One of the exercises given in “Living from the Heart” is the Six Heart Virtues Grid Meditation. According to the meditation, through persistent and steady practice, we can actually create an energy grid of the six virtues around ourselves wherever we go. This meditation is performed in real time. That is, we do this meditation at the scenes of our daily encounters, in contrast to the traditional morning meditation session. Our success in building this grid within our energy field is a major step in practicing when-which-how because it strengthens our sensitivity to ourselves, to those around us, and to the energetic heart and higher self. At this stage, this means that we have our tools present and mobilized to act in any encounter. We can be compared to battlefield physicians who carry their medical kits with them at all times. When the need arises, their healing medications and supplies are within their reach.
You might be asking why there is a need to practice when-which-how if we deliver these virtues wherever we go? This is a good question. The answer lies, I believe, in the physician/healing metaphor just described. Our six heart virtues matrix is similar to preventive medicine. Through the steady generation and maintenance of this grid, we practice emotional hygiene. Most of us know the importance of keeping our physical bodies and living spaces clean, of maintaining a balanced diet, of getting enough exercise. As adults, we know how to avoid potentially dangerous situations by following common sense safety rules.
By creating the heart virtues grid in our infield we are maintaining a healthy emotional environment that is an extension of the healthy physical environment many of us value so highly and maintain as a normal part of our everyday lives. Just as unhealthy physical living lowers the power of our immune systems, leaving us vulnerable to illness and disease, unhealthy emotional living (emotional chaos), also reduces the power of our immune systems. Thus, it is obvious that coupling the energy grid’s emotional hygiene to the physical hygiene of modern living can have a tremendous positive effect on every aspect of our lives.
I think it is fair to state that the vast majority of human beings live in emotional chaos and lack control over their emotional lives. Because of this condition, we live in a stormy sea of emotions in which the vessels of our journey are vulnerable to the hazards of over-stress, irritability, low energy and consequent susceptibility to illness and disease. Therefore, even though we have created the heart virtues grid, our systems can still be overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil around us. As a result, we still need the when-which-how practice.
In other words, the energy grid will go a long way toward helping us maintain our emotional hygiene, but there will still be many occasions when we need to send specific energies to ourselves or others in order to aid in crisis situations. By analogy, although we may be fortunate enough to live in a relatively healthy physical environment, there are many occasions in life when we require specific medical help due to sickness or emergencies. Overburdened health systems around the world attest to this.
The act of building the heart virtues grid creates a state of consciousness that facilitates our ability to initiate the practice because we have gained the skill to shift into the dimensions of the heart and soul. This ability makes it possible for us be alert to the calls of those in need.
