“I name it silence. Some people say self, or love, or fullness. It is actually life itself.”
~Gangaji
Living from the heart is incredibly relaxing. You stop using your mind to analyze, plan, organize, and figure everything out. What a relief! As you let go of all of that mind activity, you are able to relax into presence, where there is no trouble and no resistance.
When you live from the heart, you begin to touch into the universal experience of love. Love is the source of everything – the fabric which makes up our very existence.
Sure, there are many waves in the ocean, but they all are made up of the same thing. Play with letting go of your individual self and live from the eternal ocean of love.
- Ask, “What would love do?” In any situation, look for the response that is peaceful and free of stress. Put aside your fears and conditioned habits, and let love guide you.
- Let love pervade every conversation. Can you not take your relationships for granted and be more openly loving? Even when things get tense, drop away from your emotional reaction and melt back into love.
- Treat yourself like gold. When it comes to love, you are included, too. Tune into what you need and let yourself have it. Live as stress-free a life as possible.
- Be here now. Spinning stories in your mind about things that have happened in the past and what might happen in the future take you away from what is here right now. When you are stuck in your mind, it is impossible to be fully in touch with the love that is here. Let your attention explore this very moment. Open your senses, open your heart, and live from there.
- Become aware of the oneness of love. Consider this: what is looking out of your eyes is the same as what is looking out of everyone else’s eyes. When you meet an “other,” you are actually meeting the essence of yourself. When you understand this, love is impossible to deny. Check it out with the next person you speak to.
- Don’t obsessively plan. In fact, only plan when absolutely necessary. Planning is in the mind, and when you realize how little planning you actually need, there is space to recognize that you are alive right now. And in that aliveness, let your heart glow.
- Make hard choices. When you live from the heart, you begin to be very honest with yourself. You may realize that certain situations or people aren’t working for you. Likewise, you will see your own tendencies that don’t serve. Sometimes, the most loving response you can make is a kind but firm, “No.”
- Honor your personality quirks. A funny thing happens when you live from the heart. As conditioning falls away, your natural gifts and inclinations have space to be expressed. Let your creativity flow in whatever way it wants to. Go where you are guided, learn what you want to learn, enjoy yourself in all your activities.
- Bring boundless acceptance to your moment-to-moment experience. Be a kind host to all the emotions and reactions that visit you. The more you resist, the more trouble you will have. Say, “Hello” and let it be.
- Get to know the unconditioned, totally free you. When you relax away from all your conditioned habits, you will discover formless space that is clear, open, and inherently loving. Begin to become familiar with this space, as it is the essence of you. Listen, let it guide you. Live here.
In any moment you have a choice – the head or the heart, inauthenticity or truth, distraction or love. Play around with living more in your heart. Don’t be shy. Let love in, and life’s greatest treasures will be revealed.
What is your experience of living from the heart? Is it easy? Do you resist? I’d love to hear…
Sibyl says
Gail: I love this post and this message. I think it is such powerful advice. I really love the list you shared. It is always so great to know specifically how we can live out great wisdom in our everyday lives. Thanks for this list.
Gail Brenner says
My pleasure, Sibyl. I love your enthusiasm – just another way that we live from our hearts – to be unabashedly enthusiastic – which you are!
Armen Shirvanian says
Hi Gail.
Planning sure can mess things up. Sometimes, I will make a list of things I need to do, and then none get done, and then sometimes, I don’t make a list, and I get what I needed to do done. I guess the list is more of a side thing than a main needed step.
On your note about making hard choices, that makes sense, because when we make a hard choice, an hour later, we have an easier time.
I want a flourishing life so I come here.
Gail Brenner says
You are most welcome here, Armen. So great to see you!
How can we follow our hearts when we are busy planning? And, as you have discovered, you do just fine without all the planning.
Bonnie Perry says
I had a story in my mind that living from the heart does not always seem easy, but in the direct experience of it in the moment, I noticed that what was hard was actually trying ‘not’ to live from the heart. That was what had been feeling difficult.
To my surprise and relief I also found that authenticity had no agenda or description to it, it was discovered in the moment and that was fine.
Unfortunately, it seems many of us need to be given permission of sorts to relax with this living from the heart, so as we do just that and take advantage of life affirming blogs like this, there is a bigger reach than we know.
Bonnie Perry
Gail Brenner says
Hi Bonnie,
If we need permission to live from our hearts, I don’t mind saying it over and over. We are going against strong conditioning, so reminders are essential.
I love how you recognize your ideas about what being true means. And, in truth, we can’t know what it means or what it will look like. When we stay in the now, life unfolds perfectly. We get to go along for the ride!
David says
Hi Gail,
Lovely pointers. I’m especially with you on No 6.
You can plan yourself to death & absorb all the “worries” that go with it…..unnecessarily. Just go with 2-3 majors & the blanks will fill themselves in.
be good to yourself
David
P.S No3 is priceless
Gail Brenner says
Hi David,
We seem to have a taboo against taking care of our own needs. But what we find is this interesting paradox. The more we care for ourselves, the more available we are for others. As you probably know in your work, when you come from fullness rather than depletion, there is so much more space and clarity. Living from the heart definitely includes ourselves.
David says
Well said, Gail
lika says
i really foud this post usefull!
i will try to use the things you mentioned in the list and hope it will help my life be more flourishing.
thank u
🙂
Gail Brenner says
You are most welcome, Ilka.
Amberlyn says
I love, love, love this article.
“Be a kind host to all the emotions and reactions that visit you.”
These oceans can be so troubled, but I’m learning to have compassion with all of my reactions. They disolve almost effortlessly now.
Namaste.
Gail Brenner says
Great, Amberlyn. Simply allow everything with great compassion – no resistance at all. This is the end of the inner war.
noch says
yes “be here now” – one thing i am struggling with and learning!
thanks for the reminder
noch 🙂
Gail Brenner says
Hi Noch,
Maybe consider that being in the present happens when struggling ends. What if you were to relax completely – away from everything – put all effort down. You might discover exactly what you are striving to find.
Tracy Quantz says
Hi Gail,
Excellent article – thank you. I would love to sign up for your conference call on Sat. but the link seems to be broken – please advise.
Cheers,
Tracy
Gail Brenner says
Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for stopping by. The call was on Saturday, October 29. But stay tuned…there will probably be another one in the near future.
olivia34newton says
I really enjoy reading your post, I always love to live life from my heart, and I believe that’s the reason why I am happy.. =)
Gail Brenner says
Thanks for stopping by, Olivia. You have discovered the direct route to happiness!
David says
Beautifully written Gail and really great reminder. Thank you 🙂
Really love this quote too… ‘The heart has it’s reason, of which reason knows nothing’ (Pascal)
Gail Brenner says
Great to meet you, David! Thanks so much for stopping by.
Michael Finch says
A nice piece of content I say Gail. Actually, it’s good to take action what your heart say. But, sometime you’ve to faced some strange situations as well if you’re completely relying on heart. So, prepare yourself accordingly I must say.
Gail Brenner says
Thanks for your comment, Michael. Yes, listen to your heart – and be wise as you move forward.