opening one's heart...energetically

[shesaboutspirit]

Hi Erin and All, I read this a while back on Erin's blog...not sure which one. It was specifically a comment that was written about deciding to open her heart and then the "experiences" began. My summarizing there...

I have been interested, and admittedly afraid to see various energies. After a somewhat freaky but cool energetic opening, I'm able to do a sort of automatic energy work... I feel like the next step is to see the energies that I intuitively know how to work with. I remembered also recently, that during my childhood, I constantly "heard" "do you want to see us". I always said no...'cause I was scared beyond belief. Well, they stopped asking.

I've heard that this ability comes through the heart Chakra...so when you/Erin remarked about opening her heart to allow this ability, it peaked my attention.

Along with healing heart pain and wounds...how do I go about this opening?

Thanks for giving me a place to even ask this question...

Pam

[Erin Pavlina]

For me, opening my heart chakra gave me the why... why did I need to do this work, why did I need to help people? My guides allowed me to feel, just for a moment, all the pain and suffering occuring in the world. It was overwhelming. And then they asked, "You have the ability to do something to alleviate suffering. Will you use your ability?" I said yes. That was me opening my heart chakra. Allowing myself to feel intense compassion for people around the world who were suffering physical and emotional pain.

Then I used my third eye and crown chakras to actually tune in clairvoyantly and clairaudiently. Heart chakra is important to the why, but for me at least, the third eye and crown chakras were important to the how.

Great question, Pam!

[Nneka]

This is amazing!

I just got through reading and responding to my reading in which I discovered that I have way too much energy around my heart chakra. I come here and this is the post. Not only that, but now I understand why I am having some difficulty concerning how to proceed with my purpose. All of my energy is stuck in the why. I am clear on it. Now to move it to the third eye and crown chakras.

Amazing!

[shesaboutspirit]

I think I understand what you're saying. I sense that I've been a bit stuck in the heart chakra...too much empathizing. Most of the time, I feel like I'm disabled by too much emotion...mine and others. I don't watch the news etc, because I can't seem to take an outsiders view of things. It all just hurts. I don't really know...I think that I may have way too much energy stuck near my heart and lungs...pain and grief.

I'll keep on though...what else can we do.

I'm so grateful to have you all here to share with.

Blessings all,

Pam

[Dating Specialist]

Wow, this is really interesting and certainly powerful.

Where can I find any articles on this? Any suggestion? Thanks!

[Erin Pavlina]

Sometimes people are so empathic and other people's energies build up in our heart chakras. We need to release that energy so it doesn't weigh us down or become a burden. Distributing the energy is good, but releasing what you don't own is very important too. Feeling other people's pain is wonderful since you can then identify where you need to spread the healing. But be sure to express it, to remove it from your body if it's not yours and if it is overwhelming you.

[Nneka]

That makes perfect sense to me. I am ending a 14 year relationship in which I made every excuse for the person. I finally stopped. I am going through the process of letting him go and letting go of the hope I have invested in the relationship. (Please don't read letting go of hope in general, just all the energy I put into trying to make it work.)

Interestingly, it has been so much easier letting this go than it was keeping it together. It's like a 100:1 ratio.

[shesaboutspirit]

wow, that's a long relationship. Sounds like you've gained some wisdom though. I'm pretty good at making excuses for others too...that I would never tolerate from myself. The most useful thing I'm learning is how to balance feeling the feelings...that come up in life, grief, sadness etc., and also doing something constructive to move on. Up until very recently, I've been bogged down with sadness and have remained passive to a large degree...letting life just happen, rather than being proactive.

Sending blessings for your healing and transcending of the current lessons,

Pam

[Nneka]

shesaboutspirit,

I am learning to balance the feelings also, but from the other side. I used to just brush them off and move on. Or rather eat them or hold them inside because I didn't want to be seen as "emotional".

I am now (as in the past 2 weeks) learning how to feel them constructively. I have a fear of getting bogged down in them, but I recognize that I really need balance and I have to let them go. When I don't they build up and manifest in respiratory issues.

[Dating Specialist]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

Sometimes people are so empathic and other people's energies build up in our heart chakras. We need to release that energy so it doesn't weigh us down or become a burden. Distributing the energy is good, but releasing what you don't own is very important too. Feeling other people's pain is wonderful since you can then identify where you need to spread the healing. But be sure to express it, to remove it from your body if it's not yours and if it is overwhelming you.

How can we make use of this form of release to help someone let go of an emotional baggage or lots of unhappy past experiences and to see life with a fresh perspective and move on?

[shesaboutspirit]

I'm interested to know how Erin releases this energy too...

I wanted to comment though that as soon as I just allow emotion to move through me...like really just sitting there and being with it, the fresh perspective that you mention just appears on its own. Like it was always there, only covered by the cloud of unexpressed feeling.

[Dating Specialist]

What were you focusing on then? Did you just allow your mind to drift endlessly or are you directing your energies to certain parts of your body?

Is breathing part of it too? Sorry for the questions. Just really keen to find out

[shesaboutspirit]

A recent example: A man who I've been interested in seemed to be pulling back from me. In that moment when I perceived being left, abandoned, rejected etc, instead of "doing", I just sat in my chair and felt it. I let my mind just be there, and focused on my body sensations. It's pretty cool when the feelings literally move and release...like damp heat that time, but it probably changes depending on the emotion and where it's built up in the body. So you don't really need to do anything other than just allow...

And, I've found that there is always another emotion around the corner...so I get lots of practice

Another cool little metaphysical side benefit...besides feeling better after the emotions clear, the original perceived problem then shifts too. In this case...of course the guy calls and everything is fine. Just my old stuff having an opportunity to be healed.

[Erin Pavlina]

One thing that helps me release emotions that aren't healthy for me to hang on to is to tune in to the fact that what happened probably needed to happen (sometimes bad things happen to good people for a very specific reason) and also to remember that we are all whole, intact, and safe because this life is just an illusion, a dream. It's like, if someone hands you a heavy bucket of water and carrying it is really bogging you down, you just spill the water onto the ground and let it give life to new plants, trees, grass, flowers, etc.

[shesaboutspirit]

oh, PS... breathing is always helpful. I don't do any prescribed practice other than just being mindful of breathing more deeply to help the energy move more productively.

[Dating Specialist]

Originally Posted by Erin Pavlina

It's like, if someone hands you a heavy bucket of water and carrying it is really bogging you down, you just spill the water onto the ground and let it give life to new plants, trees, grass, flowers, etc.

Wow, this is beautiful. It just summarises this whole releasing of energy concept into a powerful and yet simple analogy.

I like this. Thanks Erin, once again for such amazing insights.

It is also my belief that everything happen for a purpose. We may not see it then and there, but in time to come we will.

Originally Posted by shesaboutspirit

oh, PS... breathing is always helpful. I don't do any prescribed practice other than just being mindful of breathing more deeply to help the energy move more productively.

Thanks Pam! I find breathing useful too, even in relieving pain and aches too.

[AndyMartin]

Originally Posted by shesaboutspirit

n that moment when I perceived being left, abandoned, rejected etc, instead of "doing", I just sat in my chair and felt it. I let my mind just be there, and focused on my body sensations. It's pretty cool when the feelings literally move and release...like damp heat that time, but it probably changes depending on the emotion and where it's built up in the body. So you don't really need to do anything other than just allow...

I think this is spot on; one of the major purposes of Zen meditation is to accept and be aware of all things that arise in awareness because a thing observed cannot be the observer of the thing. It's a sublime exercise in dis-identifying with emotions and ego. And it seems so difficult in concept until you realize that it's just "being," and enlightenment is nothing more than "being, now." (When else other than now can you be?)

For my part, I've recently realized that in addition to being a "vibe sponge," I've been using my heart chakra as the dumping ground for excess emotional energy that I didn't know how to manage or redirect. For years. That's a habit I definitely don't recommend! But the up side is it's left me with a high capacity for energy in my heart chakra; now I just need to put it to good use.

[MsQ]

After reading Erin's post about meeting your Higher Self I decided to try ... meeting her. I've only begun meditating regularly for the past few months and that's only because I gave up trying to be "perfect" at meditating and just let things flow.

I let go of trying to be perfect after reading how Erin said it fine to experiment and change a meditation (as she suggested in her "go to your room" meditation).

Anyway, what I did to prepare meeting my higher self was I decided to Go to my room, cleanse my chakras and wait for her to show up!

What was interesting was that I had just skimmed the Erin's post on chakras. I knew the colors and the locations but didn't really know their meanings. When I tried to cleanse them that first time I had a really hard time with the heart chakra! I mean, it was totally clogged and when I finally got it spinning it was sluggish.

When I learned what the heart chakra related to, I was amazed. I mean, I really had little knowledge of chakras when I began the cleansing so had no real way to guess or anticipate where I'd have issues.

I'd been giving a lot of emotional support to a couple of people so it made sense that I had an overactive heart chakra. I had been slightly skeptical about chakras but my experience made me a believer. I mean, that heart chakra was stuck!

Now I cleanse 'em regularly and if one is clogged...it points me in the right direction.

Did I meet my higher self that first time? Yep. She was not quite what I expected.

[Erin Pavlina]

Cool, sounds like you had an interesting experience. Keep working on the chakras. Sometimes when I'm giving Steve a massage I'll take note of some chakras that are clogging a little and I can clear them up for him. He said I always seem to know where the clog is.

[Angela]

A woman who works with chakras gave me a physical exercise to open up my heart, and it feels really good. Maybe y'all have tried it or would like to?

Lie face up across a large yoga ball relaxing your back to touch as much of the ball as possible, feet flat on the floor. Balance and allow your arms and shoulders to either reach back over your head or down to the sides, whichever is comfortable, and allow that relaxing of your shoulders and arms to stretch and thin your chest and torso. Aim your heart to heaven. Invite your higher power to open your heart to the flow of generous giving and receiving from the heights of heaven and the grounding energies of earth. Breathe deeply and comfortably, and use your breath to send relaxation to whatever parts of your body may be resistant or tight. Tell those parts they have permission to relax. Lay there as long as feels good, then roll gently off the ball to the ground to your side then your front, use your arms to push yourself up, roll up one vertebra at a time yoga style. Express gratitude out loud.

Love,
angela