Giving and Receiving Love – The Heart Chakra

The next chakra is the heart chakra – the place of unconditional love and emotional power.  It controls the love energy in the body, influencing your capacity to love and let go, as well as compassion, affection, the ability to remain tranquil and have inner peace regardless of the external.

Yes, what is going on in the world and your country does affect your life, but only on a macro scale.  You still have the power of your choice.  You can choose to listen to the negative things that make you feel bad, or you can shut out those voices in favor of the ones that uplift you.  You can decide to remove yourself from the overarching politics and battles that are going on, and rather position yourself to live in a place of unconditional love; to give and receive unconditional love.  What you get from an experience is partly what you bring to it first.  Bring your best, most loving self to every interaction and you will bring that out in other people you interact with too.  

Through unity and openness we can build the society we want to see, regardless of the current situation in our country or world.   Bring the best version of you to every person, every situation and interaction – through your manner, you will automatically uplift those around you. 

To stay in the light, and feel hope and joy when the world around you seems to be falling apart, can be a challenge.  Just like we give to our bodies when we are ill, we need to give to our being when our hearts are heavy.  Find practices that allow you to feel good; do things that bring you joy.  Make it a daily practice to do at least one thing that feeds your soul, such as listening to uplifting audios, reading things that inspire you, or doing a daily practice for yourself. Remove from your awareness anything that makes your heart heavy.  If you don’t like what is going on in your country right now, stop watching the news.  Focus on your world and focus on spreading love and light to all those you encounter.chakra 4354542 640

Perhaps you have found people you thought you knew well who have shown you a different side to them; a side brought to light through the external turmoil going on in your world.  This may have made you want to reject their friendship.   First practise constructive communication – a conversation without ego or the need to make them see your point of view.   Be open to hear what they are saying and why.  Then ask for the same in return.  New points of view may allow you to better understand them.  Through constructive communication we can learn from one another, develop stronger relationships and grow as a society. 

An exercise you can do right now to open your heart chakra:

Give and receive love – a love visualization:   Sit comfortably in a quiet space.  Take a few deep breaths.  Set the intention to receive and give love.  Now tune into your inner being, and allow feelings of love to surface.  It may help to begin by thinking of things you love and allow that deep emotional love to surface.  Hold onto this feeling of love. Start by directing this love energy to your physical body and your emotional body, letting it wash away the unwanted and reveling in the feeling of perfection of self.   Now expand this.  Send love energy to someone who comes to mind, with a mantra that feels right, such as “I radiate love, light and well-being to you”.  Use the affirmation: “I easily give love to all beings.  I open my heart to receive love.”

We can stay in the light, love and their resonance if we choose to allow ourselves this gift.  The world is a much brighter place from here.

How can you constructively communicate with yourself and others this week?

Many Blessings

Santa

 

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR

BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022