Hi,
I'm Dr.
Jonathan Fisher.
As a cardiologist,
I've observed that the heart doesn't just pump blood,
It also seems to know what matters most.
Research shows that people with a strong sense of purpose have better cardiovascular outcomes and live longer,
Healthier lives.
The spiritual dimension of the heart connects us to meaning,
Values,
And the quiet wisdom that guides our deepest choices.
Today,
We'll explore turning toward what truly matters in your life,
Your core values,
Sense of purpose,
And the inner compass that points towards meaning.
Find a posture that feels balanced and supported,
Sitting with your spine upright yet relaxed.
Let your feet feel grounded,
Your seat supported,
And your shoulders soft.
Allow your hands to rest gently.
Starting with a few,
Slow,
Complete exhales can help calm the nervous system and activate the vagus nerve.
This signals safety to the body,
Supporting a shift from stress into a more reflective and receptive state.
Taking a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose,
Filling the belly,
And exhaling gently and completely through the mouth,
Releasing any mental clutter or urgency.
Again,
Breathing in completely,
Filling the belly,
And breathing out through the mouth,
Perhaps softening the forehead,
The muscles of the face,
The jaw.
With each out-breath allowing a sense of spaciousness to flow through your mind,
Releasing the day's demands and distractions,
Letting go of having to figure anything out right now,
Give yourself permission to simply be here,
Now,
In this moment.
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm now,
With your next exhale letting your body and mind settle into this practice,
You might silently say to yourself,
Here,
Now.
Noticing the points of contact,
The feet,
Thighs on the chair,
The back against the chair,
Sensing the support beneath you,
Feeling the gentle pull of gravity.
Simply observing your body sitting and breathing.
Becoming aware now of sounds coming and going around you,
Near or far.
Not making up any stories about them,
Simply noticing.
Next,
Turning inward,
Noticing any sensations of the body,
Any areas of discomfort or comfort,
Contraction or expansion,
Lightness or heaviness,
Sensing any emotions present,
Curiosity,
Restlessness,
Joy,
Sadness,
Longing,
Perhaps a desire for clarity about what matters.
Observe any thoughts moving through your mind.
Maybe there are questions about purpose,
Memories of meaningful moments or concerns about future direction.
Noticing any underlying needs or urges,
Perhaps for more control or clarity,
More alignment.
Then,
From this awareness,
Setting an intention for how you want to meet this moment,
This practice,
Perhaps with openness to your inner wisdom,
A willingness to listen deeply,
Or trusting in your inner knowing.
You might silently offer,
May I connect with what matters most,
May I trust the wisdom of my own heart.
Bringing awareness now to the area around your heart,
Noticing this space with gentleness and curiosity.
You might place one or both hands over your heart,
Feeling the steady rhythm that has been with you every moment of every day of your life,
Through joy and sadness,
Certainty and confusion.
Your heart carries a deep knowing.
Beneath the noise of daily life,
There's a quiet wisdom that recognizes what nourishes you,
What feels aligned and right,
And what matters most.
Beginning by reflecting on a moment in your life when you felt alive,
Most like yourself,
Authentic.
Maybe when you were creating something,
Or caring for someone,
Or experiencing something beautiful.
Allowing yourself to remember not just what happened,
But all the sensations and details,
And how it felt in your body.
That feeling of aliveness,
That sense of rightness or flow.
Now expanding to consider what values were present in that moment.
Maybe compassion or creativity,
Authenticity,
Service,
Or beauty.
Not thinking about this conceptually in your mind,
But sensing what feels true in your heart.
Allowing yourself to breathe with whatever emerges.
These core values that seem to live deep in your body.
Reflecting now on what gives your life meaning.
Not on what you think should matter,
But what actually moves you,
Motivates you,
Makes you feel connected to something larger than yourself.
You might consider,
What do you care about so deeply that you'd be willing to make sacrifices for it?
What legacy do you want to leave through how you live?
If questions arise about your path or purpose,
Allowing them to be present without needing immediate answers.
Sometimes the questions themselves are pointing toward what matters.
Now for the next minute or so,
Simply allowing whatever arises to be present.
Insights,
Emotions,
Images,
Or simply quiet space.
Notice how your sense of meaning and purpose may be constantly shifting or changing.
Evolving with your life experience.
If you find yourself feeling disconnected from a sense of purpose or meaning,
You might gently ask yourself,
What small step toward what I value could I take today?
Notice what emerges without needing to commit to anything.
Whenever the mind now wanders into worry or planning,
As it will,
Noticing where it went and gently bringing it back to this sense,
This question of what matters most in your heart.
This returning is the practice.
Now,
Letting go of any visualization or thoughts or questions,
Allowing your awareness to open to the whole body,
The breath and the space around you.
Noticing any shifts,
However subtle since you began this practice.
Maybe there's a sense of clarity,
Groundedness.
Or simply a deeper connection to your own wisdom.
Once again,
Feeling the contact of your feet on the floor,
Your thighs on the chair or seat,
Your spine supported.
Tuning into any sounds around you.
Taking a moment now to honor and acknowledge yourself for committing to this inquiry into what matters most.
Each moment of connecting with your deeper values creates ripples outward that influence how you move through the world.
Reflecting on how this connection to what matters most might influence your choices today.
Consider how you might carry this awareness into your interactions.
When you're ready now,
Taking a final slow breath in and exhaling fully.
Opening your eyes or lifting your gaze when it feels right.
Carrying this awareness with you into whatever comes next.
The knowing that what matters most is already alive within you.
This was session five of Living Wholeheartedly,
The four dimensions of the heart.
In our final session,
We'll explore integration,
Weaving together all four dimensions of the heart for a life of greater wholeness and authenticity.
We'll see you then.
