WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Image Source: David Iskander (Unsplash)
"Your Heartfelt Desire is the life force within you that gives rise to your heart's deepest calling and brings forth your inner felt-sense of purpose, meaning, and value. It points to what gives your life meaning and direction." - Richard Miller, PhD.
In my last couple of posts, I introduced the practice of Integrative Restoration Yoga Nidra (iRest), and specifically the concepts of welcoming and stepping back. Today, I will discuss the Heartfelt Desire - our mission, our reason for being here.
During an iRest guided meditation, as we settle into the practice, the instructor may ask us to call upon our Heartfelt Desire (HFD). The HFD is a felt-sense that is always present within, but perhaps we have forgotten what it feels like to be in our body in each moment. As we experience relaxation, we might ask ourselves, "Why am I here? What is this all about?" As we move deeper into relaxation and welcome in the messengers (emotions, feelings, thoughts, images, etc.), we can better understand and process our inner world. The HFD anchors us as we meet whatever life brings to our table.
We express the HFD as a statement in the present tense, as if it is already true. Developing the Heartfelt Desire takes time, patience, and revisions as we move from the cognitive to the somatic (body-felt). Ultimately, the HFD is our reason for doing what we do for ourselves and others. When expressed, we will feel rather than think.
For instance, as I moved through my recent iRest training, I welcomed in the messengers. Eventually, I refined my mission statement to be the following: I AM SERVING OTHERS IN A VULNERABLE, AUTHENTIC, AND PRESENT-CENTERED WAY. As I drop into the heart space, I take a deep breath and move further into deep relaxation. I am no longer dwelling in the thinking mind, but rather the heart mind. As this unfolds, I experience joy and peace as I carry out my HFD.
Image Source: Kai Wenzel (Unsplash)
Your mission may not be readily apparent and may take an unspecified amount of time for it to emerge. As Richard Miller states, "Always do your best." Patience is the virtue that seeds and nourishes our reason for making this world a better place to live. As we welcome in this felt-sense of being time and again, eventually we will not have to remember our HFD; it will remember us. When life becomes challenging, our mission will ground and open us to the right action we need to take in response.
One of life's current challenges is the division (religious, ideological, you name it), both nationally and worldwide, that has firmly rooted itself in the fabric of our being. Every day, it seems as if we remain stuck in a spiral of unkindness towards one another, and even our speech has become disingenuous. So, what does this have to do with our Heartfelt Desire?
Recently, my brother Tom shared a song that speaks to this division and the need to soften our worldviews. The song is Undivided by Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard. I offer their words as guidance for your Heartfelt Desire, also known as your mission, to remember you. Listen, reflect, and let us do our best. Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
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