Hey there, it's Dora here. Welcome to Radio Headspace and to Friday.

Now we've all heard the statement, listen to your heart, and for some of us we've received

this as advice. For today's episode, I wanted to debunk what it means to listen to your

heart. Well, at least offer perspective. So when we talk about the heart, the first place

the mind goes to is Hollywood ideals of it. You think of the ooey gooey mushy romantic notions

of the heart. In reality, our hearts are resilient. There are force to be reckoned with. And

some researchers are exploring the heart in new ways. The Heart Math Institute sees the

heart not only as an organ, but as an intelligence system that we can tap into. The institute

talks about how, when we live in a harmonious balance with our hearts, minds, and emotions,

we can develop something called heart coherence. Meaning, being aware of the changes in the

beating of our hearts, which reflect different emotional states and ultimately helps us better

navigate life's challenges. I wanted to share a practice with you that I created to help

connect with my heart and start to cultivate that sense of coherence. So let's take a few

deep breaths, slowing down and opening up to the present moment. And then placing a hand

over your heart and feeling that rising and falling of the chest. And bringing to mind

the last time you experienced joy and laughter. It could be from a person, from a pet, or

even something that you watched or read about. And as you bring this to mind, feeling that

hand over your heart. Just breathing into the different sensations in the body. When

you think of this moment, reminding yourself what the heart feels like when it's open,

when it's being nourished and filled. And just savoring and appreciating this moment,

makes feelings as they are. And when you're ready, slowly and gently opening the eyes

if they were closed. In Buddhist wisdom, the heart and mind are referred to as cheetah.

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