How crucial is your emotional well being?

There has been a subtle shift in the energies of the planet and people have been becoming more aware of the possibilities available within the realms of our human consciousness. Wise men, rabbis and gurus of all religions, over the centuries, have all taught the importance of self-discovery and awareness, and today there is a very tangible worldwide shift towards greater understanding of ourselves, leading to greater tolerance of the other.

We all know the importance of good physical health – that's why we visit the doctor. We also appreciate the value of stable mental health and the medical options to regulate chemical imbalances that are recognized as one of the major factors in mental health wellbeing. However, how many of us place any real significance on our emotional wellbeing?

I'm not talking about severe clinical depression, but rather the more minor diseases like anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, guilt, resentment, feelings of victimization and confusion. I'm talking about those everyday feelings that we all experience and take for granted as our expected lot in life.

How often do those everyday feelings overwhelm us, no matter how much we try to put a lid on them? What goes through our mind is some kind of self-talk along the lines of "Nobody else needs to know what's going on inside. It just wouldn't do to have people see me in a vulnerable state. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me or to think that I'm not capable of handling my own life."

So we pretend. We put on masks to hide behind. Sometimes those masks are sweet and smiling, as though nothing is wrong, though our heart is burdened with weight; sometimes we pretend to be an authority, when we're really afraid of being seen as ignorant; sometimes the mask is 'people-pleasing', saying 'yes' because we don't want others to think badly of us; sometimes we make a point of keeping people at a distance or being hard to please, when inside we are desperate for love. The masks can appear as self-sacrifice or as superiority, as victim or as dominator. Then there is the great pretence of, "I'm in perfect control – nothing can touch me!" The big wall that keeps everyone at a distance – even the ones we love the most.

We hide behind that wall, thinking that no-one can reach us there. In fact, we are so safely isolated that we have closed ourselves off to the very thing that we crave most – love and true connection.

Do you remember your first experience of love – that feeling of joy, walking on air; being impervious to dark clouds; even enjoying the storms because you were together; the joy that came from sharing your love unconditionally and receiving it openly and freely. That same love that opened your heart and allowed your true beauty and goodness to shine through – what happened to it? When did masking our authentic joy become more important than expressing it openly? How many of us can honestly say that our relationships bring us joy?

I can hear your protestations: When you've been together so many years…; when you're struggling to make ends meet …; when you've been through this, that and the other…; and all that is true. But has surviving the trials of everyday life left you feeling more connected or more separate from your partner/parents/family/friends? Do you feel that you are running a solo marathon? That your responsibilities are solely yours? That the success of your family, business, or household is dependent on your performance alone?

Where are YOU in all of this? In order to cope with it all, have you taken up the strong, protective armor that shows the world how capable you are, while underneath, you feel tiny and alone, desperate for support and understanding and craving connection that will give you the strength to keep going?

Recent years have revealed a slow shift away from the 'strong, impenetrable, isolated individual' paradigm and a growing move towards the more open, supportive and connected paradigm of community.

Heart Intelligence is a new, holistic model of Life Coaching that combines mind, body and spirit and is currently spreading across Europe, America, Australia and even the Middle East. It brings greater clarity about our issues by not relying on our thoughts and beliefs alone but by examining how we feel on all the various levels of our being: physical, emotional, energetic and spiritual. It teaches us how to come into awareness through stillness and how stillness brings clarity around the issue that is bothering us.

Through self-awareness and personal development, we are able to make the transition from mere survival to actual thriving in the life we always wanted to live – a life of authenticity, joy, love, compassion, integrity, honesty, clarity, communication and abundance.

Imagine a community that allowed and encouraged us to actually BE our true selves; to show up in our strengths and our vulnerabilities; to greet the world with compassion - for others and for ourselves. And imagine being part of this like-minded community, where you can feel safe enough to let down your guard and reveal your true essence, knowing that it will be accepted in all its perfection (warts and all)!

Take a step towards reclaiming your life. Move out of survival mode, just getting by and help yourself to a life that is in alignment, flowing with more grace, ease and creativity. Join the heart intelligence experience. Let more of Life in and more of You out!

Lydia Hayman is a certified Life and Empowerment Coach and Facilitator for the Heart Intelligence Experience.