“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Franklin Rooseveldt’s words during the Great Depression may have a resonance for our time.
Fear is a primordial energy that has a vital function in arousing us to danger. But when it becomes a habit it can be bad for health as well as our life experience.
It may be there’s no more of it about now than there was before, but in this “recession” many people feel uncertain about the future – of the economy, climate, politics and so on. In this atmosphere of worry it’s difficult to see how to respond to the situation, to image the future we actually want rather than the one we don’t. So it’s important to lift our consciousness out of the clouds of stress to the clear sky above.
Deep regular breathing clears stress from the body; meditation reassures the fearful ones in our thoughts. Activating the heart-mind brings us courage and more expanded awareness to meet the challenges. With the heart open we can respond to the fear rather than be run by it.
Many cultures recognise the vital part the heart plays in consciousness. Japanese, for example, has two words for heart: shinzu means the physical organ, while kokoro is the heart-mind.
An easy method of activating the heart-mind is to breathe into it. I place my hand and attention on that area in my chest and breathe steadily, aware that oxygen feeds me from the blue veil that surrounds our planet. After a few minutes I feel more alignment in my whole system: there’s synergy between my heart, brain, guts, will and spirit.
I spoke of this tool at a conference in Vermont. The next day a woman approached me at the break:
“I did what you said, and it worked,” she exclaimed.
“Oh, great, what did I say?”
“You told us about breathing through the heart, and feeling love for everything around.
“I was running late this morning and I got pulled over for speeding. Usually that would throw me right off centre, and I’d feel really mad at the cops. But I just sat there and tried to emanate love towards them, and it was amazing.”
“Oh, so they didn’t book you?”
“No, they still gave me a fine, but it wasn’t as much as it should have been. And the energy was so different: I didn’t lose it, I felt fine about the experience.”
So your heart-mind can save you money! And it can do so much to help us “walk in beauty” and enable us to pull through our predicament – individually and collectively.
When we gather in Earth Wisdom ceremonies we explore tools of consciousness like this. It’s a way of training ourselves so we can use them in daily life, while feeling our spirit connection with the Mystery that moves in all things.
Forthcoming Ceremonies:
Samhain – Sunday 30th October 10.00 am – 4.30pm
Connecting with ancestor-spirits, preparing for winter and using the heart-mind for healing and consciousness growth.
Cost £35 Enquiries: smmilner@onetel.com