How to be connected to the heart and how does it serve as a foundation for knowing?

How to be connected to the heart and how does it serve as a foundation for knowing?


by Yuuki Fujisawa

I am working on my individual research project with the topic of the heart. I believe that the heart is not merely a physical pump nor a representation for feelings, but what allows me to be my authentic self and have trust in the world. I was completely at a loss feeling detached from myself and struggling to trust that the world around me is real. I could not feel my true thoughts or emotions and did not feel alive. The world was looking superficial or almost unreal to me. Everything including my own being was uncertain. Therefore, I am seeking something that can be a foundation of my trust, and that I can stand on or hold on to in the search of myself and in understanding the world. I feel connecting to the heart is a starting point. When connected to my heart, I feel authentic “I”. I can also be sure about the world when I know it from my heart because when I really know something to the extent that I no longer need any proof, this “knowing” is coming through my heart. Thus the question for my research project is how to be connected to the heart and how does it serve as a foundation for knowing?

As a first step I am educating myself about the heart based on the existing research by HeartMath - leading organizations in the study of science of the heart. With their shared mission to awaken the heart of humanity, they aim to help people connect with their heart. I would also like to study how the heart is understood in anthroposophy, especially in its connection to thinking as well as feeling and willing. I believe studying from these two distinct perspectives, science of the heart and anthroposophy, are complementary and helpful for me to develop an understanding of my own. Simultaneously, I would like to practice connecting to my heart by trying out in my own way or using the HeartMath tools and practical exercises, to make the project not only theoretical but also a living experience.

Working on this project is an initial step for me. I have been feeling that something essential that, the moment I find it, everything clicks and makes sense, is still missing and yet to be revealed. Connecting to my heart could bring this awakening. To me, the heart is the basis for understanding fundamental questions such as who am I, what is the world, what does it mean to be a human, how do we know, why am I here, or what is my life about? Awakening of the heart might not give all the answers but I will surely be ready to live with these questions if the heart becomes a firm standpoint for knowing and guidance. Moreover, the heart seems to play a key role for creating connectedness in the world, which is my aspiration for the future. I believe that the human heart is a doorway through which we truly unite with the others and the whole universe. In short, I am determined to explore the significance of the heart for my project as I intuitively feel that the heart serves as a foundation for knowing and the ultimate guide for me to live who I truly am. I also wish this project will prepare me for bringing unity to the world in the future.