Take a few moments to listen to your inner being and observe your inner mental content, while bringing attention to the silence in between the thoughts.

We are all being guided and we can find our inner guide within us at any time. We’ve heard it before, but why is it that so few of us actually listen to this guidance? Many of us wait until life gives us a fierce lesson, then maybe we listen to our truth. Why do most of us get so consumed and preoccupied with a turbulent mind? The common saying, “The mind is an amazing servant, but a terrible master, ” comes to me as I write this. Yet for many of us, our minds are constantly running our show.

We’ve all heard, “Just listen to your heart,” time and time again—and I think the more reminders we hear, the better. This blog is another reminder. It’s time for us all to exercise our attention in beautiful and empowering ways. It’s time for us all to welcome a whole and balanced way of interacting with ourselves, our families and the world.

We are eternal consciousness having a temporary experience in these bodies. In this timeless realm of pure consciousness lay pure unbounded potential. We can truly embody this freedom and bring it into our daily actions. Right now, no matter how busy you are, welcome your attention into your heart and into the eternal spaciousness within.

The Collective Balance.

We can all feel the current evolutionary impulse nudging us to listen to our hearts and come into balance. Individually and collectively, we are being called upon to meet each other in our hearts and interact with the world from this spaciousness and sense of wholeness. We’ve been a mind-dominated society for about a million years and we’ve learnt very well how to get and how to do. We’ve “progressed” amazingly in many ways. This “progression” has lead to some great advancement, but it has also peaked our global ignorance.

It’s becoming blatantly obvious that the earth, the countless species and even the human race’s survival depend on whether we make conscious choices to wake up out of the immature, sleepy and ignorant state we’ve been stuck in for quite some time. Becoming whole and waking up to our true nature doesn’t mean life has to be all serious and dull because now we’re “spiritual.” It can mean the complete opposite. We can enjoy all the passions and beauty of life, but at the same time not get all neurotically attached, greedy and power hungry. We can embody this balance, being totally in the world while totally in spirit—living oneness.

If we can quieten the mind and listen to our hearts and the spaciousness within, in there is a constant pulsation of so much beauty, joy, love, wisdom and compassion. For each one of us who can infuse our daily actions with this inner spaciousness, there is a collective healing. There is no pushing, no preaching—just living from truth and being fully empowered. I know this may sound sappy and idealistic and a few years ago I probably wouldn’t even be reading this, let alone agreeing with or writing it. But we need to go beyond the level of mind that we’ve been on. We need to individually have the loving courage to go there within ourselves, regardless of the past and our current situations. Sometimes it may seem easier to deny and victimize ourselves in life, but plain and simply put, that keeps us stuck in sleepy ignorance. Open up to the juicy fullness of life!

When we broaden our perceptual lens and look at the bigger picture of life, beyond the surface level, without shaky little ego getting too involved and from a more spiritual vantage point, we see that amazing awakenings are happening more and more. In many conversations, it’s common to hear, “Do you really think we have much hope?”

I think we do.

Feel it, rather than just think about it.

When I look at current issues with a rational, analytical mindset, my mind doesn’t get it—it easily judges and gets neurotic and overwhelmed. Thus, I choose to bring all that heaviness into my heart and breath, so that the energy can shift into a wiser, more compassionate, spacious and patient experience. Right there, in that inner spaciousness, my mind gets it. It sometimes puts up a little tantrum, but I choose to observe the mind doing it’s thing rather than react to it. Then I go even deeper into listening to and identifying with the place of wisdom and compassion within. Sometimes when I’m practicing yoga, I connect to either a layer within me that is painful or to a current world predicament. Sometimes for no actual reason, I’ll let myself feel it fully and sometimes I’ll just cry, while staying deep in the pose and deep in the breath. It’s intense, but empowering. After that depth of truly feeling—not thinking about it, just feeling it—I feel my being deepened immensely.

Often in our current world of seeming separateness, we become good at guarding our hearts, so we don’t have to fully feel. But as a result, we cut ourselves off from the juiciness of the spiritual heart. Life becomes melodramatic, neurotic and unfulfilling when the heart is covered with this kind of debris. Love becomes conditional and dry, kindness is sporadic and temporary, and praise and power become painfully addictive.

Set Your Heart Free.

Set your heart free. Let yourself feel beautiful, let yourself feel loved, wherever you are in life, whatever is happening externally and regardless of the past. You are love! Know it and feel it in your heart and every cell of your body. If you’ve forgotten this, you just have to quieten the mind and remember.

Not too long ago, reading this kind of article would have had me cringing big time, so if this has you rolling your eyes, I know how you feel.

But truly, when we listen to what the world needs right now, it becomes obvious that it needs more love and wisdom- rather than ego-based action. Allow yourself to become empowered and whole.

From this place we send gratitude, forgiveness and love to all, even to those we may not “like.” Can we keep our hearts open to even the darkest aspects of our current world situations? Can we send love that way? Every time we do this, our frequency rises immensely, resonating out as a gift to the world. Our actions, our inner and outer conversations, our being are playing a huge part in our future. A common ayurvedic quote is, “We are all ripples in the ocean of consciousness.” What are you rippling out into the universe? I ask myself this regularly.

Your mind may be clinging on saying, “Well now what? How do I stay in my heart when this or that is going on?” Or it may be coming up with excuses as to why you can’t become whole. Meditate daily, practice yoga or something mindful to be able to realize. Release baggage that could be covering up the heart and with intentionality, be deeply interested in listening to your heart. Your questions and intentions will be answered if you align yourself with them and listen. From this place, we have to be honest with ourselves and willing to change. Patiently listen and enjoy bringing wisdom-based actions into your life. If it feels unfamiliar, enjoy practicing this new way. Enjoy “rewiring” your inner terrain and how you interact with the world.

With that deep inner listening, conscious alignment and wisdom-based action, go out into your day connecting to nature if you have time. Connect to other beings beyond their outer form, while at the same time honoring form. Sincerely listen to others as they speak, while at the same time listening to the silence in between words. Observe your inner mental content, while bringing attention to the silence in between the thoughts. Be grateful. Really smell the flowers, truly see the birds and the butterflies and actually hear the sounds of the ocean. Nature—the outer natural world and your own true nature–can be our greatest teachers. Beautiful teachings are right here all around us and deep in our hearts. Feel the simplicity and sublime flow of residing in your heart.

Stuart Watkins is a yoga teacher, holistic life coach, and health and wellness expert based in Perth, Western Australia. Stuart is known for his inspirational style of teaching that incorporates both eastern spiritual philosophy and western techniques for mental, physical, and spiritual transformation. He teaches and writes with raw yet compassionate honesty and is a constant student to life itself. Connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.

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Editor: Malin Bergman

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