Follow your Heart
"To thine own Self be true" - Shakespeare's Hamlet
Hello friends! Most of us have heard this line before, and it is one that encompasses a deeper meaning and wisdom that the more modern phrase "Follow your Heart" mirrors.
In this month's newsletter we look at how to align ourselves more with our authentic selves and be more in tune with our hearts than just the thinking mind, which is so affected by external stimulus, and if left to reign supreme, may not always be the best guide to living a fulfilled and meaningful life, one that is fully aligned to your morals, values and passions.
In a previous newsletter, I wrote about getting out of the head, and into your heart (you may want to read that here before continuing) www.kirsten-miahickey.com
This act of being in the heart is not in the literal sense but more from the metaphorical, as the heart symbolises our centre of emotions, desires, instincts, intuition. When we are aligned to our true selves, doing what we love and care about, we feel more fulfilled, we foster resilience, having the courage to step away from societal norms, fear of failure and what is 'expected' of us, following your own purpose with conviction and truth.
Whilst it is positive and inspiring to go for it and simply 'follow your heart', it is also worth noting and understanding that everything in life requires balance, so knowing when to listen to and how much attention we need to give the mind is key to finding harmony between the two. We do need to consider the facts and reality of our situations and repercussions of our actions, become more discerning. We won't always get it right, but through reflection, patience, guidance and courage, hopefully we can strike the balance more often than not! Trusting your inner voice will help you make clearer decisions about your relationships, career choices, goals and lifestyle, helping you attain genuine happiness, sustained growth, honesty and fulfilment on your journey through life, even when faced with challenges and difficulties.
When we are living more from the heart, we can stay open to compassion and empathy for ourselves as well as others, which in turn translates into deeper understanding, patience, kindness and care which ripples out into the collective...
So what are some of the ways we can tap into our intuition and our authentic voice within?
- Self Reflection; through journaling, meditation, breathwork which will clarify what is really yours and what is coming from fear or outside influences.
- Information gathering; Taking the time to have all the facts, look at different perspectives, think of the practical implications before leaping into decisions.
- Seek support or guidance; tap into your network of people, friends, teachers you can trust to provide perspective and insight, which can highlight blind spots and alternatives you may have missed.
- Have patience, be kind with yourself; sometimes things don't go according to plan or take longer than expected to align so remember to hold compassion for yourself through the process.
- Find the balance between Heart and Mind; a continual juggling act between rational thought and instinct. Keep coming back to your centre through reflective practices like Yoga, meditation, Qigong, spending time in nature to stay aligned with your genuine, true and authentic Self.
The alternative? I'll let you think about that a little more for yourself. ;-))
For those of you in the Northern hemisphere, enjoy the last embers of the summer sunshine, and to those in the South, your fluffy socks and woolly hats!
As for me, I will be competing at Hyrox Bangkok on Saturday the 15th and am so looking forward to it, I will be sharing a bit more about this experience and training with you soon! You can check out a little more here on the website: The Fitness Competition for Every Body | HYROX
Practice with me on YouTube by clicking the video link below to Samahita's page where you can also check out some other Yoga, breath, meditation and fitness classes from our Team here.
"Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." - Steve Jobs
As always if you have any questions or feel you need some support or just to say Hi, reply to this email, I read and respond to each one and I enjoy hearing from you.
Stay well xxx Kirst
