Just as we need mindfulness trainings in order to help us develop skillfulness of mind and body, we need heartfulness trainings in order to help us cultivate connection of heart and spirit.
Based on the word patterning of the Five Mindfulness Trainings in the Plum Village tradition, here is my first attempt at a training of the heart:
Aware of the many hardships of being human, I am committed to finding ways to bolster and nourish my heart. I am determined to practice self-care, rest, play, and water seeds of joyful living. Knowing that time is precious, life is short, and energy is limited and ever-changing, I will contemplate the necessity of keeping my heart strong, for the benefit of myself and all beings.
Perhaps more “Heartfulness Trainings” will follow and I will craft a few more. In any case, this feels like a good start. The Five Mindfulness Trainings don’t just target the body and mind, of course. They involve and evolve the heart, too. But in the way I am looking at things currently, I think it’s helpful to make a distinction between trainings of mind & body and trainings of heart & spirit. Isolating them for the sake of investing in their development can lead to deeper levels of engagement and insight.
My strong sense is that what many of us are looking for, interested in, and/or desperate for is a resurgence of heart. Ways of living and being that activate, engage and nourish our spirit. Alongside working for pay, household upkeep, and tending to kids and family, it is possible to also invest in the well-being of our spirit and enlivenment of our heart. I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m not saying it won’t take some figuring out. I’m not even necessarily saying we should. I’m simply saying it’s possible. I’m also saying it’s probably a pretty darn good idea.
A few things that leap straight to my mind when I think of actions that can help spur the heart and feed the spirit:
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