The living heart is a muscle, a muscle that moves rhythmically all day and all night, never stopping. It takes enriched blood from the lungs and pumps it all throughout the rest of the body. The depleted blood is then pushed back to the lungs for renewal. In this way, the heart is a source of nourishment and life. It is a constant, balanced, cycle.

The heart is also a feeling organ. It connects us emotionally to others. It is a source of emotional nourishment. Through our heart we take in the positive energy of Love and compassion. And through our heart, we give this positive energy to others. It’s a two-way street. We need to both give and receive in order to be emotionally nourished, to keep Life Force in motion.

Biologically, the heart is nourishing itself––the enriched blood feeds the muscular health of its own tissue. This is also true emotionally. The energy of receiving Love enriches our Life Force, and creates an opportunity for us to give Love in greater measure. There cannot be one without the other.

Those of us who have been taught to be givers, who have learned that receiving is a lesser function, are shortchanging both ourselves and those to whom we give.