I’ve been exploring how to be fully in my heart, fully in love and particularly love of self. It’s become a meditation or a mantra in my life for several years. I encourage my students to ask themselves “What would love do?” when they are making food choices or life choices. What would love do is a powerful question for anyone. In this moment, living in love would mean to take a break, listen to uplifting music, or send an email of gratitude to a colleague.
As the weather begins to turn in Georgia, I can feel my mind and my heart turning inward. The seasons and nature are powerful tools to use as a reminder to go within, rest, and listen to the heart. So I’ve been listening, and quite frankly, learning to listen to my own heart is still a skill I’m learning to develop.
This episode started as an invitation from a friend who is teaching me how my own human design can help me live in more alignment. I find it fascinating, and if you aren’t familiar with it, it’s a combination of astrology, the I-ching and a few other things I don’t totally understand.
I’m a manifesting generator and those of you who do know HD that probably won’t surprise you. My particular chart reads like a multi-tasking energizer bunny. I’ve always liked to have millions of projects going and some I finish, some I don’t. That’s my design. As part of who I am, I’m learning to love all parts of me. It’s what I teach my students, and it’s what I practice myself.
One of the aspects of my design is that I’m a vessel for love. This is something I’ve always known about myself. I’m a heart centered person and compassion is at the forefront of all I do. Supposedly, the more I’m in alignment with this part, the more smoothly life will go.
Living in love means listening to what the heart wants
To me “what would love do” also means listening to what the heart wants. This is a still, quiet voice of love. It’s not the loud ‘gimme’ voice but the one of deep desire. Do I want a cherry red Tesla? YES! Is it from my heart, no. My heart wants environmental change. My heart wants to help women who are stuck and struggling. My heart wants to take care of my family’s health and wellbeing. My heart wants a world where good, healthy food is readily available and easy accessible. My heart wants to show you how to love being alive.
I’m living in love and in my heart by loving my body right now. I love how my body moves. I thank my body for taking me to the woods. I love my body for eating. I thank my brain for making food choices that nourish me. I love my past self for showing up for me in a way that literally changed my life path and life course. I also love the past me who drank Coke everyday, ate hot dogs for breakfast, Big Macs for lunch, and pizza for dinner, and drank way more than her body could handle. I love the past me. If she wouldn’t have done all those things, I would be here today.
I love the serious student who stayed up all night, who worked her tail off for me to be here today. I love the me that slept when she was tired. The me that listened to her quiet voice of intuition before she knew what intuition was. We mentioned gratitude last week and this feels very similar. I’m so grateful to all that I’ve experienced in my life and I love it all. Did I enjoy it while it was happening, umm no! That’s ok. I kept listening to my heart. My heart pulled me forward again and again. Pulling me out of dysfunctional relationships, poor habits, and places that didn’t serve me.
I want you to have practice living in love too.
It takes practice. Love of your body, love of yourself takes practice. Practice means trying and gathering information- well, that french bread or chocolate cake doesn’t feel like like love after all. Love is quiet and deep. Our dreams all stem from love. It’s the foundation of who we are and what we become.
I want to invite you to step into love for december with this ceremony. Go out into nature- it can be your yard or porch or walking down the street, or maybe in a park. You don’t need anything but you, or you can pick up a leaf that has fallen, an acorn, or pinecone. Find a place to sit, and focus on your breath. As you still your body and focus on the breath, we are going to step into love. I invite you to start with something that you already love- maybe it’s a pet or other four-legged being. Or a tree, a bird, or a cloud. Something that you feel even just a glimmer of love in your heart of love. You can thank it or just feel the love there. Notice. Now, tend that spark- see how it feels in your body. Notice if it has a color or a shape- feel into love. Sit with the love that is there- and allow it to grow and fill your body. Feel the love and the warmth. As you feel the love grow, invite in you- one fingernail, toe, eyelash, hand or your entire body. Say thank you, and I love you. Blow the love into this object, ask the water to cleanse you, the fire to fuel you, the earth to hold you and the wind to carry your love around the world. Offer the object if you have one, by setting it down where you are. If this feels difficult, that’s ok. Just notice it and know this is a practice of loving and loving yourself.
Listen to your heart. Practice being in love. Ask your heart about it’s dreams, it’s love. You can ask a friend or loved one to hold your dreams with you- to hold space in your heart for love. Be alignment with your heart- not what you mind says but what your heart wants.
The wind has been blowing fiercely today so I’ll ask Wind to help us- Oh great wind, i ask you to carry the dreams of the hearts of all those who listen on the wind. I ask you to blow love into their hearts, minds, and bodies. I ask for love to fill them as they move throughout the world. May all of our actions stem from love.
