Have you ever felt overwhelmed by life’s experiences, to the point where closing your heart seemed like the only way to cope? It’s a natural instinct, this desire for self-protection. But what if I told you that shielding your heart actually diminishes your experience of life itself?
We sometimes have life experiences that feel too much for a heart to bear, and as a form of self protection it seems helpful to avoid these feelings, close our hearts and turn away.
“It is only through letting our heart break that we discover something unexpected: the heart cannot actually break, it can only break open. When we feel both our love for this world and the pain of this world-together, at the same time, the heart breaks out of its shell. To live with an open heart is to experience life full-strength.” – John Welwood
Imagine your heart as a tightly closed bud. It’s safe from harm, but it will only experience the world’s full beauty once it opens and interacts with life itself. When we open ourselves to life’s joys and sorrows – the sunshine and the rain – our hearts begin to bloom. We become more compassionate, more connected to the world around us, and ultimately, more alive.
Experiencing life at full strength means embracing all of it, the joys and sorrows alike.
“When you can hold the sadness and pain of samsara in your heart and at the same time the power and vision of the Great Eastern Sun. Then you’ll be able to make a proper cup of tea.” – Chogyam Trungpa
“It doesn’t always help us to love the world, but it sure does prevent us from hating the world.” – Shantaram
Closing our hearts might feel safe, but it also prevents us from truly engaging with life. We turn away from connection, growth, and the richness of human experience. Choosing numbness might feel like self-preservation, but it’s a pale comparison to the vibrant tapestry of emotions that come with living wholeheartedly.
Today’s meditation is an invitation to see the humanity around you. There’s an acknowledgement that as humans we are constantly the cause of one another’s wounds yet, we have the choice. We can choose to close our hearts, forever guarded, or we can choose to trust in the strength of our unbreakable hearts.
Live with an open heart. Here are some daily mantras to guide you:
- With an open heart, I choose the full spectrum of life.
- My heart is strong and can handle all that life throws my way.
- Every experience, good or bad, helps my heart grow and bloom.
Lean into what your heart feels, and if it feels like it will break lean-in even more, because your heart can only break open.
– pierre –
Today’s LIVE meditation is: Tonglen.