After interviewing the Director of the HeartMath Institute for the Finding Flow Virtual Summit I’m hosting in March, I was intrigued by the Institute’s wisdom and insights. Through years of scientific research, the Institute has discovered that when our heart, mind, emotions, and spirit are in harmony, we experience deeper wholeness. We connect with the heart of who we truly are.

So, I reached out and hired Matthew, a certified HeartMath coach, to help me integrate the science and practical tools the HeartMath Institute teaches. Matthew has been amazing in explaining the science behind why we’re naturally wired to live from the heart, not the mind. He’s given me several heart-based practices to integrate into daily life.

Four Mindful Questions

“Consider these four mindful questions,” Matthew suggested during a recent Zoom session. “They’re important ones that will help clarify what matters most to you in life, so you can accomplish your deepest desires.”

Here are the questions:

What do I want?

What gets in the way?

What can I do?

How can I sustain it?

I pondered Matthew’s questions until I could verbalize what was in my heart.

What do I want?

I want to experience inner peace on a more consistent basis. I want my mind, emotions, spirit, and body to work together, rooted in my heart as a team. I want to have compassion for myself and others; to let go of my attachment to people, places, and things. I want to be of service to the Universe through small acts of love God gives me to do each day.

What gets in the way?

My monkey mind often blocks me. The nagging thoughts in my mind whirl around like a tornado. I sometimes question my self-worth.

Another block is impatience. When I’m learning something new, I’m like a junkyard dog grabbing onto a bone. I want to devour what I’m being taught, suck out all the juices, and be instantly transformed. But that’s not how we learn. Inner growth is a lifetime process. I need to trust the slow work of God.

What can I do?

There is much I can do as I move into this new season of inner growth. I can be patient with myself, let Matthew be my teacher, and do the daily practices he shows me so that over time my heart and mind get into better sync.

I can notice when I feel anxious, overwhelmed, or fearful and use the HeartMath Quick Coherence practice of breathing through my heart-space as a way of returning to inner calm.

How can I sustain heart-based living?

Sustaining heart-based living can be challenging because my mind struggles to be in control. But with practice, I’m finding my heart and mind befriend each other. They can work together in harmony.

Through the HeartMath practices and my daily quiet time with God, I’m being invited to retrain the neurons in my brain to replace negative thought patterns with positive truths that sink into my heart and Inner Being.

I’m rediscovering that I am enough, here, and now, with all my warts. I am a good person. I am already One with God. I just need to practice being mindful of those truths.

As Teilhard de Chardin writes in his prayer, Patient Trust, I need to give God the benefit of believing his hand is leading me and trust Divine Grace is the light guiding me into deeper wholeness.

The Path to Inner Wisdom and Peace

There is much more to be revealed, Jesus told us. And it’s the Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:12-13). If we open our hearts to the Spirit, we will find the path to inner wisdom and peace. The Creator will spoon feed us with just enough truth one bite at a time so we can integrate into our Being what God is teaching us.

Consider asking yourself Matthew’s four mindful questions. Write down your answers. Let them become your guide.

Then find a teacher, a spiritual mentor, or someone a few steps ahead of you on the spiritual path to help you sustain what God is inviting you to discover.

It could be a game-changer for you. 

—brian j plachta
brianplachta.com

PS—to discover more about HeartMath’s insights and learn new practices for heart-based living, click the following link to view their free videos: The HeartMath Experience—Connect with the Heart of Who You Truly Are

A Book for You to Dive Deeper Into the Flow

Do you want to discover what Finding Flow is all about?

Are you looking for some simple practices to deepen your relationship with your Inner Self and God?

My new book, Finding Flow—Spiritual Practices to Reclaim Inner Peace, Balance, and Wholeness is now available to pre-order. Here’s what readers are already saying about it:

“In his new book Finding Flow: Spiritual Practices to Reclaim Inner Peace, Balance, and Wholeness, Brian provides readers with a simple process to reclaim a close, playful relationship with God. Finding Flow introduces discussions and suggestions regarding four essential spiritual practices: solitude, spiritual reading, community, and contemplative action. These four practices are invitations from the Spirit to deepen our relationship with the Divine. Brian writes, “As the Spirit nudges us into an ever-deepening relationship with the Creator, we’re invited to encounter Divine Presence one-on-one like Jesus did. And as we do, we learn to trust our spiritual experiences are real.”

PS: The current pre-order price for the Finding Flow book on Amazon is $14.95 until March 1.  After March 1, Paulist Press will increase the price to $18.95.  So, order your copy now and save $4.00.

Get your copy of Finding Flow by clicking this link:

 Finding Flow on Amazon

February Zoom Webinar: How to Start or Jumpstart Your Meditation Practice

Why Meditations Is Good for You

Register for February Finding Flow Webinar