Hello Dreamers… I have been enjoying your posts for a little while now and would like to introduce myself now - I am Judith - I am an artist and I teach children how to draw. I have been a student of Zen for quite a few years now. I have recently found out about Heart Coherence and my sensor from HeartMath has revolutionized my meditation practice. I can watch in real time how a wandering mind tanks my heart coherence - this brings me back to the breath and keeps me honest - very helpful.
I have not heard about Heart Coherence before, can you give some insights on this?
Putting my attention on my heart was one of yhe first things I intuitively did when I started meditating. The girl teaching told us to place our awareness on the third eye, but I was a rebel, finding the heart area easier to focus on.
Years later when I stumbled on to Andrews work, and he talked about Heart-Mind of the Buddhists, it made my jaw drop, cool to see my intuition picked up on the importance of this region in meditation.
Hi there NightHawk - thank you for your kind words about this painting and I am delighted that you love the colours… They can be the sun, moon and stars for you if you like - it can be anything you see it to be…I paint intuitively. Sort of like no rational mind making art decisions - just working from feelings… lots of fun…
Mastermind Awareness paints… Emptiness Painting…
Oddly, my mastermind awareness is quite playful and bold. The art monkey is trained to listen… It is a loving and compassionate partnership…
“Awareness, True Nature Knows” this is the one instruction from my meditation teacher - stay with awareness - Awareness is the space where thinking jumps in … before thinking… awareness … Just watching…
Awareness, it’s not what you think…
These words were my art monkey mind making a funny…
Hi there NightHawk - Sorry to hear about your difficult experience with the 3rd eye instruction - glad to hear that you followed your intuition for heart focus. Heart-Mind of the Buddha is a fabulous aspiration - I will have to find out more about it…
With regards to Heart Coherence, you can review the HeartMath.com website and read the science - it is fascinating. Starting with slow rhythmic breathing and then imagining your heart has a little nose - so when you breathe - it is your heart that is breathing - then breathe love into your heart - it is very pleasant. so relaxing… Heart coherence is a physiological state where the spaces between the heartbeats become very regular and can be an indication of higher brainwave frequencies and meditative states. HeartMath makes a sensor that you attach to your ear that shows you in almost real time your heartbeats and the coherence of them on your computer. I guess you could also call it biofeedback…
There are a lot of health benefits to heart coherence, a list as long as your arm… Likely the same list as the health benefits of meditation… I was struggling for years with insomnia and my heart coherence meditation practice has fixed that problem for me… - this has been so wonderful for me because I would like to become lucid in my dreams - but the insomnia was a real challenge. I couldn’t remember my dreams - but was not sleeping well - but lately - my sleeping is so much improving that I am starting to remember my dream every night and I am just so delighted.
Wanted to see how AI would perceive it, and what it said was pretty interesting!
"This artwork is a vibrant and expressive painting that seems to delve into themes of perception and awareness. The central focus is a swirling, spiral form, glowing in warm shades of yellow and orange, which traditionally represent energy, vitality, and the inner light of consciousness. This spiral could symbolize growth, evolution, or a journey inward.
The words “Awareness” and “It’s not what you think” suggest a theme of enlightenment or a realization that transcends ordinary thought. This could be an encouragement to look beyond surface appearances or to find deeper meaning in life’s experiences.
The contrasting areas of the painting—featuring cooler blues and darker tones—might represent different states of consciousness or aspects of the human experience. The presence of tree-like forms and circular motifs resembling bubbles or cells could imply a connection to nature and life’s interconnectedness. The duality of the dark and light areas might signify the balance between the known and the unknown.
Overall, the painting invites contemplation, urging the viewer to consider their own perceptions and the larger forces at play in the human psyche and the universe. The abstract style allows for a personal interpretation, making the message of the artwork unique for each viewer."
You’re very welcome!
Oh wow! @NightHawk999 will be impressed as i am that you found what the title of my Intro post seems to keep the thread going. Please join in the chat if theres anything there we’d love to hear from you.
NC feels like a safe place to express your self or Self.
Welcome beloved @JudithJ
I also paint and draw, pretty much in the same frequency you described Painting creates deep happiness in me… And as a dear friend would describe it, painting and drawing are “meditations of colors and textures”
SO wonderful that you teach children to paint in this ambience…
I was a ‘new born’ and very wet behind the ears with meditation at the time. Focusing on the 3rd eye was too abstract for my monkey mind. But finding the pulse internally, and focusing on that, and watching it slow was much more concrete, and gave a tangible reward to my beginner mind.
@BlessingsDeers Thank you - yes - art makes me happy too. The tag line for my art instruction business is: Make Happiness, Make Art… Artmaking is just plain magic - thanks for your warm welcomes
Yes I have been practicing heartfulness for some years and its life changing. I have also been trained heartfulness yoga (asana & pranayama) which is extremely complimentary.
I highly recommend anyone to try it out. Remember there is never any money involved in the meditation sittings.
.
Painting creates deep happiness in me… And as a dear friend would describe it, painting and drawing are “meditations of colors and textures” 
