I believe that there is a Native American tradition of “listening with your heart”. I actually don’t know much about the Native American perception of how this works, but I was once told this and it made immediate sense with me. Many people here this and think that it means something like “Listen with Compassion” or “Listen with Love in Your Heart”, but in this case, it actaully means only what it says.

If you are faced with a decision and you are not sure what to do, one of the easiest ways to see which path to take is to listen with your heart. How do you do this? It is quite simple, actually. First, take a minute to focus on your heart in it’s physical location in the upper left portion of your chest. Notice how it feels - does it feel tense? Uneasy? Joyful and open? This is both a physical and emotional sensation, but because emotions are open to broad interpretation, it is often easier to notice the physical state of your heart.

Then, ask a question of yourself (or, if you are in conversation, simply activate your heart as a listener and see what comes). When the question is posed, try to shift your consciousness into your heart and to listen from there. Sometimes I visualize that my head doubles and shrinks a little and moves down and to the left into my heart, and I then see and hear using that head - it is a silly visualization, but until you are used to hearing from your heart it can be helpful in establishing the feeling you are looking for. Sometimes it is easy to visualize the sound of someone’s voice funneling into your heart instead of your ears as well, or the question that you are posing coming into your body through your heart.

Once you are listening from your heart, again notice how it feels. Generally, if you are thinking of doing something that is against the deepest desires and alignment of yourself with your path and purpose, your heart will feel tense and uneasy. But, even if you are considering doing something that terrifies you and that your conscious mind is telling you a bad idea - this can often just be a manifestation of fear, and your heart will generally feel open and comfortable when you are considering the option, especially if it aligns with your life goals.

Don’t be decieved by how easy this sounds - it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to tap into your natural intuition and let, as they say, your heart guide you.

Popularity: 25% [?]