisions are based on my rational thought--my mind. Today, I believe I have found a missing piece connecting another large portion of the whole.

I took the time to listen to a Body Dialoging session with Jennifer McLean on her Masterworks Healing membership site (http://www.masterworkshealing.com/) from this past Saturday, which just happened to be 9/11. The call was all about being present in your body and being in flow, but this time it was different. As I allowed myself to participate and went from being present in my body to being outside it and back again, I finally grasped what I had not been able to before. When you are in your rational mind, the mind throws barriers in your path in an act of self-preservation. These barriers are things like the prejudices we are taught or the negative perceptions we have about ourselves or others.  This is where your life's problems come from. This is where disease comes from. This is the seat of conflict. My "A-hah" moment came when I understood that all the problems in my life are outside of me!  I had always believed the turmoil was inside of me. Consequently, I would try to "escape" by using my imagination to leave my body, but in reality my "escape" was the place where conflict lives! At those times during the session when I was present in my body and living in my heart, there were no barriers, there was no conflict--only solutions, only peace, only love. It was powerful!

With this new understanding, I feel confident I can overcome the pitfalls in my life as I learn to stay present in my body and live from my heart. I know my heart is the source of my love, my peace, and my flow. My mind is what the world has taught me. I follow the path of least resistance.   

The Importance of Living In the Now

     As spiritual beings going through this human experience, there are times we find ourselves contemplating both our pasts and our futures. Sometimes the thoughts are pleasant, like memories of being part of a traveling chorus or dreams of becoming a doctor. At other times, these thoughts can bog us down with regrets from the past or fears for the future. The past and the future are not good or bad in and of themselves. They truly only present problems when we spend too much time dwelling on them. It is by living in the present--in the now--that we experience the fullness and abundance life has to offer.
     Last night, I had the privilege of talking with a gifted healer named Mary A. Hall through Jennifer McLean's Masterworks Healing membership site (http://www.masterworkshealing.com/). As I began describing some of my frustration with my life, Mary tuned in to my very strong feeling of disconnect. The bottom line was, I needed to recconnect with my spirit by focusing inside myself and being present in the moment. This would lead me to the answers I was searching for. The truth in what Mary said spoke volumes to me, and I made the conscious decision to follow through.
     Today I made an effort to focus on being present in my body. Periodically I would say to myself, "I am here now." At these times, I would note my physical location as well as my feelings and energy levels. I began to realize I had many things to be thankful for. For example, while chasing after two year olds all day may be physically taxing, it not only keeps me active but it fills me up energetically. I realized my 5 year old car runs well and gets me where I need to be. I was comforted to know where my teenage children were. I felt the love and support my husband provides for me. Throughtout the course of the day I was able to note just how good things were in that moment. I felt a happiness and contentment I have not felt for a long time. I also began to realize how little I have been in my body lately. My energy body--my spiritual self--is very often in the future or past. This was the extreme disconnect I had been feeling! I could feel my mind expand as I embraced this new truth.
     In the now, everything is good. I don't beat myself up over things I should have done in the past. I don't worry about potential problems of the future. I have everything I need in that precise moment. I am alive. I am at peace. I am happy. I am whole.
     I used to think I would achieve the life of my dreams through imagining a better future. Today I know the life of my dreams is already here. It's in the now.