The Ability to Love

Personal growth and development involve the heart and the ability to love. The word “Core” in my work, Core Energetics, refers to love and the heart. This may surprise you, but the heart is your spiritual and relationship center, not your brain. Your heart integrates your entire organism, providing pulsating energy streams that flow up into your head and down into your legs and feet. This energy flows through your body, just as your blood flows through the arteries and veins.

You control and direct your heart through your inner wisdom as well as your outer will, the part of your brain and nervous system that motivates and directs your actions. If you are willing to love another in an authentic way, you will take the risks that are necessary to create an atmosphere where love can flourish. That involves admitting that you are vulnerable, telling the truth, being authentic, dealing with anger, frustration and disappointment in a mature way, and preparing yourself to love another even when that person fails to meet your expectations.

If you have trouble loving here are three exercises designed for you.
Two are physical because all kinds of muscular blocks interfere with heart pulsations. Your life force may have been diminished by the chest armor you used to protect yourself from being hurt. By releasing the chest block, you will participate in a transformative experience that will enhance your ability to love.
1) Working by yourself make fists and begin to punch the air in front of you. Punch love away. The punching both opens the chest armor and frees you to say “yes” to love. Few people can say “yes”, until they have first said “no.”
2) The second exercise involves reaching out, with first one arm and hand and then the other, grabbing love and bring it to your heart. Do this several times slowly, so you can feel what it means to bring energy to your heart.
3) Finally the last exercise calls for you to share something very personal, something that makes you feel vulnerable or ashamed with someone you care a lot about.
These 3 exercises will put you on the path toward love and enhance your ability to bring mature, meaningful love into your life.