Open hearted and awake, we are grounded in the present moment with mindful awareness. We are more resilient. Much of our suffering comes from resisting the present moment and wanting things to be other than they are. We harden our hearts to the reality of our experience in an attempt to protect ourselves. This hardening limits us from experiencing the fullness of our life.
How can we use wisdom and compassion to become more open hearted and to discern where we need to strengthen, as opposed to harden, and when and where we need to soften? By bringing mindful awareness to our current state of being, and making effort to soften and open our heart.
Pause, breathe, and notice the state of the body, heart, and mind. Based on what you encounter, inquire within, “Where, in this moment, do I need to strengthen? And where do I need to soften?” Life is a moment-to-moment unfolding of experience, awareness, discernment, and choice.
We can also practice meeting our experience with an open heart by practicing lovingkindness meditation. May we all move toward opening our hearts to our own experience, one moment at a time.
In every moment, we are either moving toward suffering, resistance and struggle or towards openness, insight and connection.
–Sarah Powers
Jen Johnson is a mindfulness teacher, coach, and therapist teaching meditation for healing, creativity, and resilience. To learn more about mindfulness, register for the MBSR online Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course.
The Foundations of Well-Being online course by Rick Hanson, PhD. is open again for registration. I am an enthusiastic affiliate for this yearlong program offered by Dr. Hanson, neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain, Just One Thing, and Hardwiring Happiness.