Five Ways to Open Your Heart

Love

Start by giving yourself unconditional love. You can’t totally love and accept others when you have negative self-talk going on. After years of working with many clients in the field of Energy Healing, I am convinced that the #1 common denominator in every issue is the lack of self- worth, self-acceptance, self-love. Love is what we were born with; fear is what we have learned here. Our spiritual journey is to let go of the fear in order to accept the love back into our hearts. Recognize that we don’t make any mistakes we don’t need to in order to learn the lessons that are necessary for our growth. Listen to the lesson, forgive yourself, and move forward with love.

Help others

We all know the best way to lift ourselves when we are down is by giving service to someone else. It’s a universal law; you can’t bless the life of another without receiving blessings in return. It is as if we are all connected (which we are) by an invisible thread, and each time we lift another, we too are lifted. Likewise, each time we put someone else down, we also bring ourselves down. Helping a fellow-being, whether friend or stranger, is truly the best thing to do when you feel sorry for yourself. It opens your heart by helping you realize there are others in less fortunate circumstances right now than you.

We all need a helping hand from time to time. Opportunities for service are all around us. We all have our own gifts to share, and I believe God puts people in our path to give us an opportunity to do just that. There’s no more potent way to thank God for your gifts, or to increase them, than by sharing them with others.

Sing

Whether on key, off key, in the shower, rocking a baby, or singing along with your favorite uplifting music, good music is a great way to open your heart. Research has shown that every tone, every sound has a vibration to it. When we listen to or sing music that resonates with our own “personal tone,” it is exceptionally healing.

I have many CDs that I intuitively know are good for me and I love to sing along with them in the kitchen while I cook. One of my favorites is Josh Groban, although I must admit, since I don’t know the language, I have to fake it on the Spanish songs. Funny thing, my food always seems to turn out better when I have great music playing while preparing it. My belief is that good music has a high vibration, and it raises the vibration in me, in the food, and in the room so of course everything will taste better! What a great way to open my heart, as well as the hearts of those I enjoy cooking for.

Laugh

Doesn’t it feel great to have a good ol’ belly laugh? And what a great way to release toxins from your body. Research shows there are many medical and psychological benefits of laughter. Laughter can heal pain, reduce stress, help you sleep like a baby, diffuse tension in difficult situations, boost your immunity, foster creativity, multiply your productivity, extend your life, expand your point of view, bond you to others, increase your charm and charisma, make you happy, and help you live in the moment. So go on, read a silly book with a child and find yourself laughing at their giggles, watch a Jim Carrey movie, or find another episode of “Seinfeld” to watch for the 12th time!

Move

Movement is a great way to physically open your heart. One of my favorite Qigong movements is called Separating Heaven and Earth (also called Penetrating Heaven and Earth). This exercise is a powerful stretch that releases excess energies while bringing fresh oxygen to the cells. It opens the meridians, expels toxic energies, and stimulates fresh energy to flow through the joints. It is helpful to do this at the first sign of cold or flu. This movement is one of the warm-ups on both the Tai Chi Flow for Pregnancy and the Tai Chi Flow for Everybody video/dvd.

Stand tall, yet relaxed. With a deep inhalation through your nose, bring hands to “prayer position” in front of the chest. Exhale deeply. Again, breathe in through the nose, while raising your right hand toward heaven (palm facing upward) and your left hand toward earth (palm facing down). Gently stretch as if pushing something away in both directions. Hold this position for as long as is comfortable. Then release your breath through your mouth, returning your hands to prayer position. Repeat, this time extending the left hand upward and the right hand to earth.

I like to do at least three cycles of this when I get out of bed in the morning. I also do it when I have been working on the computer or other project for a little too long. The stretching and fresh oxygen feel great and help to clear my brain! In addition, I find it very helpful if I ever get a side-ache while running. I slow down to a walk, then do three cycles of this. I know it must look a bit goofy to anyone driving by, but for me, it has always helped the side-ache to subside quickly.