Thread

What is a complex mystery to the mind may be a simple sensation to the heart.

Whether it is grief or joy, follow any faint thread of sensation into the heart. It will open a door. The kingdom of love is just a breath away.
 
"Let the mind descend into the heart" ~Philokalia, Orthodox Christian classic

"Set the mind in the heart." ~Vijnana Bairhava

"See that your chief study be about your heart." ~Jonathan Edwards

But for many of us, the din of electronic media, the buzz of consumer culture, drown our hearts in a stupor of numbness. Our schools teach us that the heart is only a physical pump. Yet science proves otherwise.

Research in neuro-cardiology reveals the heart as both an endocrine and neural center. Like the brain, the heart is rich in chemical neurotransmitters, with an electro-magnetic field hundreds of times stronger than the brain.º

How do we begin to reestablish connection with the heart? Several times a day, even for a few moments, practice this most ancient and simple form of heart meditation: "Let the mind descend into the heart." The breath will guide you there.

Honor even the most delicate fiber of heart-sensation. Merge with it, whether the sensation is pleasant or painful. Even the sting of loss is a thread to the kingdom of God within you. And any sensation is preferable to the anesthesia that our media, our pharmaceuticals, and our shopping malls induce in the heart of America.

The future of humanity depends on whether you awaken your heart.

º Institute of Heartmath