Living with an open heart means that you experience all experiences fully without denying anything. It is like looking fear in the eye – you stand up for yourself and take up the fight.

The weak man

The weak man will always try to deny his pain. Whether it’s emotional or physical, he will always try to think of anything but the pain.

When running, he will distract himself when it starts to hurt. When faced with criticism, he will try to move on, move around it, forget it or deny it. When a weak man loses something, or someone, he will suppress his feelings; his pain. He will look the other way and distract himself.

On the surface, this approach might look beneficial. Pain is bad, so it must be good not to feel it, no? If just it was so simple…

See, pain is a part of life. And when you reject pain, suppress it, deny it, you also reject, suppress and deny life. And on top of that, pain only grows in denial. So when you reject your pain, all you are actually doing is that you make it grow. And it will grow, grow until it eats you up.

A man living with a closed heart will die bit by bit, every single day.

What to do instead

The honest, courageous man, on the other hand, will face his pain. He will see it for what it is, and do with it what needs to be done: live with it.

He will be open to the world and to the people that love him, and his mind and spirit will be strong.

So try this the next time you are faced with something “bad”, like criticism: stand up for yourself. Breathe at all times to open up the front of your body. And listen.

The same thing applies to loss, whether its in love, death or anything that’s in between: take responsibility. Face the pain. Remain open. Whatever you do, you must remain open.

When you practice openness like this, you will start to see that pain and hurt is just as much a part of life as love and light.. You won’t ever get rid of your pain by denying it, so why not learn to live with it?

The funny thing is that there comes a time, where you will realize that the pain, your pain, is gone. It is just like fear: you won’t ever get rid of it before you face it and fight it.

The way to fight fear is to do what you are afraid of.

The way to fight pain is to live with it, with an open heart.

Always.

What do you think?
What’s your point of view when it comes to pain – is it best to just see it for what it is, or do you believe in denying or suppressing it? Is there a middle road? Let me know what you think in the comments.

By the way, I’m going to Sweden in an hour, I’ll be back in a few days. Take care guys!

To become aware of your breath is to become aware of the moment. To become aware of the moment is to be in the now. And to be in the now is to be one with all things – both good and bad.

That is what accepting is really all about.

There is to past, there is no future, there is only now. It is all we got, and it is all the time.

So you better get comfortable with it now, because it’s going to follow you for the rest of your days.

Start breathing

As I stated earlier, to become aware of your breath is one of the most powerful tools you can employ to fully embrace and experience the moment.

Fully embracing means fully accepting – I talked to a greater length about accepting in the last post here: Accept Yourself: How To Let Go of Bad Emotions and Feelings.

Stop and breathe

What I try to do a couple times a day, is to stop and just breathe.

Really focus on it; close your eyes.

Breathe air in through your nose, and deep into your belly. Breathe as deeply and slowly and controlled as you possibly can.

Now slowly exhale and relax your whole body. Let go of any tension.

Repeat it a couple of times, personally I usually go with about 9-12 “repetitions”.

I feel that this little quick procedure really has the ability to give me strength and courage all through out the day. It is perfect for coping with stress.

Just one conscious breath a day is better than zero. You can do one right now!

Breathe in air through your nose, and exhale it slowly. Feel the energy of the fresh air as it passes your organs. Feel the air circulate in your lungs. Really feel it.

Air is not just air, it is life itself.

Breathe when it matters the most

We have a tendency to forget to breathe when it matters the most.

Under high pressure. During sex. While having an important conversation. When you exercise.

Remember to breathe in these situations, and I promise you that you are going to have more success doing what you are doing.

Try it and let me know how it goes!

What about you?

Do you ever breathe consciously? And if so, why, and when do you do it?

For me, conscious breathing is my secret weapon.

Let me hear your thoughts in the comment section!

See you there :-)

First photo by Ryo. Second one by Meredith.