in your heart of hearts
Mystics, philosophers and those who practise holistic disciplines view the heart as a source of great intuition and wisdom: heart intelligence.
We’ve all heard the sayings, ‘the heart wants what it wants’, ‘at the heart of the matter’ and ‘take it to heart’. The heart has always been more than just an organ that keeps us alive because it’s entrenched in our emotional being.
Heart intelligence (also known as HQ or Heart IQ) is the higher level of awareness you experience when you can integrate your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual intelligence. When it’s fully embodied and integrated, heart intelligence gives you the ability to be fully real, present, connected and heart-directed, in every aspect of your life. This leads to all sorts of benefits: increased vitality, decreased stress, deeper relationships, and greater mental clarity and intuitive ability, including better decision-making.
uNDeRstANDiNG heARt WisDoM
The yogic tradition refers to the spiritual heart as Hridaya, or pure consciousness, a great inner guide that reveals the ultimate truth. Many believe that awakening the heart’s intelligence is a process of discovery. During the practice, it becomes a series of shifts that rewire the entire mind-body operating system, with the potential for awakening, freedom, and liberation from suffering, limiting thoughts, stories and beliefs.
It’s been scientifically proven that the heart has more than 40 000 neurons that can sense, feel, learn and remember, and that it’s constantly in communication with the brain. When you intentionally savour positive emotions, such as caring, compassion and appreciation, the heart processes these experiences, and its rhythm becomes smoother and more harmonious, which is known as ‘heart coherence’ – a state in which your heart and brain are energetically aligned. Achieving this increases your capacity to feel positive emotions, such as love, joy and gratitude.
Heart coherence enables you to transcend stressful circumstances, experience a deeper sense of wellbeing and improve your mental functions and physical performance. In essence, your entire being comes into balance. Your mind is clear, creative and focused throughout your day, and you feel centred, grounded and able to manifest your highest intentions, even in difficult situations.
The thing about your heart’s intelligence is that it’s always with you. It’s important to acknowledge this because it means that the wisdom of your heart – the answers to the deepest and most mysterious questions about life that no one else can answer – already exist within you. Rather than being something that needs to be created before it can be used, the link between your heart and the place that holds your answers is already established. You just need to choose to access it.
“the heart has always been more than just an organ that keeps us alive”