At the beginning of my journey of self exploration into awakening … there was one question that was most helpful for me. It helped me find my own Middle Ground – that place where I could let go of thinking, judgment and blame. Where I begin to relax, accept the way things are and find peace within.
You see, I am a thinker and a ponderer. An analyzer and problem solver. I am a naturally intuitive fixer with mixed layers of dreamer, creator, strategizer and practical implementor. (If we’re going to give ourselves labels make them meaty ones eh?)
When I am in my head I can analyze until the cows comes home. Sometimes they don’t come home and I get stuck in a mind boggling pickle trying to solve the unsolvable. Trying to control the uncontrollable. Thinking that I have the answer when it simply isn’t possible …
When I become aware of the frustration of not finding the answer. When I realize I am going round in circles. When I feel the tension in my jaw or notice a clenching in my stomach…
The question that brings me back is:
“Am I in my head or in my heart?”
As soon as I ask this, my heart opens up. It wants to be heard and it comes alive. I feel it as a flow of warmth and release. And at that moment, everything begins to fall into place. It is simply all right.
When we live in our heads, its all too easy to lose touch with our hearts. Analyzing prevents our ability to empathize with others. It keeps us wrapped up in our tasks and thinking rather than taking others into account.
While we may think that reasoning and being reasonable is okay, it takes us a step further away from authentic connection and unconditional love.
When our head is in control we are out of balance.
If only we can become this aware at each moment …
I’m come along the road a bit, but still have some way to go 😉 Thank you for being here my fellow journeyers.
Namaste
Find Your Middle Ground 
Absolutely perfect for me today.
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Thank you Noelle. So glad it resonated with you ❤
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I’m being so unreasonable today you wouldn’t believe it Val. 😉
Amazingly beautiful photograph at the top by the way.
Hariod. ❤
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I love this unreasonable you Hariod ❤
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That’s most unreasonable of you to say so Val – thank you! H ❤
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Yes! If/when I notice I’m “chasing my tail,” I relax and remind myself to JUST BE. That snaps me back to the present, gets me out of my head, and reminds me to be awake and aware to THIS moment. And THIS one.
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Just 🐝
Its so great when we have our own mantra to help us get back into balance again.
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I like what you said about being out of balance when the head is in control. The photos are beautiful. 🙂
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Thank you Carol 🙂
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Every day, the heart sends more messages to the brain than the brain sends to the heart, yet…. we always think the head knows best!
ha! The heart always knows best.
Love this post Val — our ‘labels’ are almost identical btw! 🙂
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Its that critter ego living in our head that likes to think its in control!
Power to the heart and soul sister!
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I think we need our heads and our hearts Val, don’t you? A balance is needed between them.
This is my struggle with being present in the moment 100% of the time. I don’t think we’re wired to do so. There needs to be some fore thought and planning, right?
And I say this as someone that follows her heart. A lot! 🙂
Diana xo
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I agree Diana! Asking “am I in my head or heart?” is a mantra for me. Just like Nancy’s “Just Be”. Having some words or even an image that is ready to go when we start to get out of balance is really helpful.
After all, there are so many years of conditioning that have to be reprogrammed. It does take practice… and facing that ego mind of ours! ❤
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Thank you for this lovely and wise post. I, too, am much of a ponderer. I often redirect myself. The one thing I don’t want to do is “react” to a situation rather than act from a place of love.
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Thank you Suzicate! Its human to react … but when we catch it in that moment we can choose to respond in a different way. The lesson is not to feel bad about reacting, but to practice coming back to our heart. The more practice, the less reactivity 🙂
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Soul sisters that we seem to be, dear Val…I completely get this. I often stop and ask myself this: “How am I feeling right now, right here, in this moment?” That’s generally all it take to stop the head stuff and call me back to my heart. That also provides an opportunity to remind myself that I am simply out of balance. Head and heart need each other. The problem is, that head doesn’t believe it. 😉
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Great mantra Carrie! When we have one it becomes a tool – like a spanner in the ego mind stuff 🙂
Soul sistas with heads and hearts practicing balance ❤
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That journey from head to heart is a long and hard one. In the last fifteen years or so I have been making that journey and it’s been absolutely transformative, but I still struggle having been very much of a head person. As always a good post Val. thank you.
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It takes dedication and practice Don to undo the years of conditioning we all seem to acquire along the way! I think it may be harder for intelligent people like yourself who use their thinking brain so well to navigate life.
Thank you for sharing here Don ❤
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This is so good Val, thank you for sharing it! ❤
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Thank you Julie. I enjoyed writing it for you … and fellow humans 🙂
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“Meaty” — love it, Val! 🙂 And truly, truly love your question. Very centering indeed.
Peace and light to you always, my friend. xo
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Yes indeed Allison. When we really feel into the question or whatever we choose to connect with our heart … we transform by letting go of the thinking and allowing the loving energy to flow through us.
Peace and light ❤
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So… within these journeys, the connections, the desire to discern where and how we’re aligned… where does the soul fit in to the possibility mix? 🙂
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What a great question Eric 🙂 In my experience I’ve come to understand that the ego is most aligned with the thinking brain and the soul is aligned to the heart.
It does open up an area that I haven’t written about, especially from a yoga perspective.
I’ll give it some thought and listen to my heart 🙂
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Oh that heart versus head struggle – I think we all try to find balance at some point in our lives. Your reflections are well-penned!
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Thank you Christy ❤ … May we all move from appreciating the idea and the penmanship to living it every day 🙂
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To much mind disconnects me and together, heart and mind, I find I connect again. It’s always a balance. Great question to awaken our presence. Thanks Val.
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Lovely to hear your perspective Karen. When we notice the disconnection, we let go of the mind and open up our heart!
Balance like this is easy …
However, most times we expect our mind to work it out …. And it becomes so hard and unattainable.
I love when you swing by!
Val x
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This is true for me too. When I’m in my head I try to control the uncontrollable and I worry about things that will probably never happen. I get frustrated and easily stressed out…but when my heart is in charge I let go of the need to know, plan and control, I go with the flow, accept and relax. Much better, but not always easy to stay there, work in progress.
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Thank you for sharing Tiny! Work in progress … such is life ❤
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A very nice post, Val. Thank you. 🙂
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Thank you Michael for your kind words and stopping by!
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Oh Val, this post is so inspiring and true! We must live in our hearts! ♥♥♥
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Thank you so much Yvonne!
Your heart is always shining and an inspiration ❤
Val xo
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Such an uplifting post, thank you Val. 🙂
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Thank you Marj! 🙂
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