By Claudia Carballal
January 27, 2021
The human heart, and not the brain, is the center of true intelligence. The heart seems to be connected to a type of intuition (universal consciousness) that is not bound by time or space.
Research studies from the Heart Math Institute show that when people receive information via visual stimuli, the heart receives the information first. Immediately thereafter, the heart sends the signal to the brain and the brain signals the body to feel or react a certain way. According to this flow of information, the human heart acts as the first "brain."
People who live through their heart are very different from people who live through their brain.
The Three Dimensions of Existence
In Western culture, we learn about the body-mind connection, but we rarely hear about the spiritual dimension of human beings. In contrast, Eastern thought has a very clear understanding and experience of three dimensions of existence: body-mind-spirit, also called physical, subtle, and causal dimensions.
All life has three dimensions: physical, subtle or energetic, and causal. The physical dimension is the body, the container, the vehicle in which we take journey in this lifetime. The subtle dimension, or energy body, is what we cannot see or touch, but we know it exists in energy form. The subtle body includes mind, thoughts, and even memories. The causal dimension is the cause of everything and the source of higher intelligence and deeper awareness. This is our spirit or individual soul (jivatman). It has lived many lifetimes. It is connected to the original source or universal consciousness. The causal dimension is infinite and ever-expanding, not bound by time or space.
The Energy Body and the Heart Chakra
The physical body is no more than an extension or projection of the subtle dimension or energy body. The subtle body is also referred to as the Luminous Energy Field (LEF). The LEF includes all the chakras (wheels of energy or energy centers), and it also contains information shared by the causal dimension. The brain, considered part of the physical body, is a receptor or a type of antenna that receives information from the causal dimension or consciousness.
Each of the main seven chakras along the spine regulate certain organs or systems in the body. The heart chakra (Anahata chakra) located at the level of the chest is related to the heart, love, and self-love. It regulates our ability to feel empathy, compassion, affection, and intimacy.
What Happens When There is a Blockage in the Energy Body?
When the energy in the LEF does not flow freely it creates an imbalance which we can experience as physical pain or mental illness. This imbalance is caused by a misalignment between the brain, the heart, and the nervous system. When this happens, we say that there is no coherence. There is bad reception or transmission of information and the sharing of data slows down.
When our brain, heart, and nervous system are coherent, information flows freely and quickly, and we can achieve higher states of consciousness and awareness. The most effective way to achieve this coherence is through deep states of meditation.
Why it is Vital to Open Up the Heart Chakra?
How we see the world, how we process information, and how we relate to others, depends on the flow of our energies within, especially on the state of our heart chakra. When there is coherence and our heart chakra is open, there is free flow of energy through the heart and from the heart. We are more loving and compassionate, we have less fears and insecurities, we see the unity in everything. We stop living through the ego-persona and the brain dominated by personal bias, divisions, and ideologies.
Why is the heart capable of all of this? The heart is connected to universal consciousness which connects us to higher and deeper levels of awareness outside of personal bias and social conditioning. In contrast, the brain only processes accumulated information, and it is tainted by personal bias, fears, and limiting beliefs.
How Can we Open Up our Heart and Heal?
Forgiveness and acceptance are two important steps to start opening our heart and heal our heart chakra. Find a way to forgive others and yourself for whatever it is that caused you pain in the past. Accepting others as they are is as important as accepting yourself and your own shortcomings so you can heal and grow.
Also, the heart opens up by doing activities that stimulate creativity and imagination, like the arts, music, playing, laughing, moving your body, and being genuine and authentic. Yoga and meditation are two of the most effective tools that help us manage our energies properly, including achieving brain-heart coherence.
Claudia Carballal, founder of InnerWellbeing, works as a coach-guide-teacher of Yogic Spirituality, mental health, and various healing modalities. With traditional training in India and the USA, Claudia's work covers a variety of topics including Yoga, Psychology, Vedanta, Ayurveda, Kriya, and Jnana. For more than 20 years, Claudia has helped thousands of people through change, healing, and recovery in the areas of mental health, human rights and international law. For the past three years, Claudia studies a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is doing her clinical experience with a local organization. For daily inspiration, join her on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or join InnerWellbeing's Mailing List!
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