The Gift of an Open Heart

For the sixth consecutive year, I dressed up as the Open-Hearted version of the Grinch whose heart “grew three sizes that day”. Why, you may ask, would a 46 year-old woman want to run around with a green face, talking to strangers during the Holidays? It began years ago when I worked as a video department manager and was promoting the new movie The Grinch with Jim Carrey. At that time, I gave out broken candy canes to frightened little children. A few years later, I was asked by an events coordinator in a small town if I could help liven up the streets after Thanksgiving with my special kind of Holiday cheer. I found a few carolers, dressed my son as Max (the dog turned reindeer) and again put on my Grinch costume. This time playing the Grinch reminded me of how important an open heart is for spreading true holiday cheer. Sadly, that evening the town showed no signs of any children or customers so I went about giving small gifts to adults and to all of the merchants. Their stores were empty and I really felt for them. Needless to say, they were shocked to see me walk through their doors, offering them a present with no strings attached. Seeing each adult’s reaction when offered a gift, wrapped in ‘heart’ paper and a little bow, was a study in itself. Some refused, while others lit up like stars! The ones that shook their heads at me seemed angry and closed-hearted, even with the carolers and Max behind me, I couldn’t get them to smile. A few times that night I even felt the Bah Humbug that Scrooge was known for, but I decided to keep my heart open and continue on with giving out the rest of my gifts.


That same holiday season I was reminded that these people didn’t close their hearts overnight. I was shown how it is a slow process that happens over time. I went to my son’s basketball game, where a little girl around five-years-old was twirling, skipping and dancing around the gymnasium. I told her mother, “With a little more of that in the world, there would be no more wars.” A minute later, she ran to the other side of the bleachers, and in seconds, the same little girl had tears running down her cheeks. These tears were the unrestrained kind we all were used to before the world told us that it isn’t OK to feel. When I saw her running back to her mother, I had to know what happened. It seemed the man on the other side of the bleachers was her father, and the two parents were divorced. The father got angry with the girl over something, and in seconds her mood changed from sunshine to rain. Eventually, she returned to dancing and twirling, but with less enthusiasm. “I could almost hear her thinking, “That hurt! I’m not going to do that again”. Those small thoughts close our hearts a little bit at a time, desensitizing us to our own feelings. How many more times would it have to happen before that little girl stops feeling, twirling and dancing altogether? I realized in that moment that the universe had revealed my purpose to me: to help others keep feeling, or as I like to call it, “open heart surgery”, at least in a spiritual sense. That is why each year I have returned to promote an open heart, handing out hugs and kisses (the chocolate kind) to all that are open to receiving.


Last year before the Holidays, I remember how touched I was when I was watching an episode of Oprah. I saw exactly what being the Grinch had taught me. The show was about a young man who had intended to pull off an armed robbery, but instead found himself stopped by none other than a woman with a kind heart. While the robbery was in progress, the woman began to speak with the young man. She said, "Where's your mother? He said I don't know," she said "Where is your father?" he said "I don;t know my father, I have never met my real father." She said "Oh Honey, I am sorry". He then fell to his knees and sarted to cry. She reached down and touched him and began to pray for him...In the interview, the young man said "No one has ever talked to me the way she did...She made me feel comfortable, and something just made me open up to her." he said "I felt honestly something that I had never felt before at that moment". The story reminded me of Cindy Lou Who disarming the Grinch with nothing but a warm heart and the love of a child.

So, never forget the power we all have, simply by having an open heart. The holiday season doesn’t have to be the one time of year we remember to give and receive. Yes, a warm heart and a few kind words can change the world. Maintaining an open heart first begins with love of self, then love for others and finally manifests as the true gift of forgiveness. In a radio interview with the kind woman who stopped the robbery, the interviewer asked her what she thought should happen to the young man. She said, “He is a special person, he needs special care. He has a heart, I’ve seen it, and I have felt it! He gave to me as much as I gave to him”.

Chakras 101

The first chakra is located at the base of the spine and the seventh located at the crown of the head. They all correlate with certain parts of the body, colors, elements and lessons. When a chakra is too open or blocked, it is associated with certain dis-functions of the body. Chakras that are too “open” are a direct result of compensating for “closed” or blocked chakras. Fro example, a blocked fifth (throat) chakra could result in a too open fourth (heart) or sixth (third eye) chakra. Open or blocked, the state of each chakra reflects the decisions we have made in our lives, and how we choose to feel and respond to our past conditioning. When the chakras are balanced, you live a life of health and ease. When imbalanced, you live a life of dis-ease.

The first or root chakra deals with grounding, survival, and the contact between our bodies and the physical world. The colors representing this chakra are red and black. It is located at the base of the spine. The feet, ankles, legs, rectum, adrenal glands and large intestines are all associated with this chakra. The corresponding element is earth, and the chakra’s related lesson is discovering our connection with mother earth and our physical bodies.

The first chakra will be associated with fear, money issues, addictions, and low self-esteem. If the chakra is too open – one might manifest bullying, becoming overly materialistic, feeling self-centered, exhibiting violence, or becoming greedy. If this chakra is blocked, we may have low self-esteem, or become emotionally needy and self- destructive. When it is healthy, we belong; we are stable, secure and patient. We are also able to release the past. If it is unhealthy, an inability to let go of negative emotions manifests, leading to obesity, hemorrhoids, constipation, and sciatica. Having stability in our lives is a sign of a healthy first chakra. If we are changing jobs and moving all the time, we may find it difficult to have a foundation to build upon. Without stability within ourselves, dependable relationships will elude us and we feel alone, unsupported and unloved as a result. We may have weight issues and self-destructive habits that “take the rug out from under us”. Treating our body with the respect it deserves and loving our true inner self is essential for optimal health. Self-love starts here; we cannot have healthy relationships if we cannot take care of ourselves. We can only attract into our lives what we already know to be true within ourselves. Thus, the first chakra is the beginning!
 

The second or sacral chakra is located at the lower abdomen and is connected with family, relationships, sexuality, feelings and reproductive life. The sacral chakra is all about connecting with other people. It is associated with emotions, fluidity, nurturing and union. The color is orange and the element is water. Physically, it relates to the reproductive system, the urinary tract, the womb, testes, ovaries, lower abdomen, kidneys and prostate plexus. Its lesson is sharing, intimacy and communion with others. If it is blocked, we are emotionally unbalanced, manipulative, sexually addictive, jealous and over indulgent. If it is too open we become over-sensitive; we also feel guilty for no reason and can easily be controlled by others.

A healthy second chakra helps us feel connected with others - we are giving, passionate, harmonious and spontaneous. If it is unhealthy, we become disconnected, frigid, impotent, and resistant to change. We may have infertility, reproductive disorders and lower back problems. Movement and adaptability is most important in forming relationships with others. The second chakra is about relating with others yet maintaining our personal boundaries. We change, adapting and flow like water moving throughout the land. Trusting another, being able to ask for help, and holding nothing back, allows us to commit to relationships that test us and challenge our fluidity. When we play it safe and cease to relate with others, we will find our second chakra blocked.
When we fail to join with others in our own child-like way, we will feel alone and desolate, as if being surrounded by a barren desert. Surviving alone is not enough; we need relationships to maintain a whole and healthy existence. Flexibility and the will to open ourselves to change, helps us merge and grow with others. If in our past we have been hurt or abused by someone we have loved and trusted, we may shut our second chakra down to protect ourselves emotionally. With accumulated past family disconnection, we may keep ourselves isolated in fear of being hurt again. Yet, we can still join outside groups, and clubs that become our surrogate families. Pets are also a wonderful way to share a connection and keep the sacral chakra healthy. Supportive relationships are a must in moving up to the next empowering chakra.
 

The third or solar plexus chakra is located in the upper abdomen. It is associated with the ego, personality, willpower and metabolism. The color is yellow and the element is fire. The stomach, digestive system, pancreas, gall bladder, liver and small intestines are the physical areas of this chakra. The lesson from this chakra is learning to come from a place of power and strength, projecting who we truly are.

This chakra is the chakra that forces you to be you. When the solar plexus chakra is healthy, we live purpose-filled lives, and exhibit self-control. We are radiant, warm and life is a joy. If it is unhealthy, we may have digestive and eating disorders, diabetes or ulcers. When this chakra is in a healthy state, we can become powerful outside our homes, and we can move in a path that is aligned with who we truly are.

When this chakra is too open we may feel shame, are angry, controlling, judgmental and obsessive. If it is blocked, we feel insecure, afraid, powerless and overly concerned with what others think. If you grew up in a house where you felt like a stranger and lacked approval, or felt weak, you might have issues with self-empowerment! Anger, tears and regrets are stored under this chakra when it is blocked and stomach disorders and anxiety are the result. Lacking self-control results in eating disorders and is a powerful way to say, “I want control of my life and I will find that control, even if it is self-defeating.” Always doing for others and second-guessing yourself is a symptom of an out-of-balance third chakra. Ask yourself “what do you want?”

When we think poorly of ourselves and entertain negative thoughts, we may find it difficult to pick ourselves up and continue on life’s journeys without the encouragement and support from friends and family. Without the boost of our healthy relationships we may lose momentum in our own evolution. Moving up our stairway of chakras allows us to access energy centers of higher and higher vibration. However, each step must be solid in order to climb to the next. Adhering to this idea, we can maintain a healthy third chakra only if we have stability and supportive relationships. Otherwise, it is like building a castle on sand. Furthermore, honoring yourself, having discipline and self-respect will help you move with conviction toward the center of the chakra system

The fourth or heart chakra is located in the center of the chest. Its element is air and the color is green and pink. The heart chakra is associated with divine unconditional love, forgiveness, compassion and understanding. The physical areas are the heart, lungs, breasts, thymus, circulatory system, arms and hands. The lesson of this chakra is to learn to forgive and love yourself and others unconditionally. If it is too open, we will feel sacrificial, wounded, overly dramatic and unworthy. If it is blocked, we love with conditions, are possessive, feel unbalanced and become repressive. When the heart chakra is healthy, we experience peace, feel content and display divine unconditional love. When it is unhealthy, physical effects can manifest such as heart disease, asthma, and circulation problems, as well as lung and breast related issues.

A healthy heart chakra says:
“I have built my foundation”
“I have relationships with people I love, and I love myself.”
“I am ready to serve and be part of all of humanity”

The term sacrifice might come to mind when thinking of this chakra. However, altruistic action is driven by the belief that we are all one and the same - if I do for you, I do for all. Even a simple smile to a stranger can lift all of humanity. The phrase “do unto others” takes on a whole different meaning knowing that we are all cells in the same body. All of our actions have effects that reverberate throughout the networks that we experience everyday: our family, our friends, those we simply meet on the street, and thus the whole world. Since we are all joined together in this way, we cannot afford to have disconnection, or even worse, “individual (dividing) cancerous” cells, destroying the harmony of the collective human energetic body we call “God”.

Joining with others means experiencing the emotions that go with such connections, good and bad. Letting in the joy means also exposing us to feeling vulnerable. The ebb and flow of happiness, grief, compassion, and pain are the necessary dance of an open- heart chakra. Anyone who feels dissociated from others may have heart-related issues. Stopping the flow of emotions in life may cause heart attacks, strokes, autoimmune disease and blood pressure issues. High and low blood pressure is an indication of how much of life’s heartaches you are holding onto, or how much you are willing to release.

The heart chakra is also a storage vault and the gateway for past emotional pain such as grief. We tend to force feelings down and they accumulate… until something menial happens. Like a volcano, they can erupt. To emote, literally means to move. Releasing trapped emotions involves forgiveness, and the insight needed to see the pain that holding onto these emotions may cause. Forgiveness truly means “giving forward”, enabling you to let go of the repressed emotions from the past that may be weighing you down and holding you back from living a healthier today. The past, is the past, can we get past it?

The fourth chakra is of the utmost importance because it is in the middle of the seven-chakra system. It connects the physical to the spiritual and is related to healing. Clearing this chakra and keeping it healthy will insure a life filled with light and love, helping you in your next progression toward the chakras of the ethereal world.

The fifth or throat chakra is located in the neck area, the color is turquoise and the element is sound. This chakra is associated with free expression, communication, and the will to make your voice heard. The correlating physical parts of the body are the throat, shoulders, mouth, thyroid, parathyroid, neck, teeth and gums. This chakra’s lesson is knowing who we are and having the confidence to express ourselves to others. If the throat chakra is too open, we are over-talkative, dogmatic, self-righteous and have lack of discernment. If it is blocked we are indecisive, hold inconsistent views, repress expression and lack personal power.

When this chakra is healthy we are communicative, honest, reliable, creative and loyal. If it is unhealthy we have sore throats, gum disease, teeth, neck, thyroid and speech problems. True communication comes from an ability to transmit and receive information through a verbal or written exchange - expressing our internal dialogue or inner voice with the limited choice of words we have in our vocabulary, and enabling us to honestly share ourselves with others. There is nothing more frustrating then trying to express your self to another person and not be understood. Clear communication with yourself and others comes with practice, patience and understanding.

A healthy fifth Chakra says:
“I freely communicate to others my personal choices and desires”.
“I know who I am and what I want in life “.
“I am willing and able to express my visions to others”.


The fifth chakra represents self-knowledge that is communicated to others. Holding back your words, unable to speak up for yourself and lying to yourself and others, shuts this chakra down. Creative pursuits empower this chakra: singing, art, poetry, and writing. To choose our own expressive outlets allows us to freely communicate our most precious gift to the world, ourselves. Reaching ever upwards toward the stars, we float into the next chakra!

Chakras and the Intangibles

What is the value of imagination, creativity and inspiration?  Priceless!

This winter, I had the opportunity to witness individuals applying the law of attraction - only in reverse. The law of attraction is such that the more you believe you have, the more comes your way.  However, with so much fear and a sense of panic (first chakra), people who knew this philosophy ended up doing the opposite. The less they thought there was to go around, the less abundance they found. If you are living such a paradigm, you may find yourself stealing from those around you instead of working together (taking the next step to the second chakra) to get beyond meeting only your basic needs. I compare it to standing on someone’s shoulders to keep afloat at the deep-end of the pool. Ultimately, you may both drown. The media does a wonderful job fueling the fear and panic that keeps us in the first chakra. Why do you think Fear Factor and Survivor are such popular television shows?

I realized that resorting to stealing others’ resources was all too common when I attended a very interesting seminar at the University of Washington. The talk was given by two attorneys that were helping bright young entrepreneurs.   These talented individuals were full of creativity and had quit their high-paying jobs to protect their most precious assets – their imaginations – from the corporations that would have absorbed all of their original ideas for years to come if they were simply employees. It was their amazing ideas, their inspirations, which helped fuel thousands of inventions and discoveries – many of which have made our world a better place.  It is these ideas which are highly sought after because they are the spark from which so much is manifested.

The attorneys who spoke played a critical role in protecting these intangibles from being stolen, bought, imitated, contorted, or even squashed.  They helped the entrepreneurs not only keep their creative ideas, but also helped preserved their spirit, thus keeping their higher chakras vibrant and healthy. This is essential in having inventive ideas. These corporations, like many people, often ride on the coattails of others’ inspiration. The term that fits them appropriately is “cleptocrats”: thieves of the original ideas of others. I am sure you know a few – a boss, coworker or a relative who always seems to be making the money but hasn’t ever actually built anything, nor do they give credit where credit is due but benefit from the results of others’ efforts (misuse of the power/third chakra). The biggest problem with being a cleptocrat is that the well eventually runs dry. People cease to trust them and relationships are shattered. Alone again, back to the first chakra they go.

The key to having your own original ideas is to keep your higher chakras well-tuned. You have to be living in spirit to get those “Ah Ha!” moments. The higher chakras feed our spirit, but do us no good unless we are grounded in the lower chakras. Imbalanced lower-chakra people feed off those who are inspired, and top-heavy chakra people depend on others to help manifest their visions. Balance is the key, and the heart chakra is the critical element to wholeness. Self love, connection to others, and being motivated by love will bring about such balance. Communities and groups can thrive when individuals have their intangibles acknowledged and appreciated. Here is my recipe for bringing your ideas to fruition:

1 Cup of Inspiration (7^th Chakra)

2 Cups of Imagination (6^th Chakra)

A Dash of Creativity (5^th Chakra)

A Handful of Appreciation for yourself and others (4^th Chakra)

3 Tablespoons Motivation (3^rd Chakra)

2 Cups Cooperation (2^nd Chakra)

And a whole lot of Integrity (1^st Chakra)

Add ingredients one by one.

Secret: Skipping any step brings you back to the beginning