I like the Love’s Ambassador game. Catching the Now state is not at all easy, but just tapping into that stillness, so that an awareness of love can be present, is a good-feeling practice.
This morning I saw a short film of the Dalai Llama answering a girl’s question to him: ‘What would be your one piece of advice to the children of America?’ His reply was to develop both a ‘ sharp brain’ and a ‘warm heart’ in equal measure. Beautiful. Your thoughts on this?
Good morning, dear soul. Your company is always welcome here. The ‘warm-hearted’ aspect settles right into the previous conversations about being present and slipping into the role of ‘Love’s Ambassador’. Can you feel your heart in the ‘warm’ state?
I can! I know exactly the physical shift I feel when I move into the warm-hearted state. It’s different to being ‘open-hearted’. There’s a particular kindness, compassion and….an easeful ‘tolerance’ to all that is, including the stuff the mind is trying to label as ‘wrong’, ‘stupid’, ‘treacherous’.
You can observe the mind labelling, and still steady the heart so that it should not close down or flee. It’s a very accepting state, isn’t it?
Yes, and it brings me relief because I don’t need to change, remedy or correct anything in that state. I can love everything exactly as it is: not because I am ignoring imperfections, but because any perceived outer imperfections do not threaten my inner stability. They don’t trigger my amygdala, I guess.
Aha! Beautiful. Yes, the warm-hearted state disarms the amygdala. It’s a profoundly self-soothing state. It gets ahead of the game of reactivity, by decreeing everything as acceptable and lovable before it even arises.
‘Whatever arises, love that’, says Matt Kahn.
Matt Kahn also talks about becoming ‘heart-centred’. The feeling of warm-heartedness is a stepping-stone to becoming heart-centred.
What does ‘heart-centred’ mean?
Heart-centred means ‘governed by the heart’.
As opposed to the mind?
It’s not quite one or the other. You see, the heart would never take a unilateral approach. The heart is always considerate of the mind. The mind however, in a governing role, often squeezes the heart out.
And what does ‘governing’ mean in this context?
Setting the goals, policies, principles upon which decisions are made, and actions set.
Performing the sovereign role.
Would the Mind act as dictator, and the Heart as consultative leader?
The Heart facilitates an overall state of wellbeing, balance and harmony. That is its aim. Whereas the Mind undertakes to perform actions for the sake of stated outcomes. ‘The end justifies the means’ would be its approach.
The warm Heart keeps a hand on the rudder of the sailing boat to ensure steadiness of motion forward towards an overall destination.
The Mind hops off the wind-powered boat to take the petrol-powered jet ski to the destination instead. It’s super fast, but it may stir up deep waters, leave pollution, frighten off the wildlife, run out of fuel halfway there, annoy other water-users, bump into swimmers…
Yes! This I can relate to. When I get into a Mind-governed state, I feel my heart harden over (partly in self-protection, partly to silence its voice), and I go into super-drive.
How best shall I remain in the ‘warm-hearted’ state today?
Place you hand on your sternum from time to time, and feel the ‘reading’ you get. Check in with your heart mentally too, especially when you’re talking to another. Lead with softness when you go into a new situation. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Observe feelings arising, and invite them in – don’t flee from them or shut them down. Let discomfort, fear, anxiety be present and welcome, should they arise. Don’t dismiss any emotions arising. Connect upwards. Lean forwards into your day, heart first. Use your breath as an anchor, breathing into your heart to let yourself grow warm-hearted, organically and at the heart’s own pace.
Thank you. I like this exercise.
And it likes you.
I am growing warm-hearted