I’m continuing to work with the HeartMath program and, as part of their Freeze Framer exercise, you ask yourself, What would my heart say? This creates a spontaneous shift from a mental focus to the intelligence of the heart. What I’ve found so helpful about this particular approach is the change in attitude and experience I have when I ask my heart what it has to say about a given difficult or conflicted issue.

For example, I got up on morning in a really grungy mood. I was cranky and didn’t want to jump into the day. My mind was busy ticking off all the things I had to do and my body was irritable and uncomfortable. When I recalled that I could ask my heart what it would say, I sat down for a moment and listened. My heart had a different take on the day. It reminded me how I feel when I have nothing to do, and reminded me of the many people who would give anything to have a busy day ahead. This wasn’t just rationalization. My whole body-mind experience shifted into a kind of easy acceptance and I forged ahead in a lighter mood.

Another time, I found myself thinking about the people I passed on the street as cherished beloveds, a state of being definitely focused in the heart rather than the head. As I passed each person, I spontaneously experienced holding their face in my hands, gazing into their eyes. Feeling connected to all these strangers allowed my heart to stay open all the way to work. I draw on experiencing others as cherished beloveds all the time now. It eases me when I’m on the subway with people on every side or when I’m standing in a long line, which happens often.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to play with the question, “What would my heart say?” Whenever you find yourself in a difficult or challenging moment, notice what happens when you shift into this heart-centered focus. Notice how your experience of the moment changes and how you move through it in a way that might not have been possible if you had continued on with only a mental focus.

As with all the experiments, the point here isn’t to have a particular outcome. It’s to explore the difference between head-centered and heart-centered experience. Remember to bring along curiosity as your companion, and a willingness to forego any judgments about your experience. My having discovered I can walk through the world engaging cherished beloveds has been a real gift for me. Allow yourself to discover the gifts your heart has for you.