Something unexpected happened this morning that touched my heart and made me remember how important it is to be open. I grabbed my well-loved copy of Journey to the Heart by Melody Beattie as I got ready to teach yoga. Usually, I read the meditation that was prescribed for that day, but this time I ended up on a page I wasn’t supposed to. I felt like the meditation selected me, not the other way around. It was called “It’s Safe to Open Your Heart.”
That message rang home for me, especially after something had happened recently that made me want to shut down and shield my heart. But instead of backing away, I leaned forward. I began to think about how patterns from the past, especially those that originated in childhood, still affect how I love and be loved today. This episode is about gently seeing those patterns, letting go of where we’ve hardened, and deciding to be open even when it seems risky.
So, on this week’s Wise Walk, we’ll look at areas we could be protecting our hearts and how we might let love, connection, and healing in while still keeping healthy boundaries. You’re not the only one who has ever felt the pull between being vulnerable and protecting yourself. Let’s go through it together and find strength in our weakness.
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- Do you feel it’s safe to open your heart right now, or are you guarding it in your personal or professional life?
- Can you set healthy boundaries to manage fear or stress so you can open your heart and see what’s possible?
- Where in your life are you shielding yourself from past hurts out of fear of being vulnerable?
- Have you ever given people an easy out even when you truly wanted them to show up?
- What do you risk by telling someone you genuinely want them there—and what might you gain?
- Are you willing to be vulnerable and let the world fully receive your love?
- Where can you stay open to your big, beautiful, vulnerable love while creating healthy boundaries?
- Are you mindfully protecting your energy from those who can’t meet you with love right now?
- Can you recognize the love that deserves all of you and resist falling back into old protection patterns?
- Are you willing to keep evolving and let your heart stay safely open as you grow?
Thanks for sharing this space with me today. As you move through the week, I hope you feel safe to open your heart and stay connected to the love that surrounds you. Until next time, keep honoring your stride and choosing what feels true.
In this episode:
[04:30] After my parents divorced, I had a challenging relationship with my father. My mother did the best she could to raise us four girls.
[05:08] I saw unconditional love from my mother, but I felt like my father’s love had conditions. I felt like I couldn’t depend on him, so I developed a pattern where I wouldn’t ask for much from him.
[06:16] I was shielding myself from vulnerability, because I didn’t want to feel the pain from being disappointed.
[07:04] This pattern came through in my adult relationships.
[08:35] I wasn’t being fully vulnerable when I gave people an out.
[11:14] Last week I got hurt by someone I care about. They unexpectedly disappointed me.
[12:06] When I’m hurt, I physically protect my heart. I want my heart center open so I can give and receive love.
[13:23] I was choosing heart openers in yoga this morning. Our hearts deserve to feel open and safe.
[14:04] I am consciously working on healing and growing and making sure my past doesn’t affect my present or future.
[15:23] Even though I got hurt, loving and putting myself out there to that risk is worth it.
[16:33] You can still feel safe to open your heart and have healthy boundaries.
[17:55] I will still hold space for them and compassionate space for myself.
[20:35] I read page 329 of Journey to the Heart.
[21:41] Engage in practices that help you keep your heart open.
Memorable Quotes:
- “I want my heart center fully open because I want to give and receive love in the fullest expansion form.” – Mary Tess
- “I am consciously working on healing and growing and making sure that my past doesn’t necessarily direct my present or my future.” – Mary Tess
- “Go after and bring more of that love, give more of it, and receive more of it” – Mary Tess
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Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul