Listen to your Heart

How I practice listening…

I have practiced listening with my heart in counseling for over 25 years. I have practiced it in my daily life too. In 2010 I was guided, by my heart, to develop and maintain a daily practice of listening to my Heart. I call it Heart Haiku.

Heart Haiku is a daily morning practice when I spend a minimum of 5 minutes attuning and listening to my Spiritual Heart. I ask myself, “What is the message of my Heart today?” I wait for the images and words to surface. Then I draw the Winged Heart (the visual image representing my Spiritual Heart) in some activity or form and write the haiku that always comes with the drawing. The action of drawing and writing the haiku supports me to express what I sense in spiritual awareness.

I use a 7” x 10” sketchbook and a pencil. At the top of each page, I write the date plus “My Heart Speaks” and draw a simple heart symbol. Here is an example of the heading I create on the page:

This is how I focus my mind and body in readiness to receive a message from my Heart. The purpose is to set a tone and intention for the day and to strengthen that relationship and alignment within me.

Most often, it is rendered in pencil though sometimes it is inked and colored with pastel or watercolor. Here is a photo of a Heart Haiku in the process being inked and colored:

And always, the image is accompanied by a haiku. Sometimes the image comes first, sometimes the haiku comes first. It varies. In my experience, the value of the haiku structure helps my mind focus and simplify the non-verbal message of the heart. The drawing and the words work together to ensure I get the message.

Heart Haiku

My Heart speaks Haiku. This was not planned. I learned haiku in high school and enjoyed the process. I don’t know how or why this happened but it began with the first image (shown lower in the page) and has continued as part of the communication.

sword of my heart song

one piece, one peace at a time

song of my heart’s word

And here is a sample of almost a week’s worth of my morning listening practice.

It has been over a decade that I have been doing this daily practice. I have stacks of journals. I am currently on #17. Reviewing the entries at times has been a wonderful way to align and attune with the desires of my Heart and find inspiration for another painting.