Your Heart is Limitless

Last weekend I co-led a retreat with my friend, Izzy.  We chose a small selection from the Chandogya Upanishad as our guide.  And through the weekend, we went deeper and deeper into the mystery of the Heart, and into the support of community.

Here’s a tiny snippet of what we shared.  

“As far as the Universe Extends, that far extends the space of the Heart”

Chandogya Upanishad 8.8.2  translated by Bill Mahony

At this point in the text, it tells us that there is nothing that is not held in the heart’s loving kindness. Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, Air, Fire, Lightning, Stars .. are all mentioned earlier in the text and they are all there in the Heart. 

Really, this text is speaking to the vastness of the Heart.

That’s important, because often as humans we have a misunderstanding of our hearts. 

The misunderstanding goes like this: “My heart is too small, I can’t experience or feel this”.

My heart is so small

When my younger self would be in a romantic relationship I would disappear from my friendships.  I thought my heart only had room for one person at a time.  My poor friendships really took a beating and I’m not proud of that.

It wasn’t until I was much older and felt myself embedded in many webs of relationship that I learned how to expand into the true capacity of my heart. 

What made the difference was having a second child.  With only one baby I could let her absorb my entire awareness.  I could pour all my available heart energy into her (much to my husband’s loss).  But when my second child was born I couldn’t disappear from my first.  I was finally forced to lean into the expansive nature of my heart that had always been there.  

I have lots of different relationships now, family, friends, colleagues, community, student, clients etc. I am an introvert and I do need to manage my energy.  But I’ve learned that my heart doesn’t need management.  

All of my relationships benefit from me bringing my heart to them.

It was a misunderstanding to say that I only have enough heart space or Love for one person or a very select few.  

My heart, your heart, is as vast.  Our hearts are as vast as the Universe according to this Upanishad.  

So when we feel small, and our hearts feel small we can remember the vastness and lean into it.  We are invited to give the big stuff to the big Heart.  The big Heart it can care for it.  Each of us can learn to expand into the vastness that’s already there.  

Yoga and Expansion

In physical yoga we get to practice expanding. Literally.

Many of the shapes of yoga extend our limbs away from our core.  They give us the feeling of physically expanding beyond our usual shape, and beyond our usual habits and ways of holding our bodies.

When you feel that expansion physically it can be a relief, it can bring surprise.  I can feel empowering when you go somewhere unexpected.  Interestingly, expansion oftentimes opens us up to Joy!

We expand our bodies to teach ourselves that it’s possible to expand our hearts.   When we expand our hearts we find they are limitless.  They contain multitudes.  By entering into our hearts we get to touch that vastness.  Then life doesn’t feel quite so heavy.  

Remembering takes Practice

It’s not always easy to remember the spaciousness of the Heart.  Later in the text it tells us that wise people enter that sacred space daily.  I think that means that even the sages could lose touch with the big Heart.  That’s why we have practice.

Heart practice doesn’t have to be complicated.  You probably already have a few things that you know help you connect.  On retreat we practiced gratitude because it brings people into their hearts very swiftly.  We also opened our physical heart space with asana practice.  We sang together, meditated together, shared conversations and meals.  And we bowed towards the altar, and towards an object of devotion we held in our hearts.  

These simple practices created openings into our hearts that helped us link up with the bigger Heart energy.  You can do any of those things too - a simple bow to your pet, or taking a few minutes to sing a heartfelt song as you drive to work can do a lot to shift your energy.

Touch the Limitless

The power of the Heart is limitless.  Your heart, my heart, all hearts are vast.  May we enter that space together and may we pour from full hearts back out.  May our practices bring more Lovingkindness into this world that so deeply needs it. 

Be well, dear ones.