RHYTHMS OF THE HEART
Posted on August 19, 2012 by Sheryl Westergreen, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.
Thoughts about reviewing your life and shifting those areas you are no longer satisfied with.
RHYTHMS OF THE HEART
The New Year has begun, and many of us take time to review our lives at this juncture. It is common knowledge that, by the end of February, the gym is no longer over-crowed and two-thirds of us have abandoned our resolutions.
Another way to think about reviewing your life and shifting those areas you are no longer satisfied with is to think about what I call “Rhythms of the Heart.” What is your rhythm? What is your intention? What is your desire? Let’s take physical and emotional well-being as an example. Never before in human history has the relationship between physical fitness and mental and emotional fitness been so thoroughly studied and understood.
The Greek ideal mens sana in corpor san, a sound body, has informed doctors since antiquity. In the Timaeus (88), Plato states: “We should not move the body without the soul or the soul without the body, thus they will be on guard against each other, and be healthy and well balanced. Therefore the mathematician or anyone else whose thoughts are much absorbed in some intellectual pursuit must allow his body also to have due exercise, and practice gymnastic; and he who is careful to fashion the body, should in turn impart to the soul its proper motions, and should cultivate music and philosophy, if he should deserve to be called truly fair and good.”
Plato also speaks further about integrating the body and soul as a means of preserving dignity and freedom, producing health, agility, and beauty. The practices of yoga and Tai Chi are good examples of this integration.
Thinking about your physical and emotional well-being in terms of integration and being at peace and joyful in your heart is a much more powerful and motivating stance that the typical resolutions of: “I will lose weight” or “I will be happier.”
Does the rhythm of your heart feel good? By heart, in this instance, I am referring to your emotional core as well as your physical heart. If you stop and spend even just a few minutes alone with your breath and heartbeat, you will know the rhythm of your heart. and what it is telling you. Then, in stillness, ask: what does my heart desire? The answer to that question has the power to assist you in formulating your intentions for the year. It does not matter whether it is your physical body, your relationships, career, finances, or other aspects of your life. It is all connected.
The rhythm of your heart, when listened to, automatically will provide you with answers and perfect balance. What is the rhythm of your heart?
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