Zen of Hearts

Welcome to Zen of Hearts.

This space holds a collection of mindful field notes that I've written since January 4, 2025 to serve as an anchor while living with fibromyalgia and the accompanying daily chronic pain that comes with it. Rooted in Zen, Buddhism, Taoism, and Stoicism. These passages are gentle reminders to help me stop, breathe, and live deeply in the present moment and to put life into perspective so that I can focus on living it to the fullest. I'm documenting it here to in case anyone else out there finds it to be of use as well. These practices are meant to be remembered in moments throughout the day to stay at peace.

Explore the short verses below, and use the menu above to view more in-depth writings. These are meant to be read slowly, and with care.

In our physical day to day life we must remember that peace comes from within. We must turn the search inward to find what we've been searching for. Stay mindful in all of your doings. Recognize the moment with complete attention and gratitude. Life only exists here in this present moment. Stay unfazed and detached from all expected outcomes. Embody love without judgment for any and all. zdfg

If there is just one word that I can express what this past year of self and worldly discovery has culminated in, it would be the word "Love".

…it’s so simple. Just be love. Bring love to the table everywhere you go. Embody it wherever you are, through every interaction, while walking through and perceiving the world. Be the smiling face in every place you go.

Next would be: Unfazed - (Mind control: the ability to rule our own mind completely…)

The freedom in truly cultivating this concept is absolutely mind-blowing. Just about anywhere you go these days you can see the emotions of just about everyone out there being controlled by the actions of other people. 99% of us fall victim to this, yet we possess the free will and ability to remain completely calm and cool in any situation, no matter what happens. (Exceptions made for emergencies of course.) Also, I'm not suggesting you let people walk all over you. It's different than that. When we discover the ridiculously simple alternative, and realize that we can be completely immune to the actions of others and what that can do to our emotions is when perspective completely shifts. It goes something like this...

…Let nothing faze you. Nothing at all. Rise above anything and everything that attempts to test you. From all the little small occurrences that trigger minor frustrations to more major stuff that would likely trigger even the coolest of folks. We have the ability and free will to not react and remain calm, truly calm. Once that starts to become a natural reaction is when the true magic begins. Let nothing and no one but you control your emotions. It’s completely foolish to do otherwise when we stop and realize that it’s all in our control. It's an eye-opening, mind-blowing realization. And once realized completely, and when it starts to become your natural reaction - the door you’ll step through opens up to an absolutely blissful world of transformation.

(Be prepared to hear some repetitions. These are my personal field notes, and I have written the same ideas many times over. Just because when the small revelations hit, I feel the need to write again.)

If viewing on a computer, and the words are too small, press and hold the control key then press the plus button to increase the zoom and text size.

Throughout the day, it's important to just return to the moment. Bring your attention into the present and smile that you've returned to it again. And also remember to, "Walk as though you are kissing the earth with your feet" -Thich Nhat Hanh ...That's such a sweet idea and is a sweet addition to the mindful moments that we create.

In this section are verses of mine that I have been referring to the most lately.

These are just breif in-the-moment refreshers:.

No matter what happens, remember:

Through it all, the soul remains untouched.

It is always there waiting with open arms for your attention again.

Live with ease. Mindful rhythmic actions.

Emanate good energy.

Be a source of peace.

Endure any pains and difficulties with grace.

Deep breath down into the belly.

Exhale with a smiling presence, grateful,

content, mindful and aware ...now start again

Stay completely unfazed always

- you control your emotions - only you -

Absolutely no one, no thing, or occurrence can change that.

Choose to be happy and unaffected by it all.

In this moment:

Be present and aware – Let everything just reset – No grudges held – No past or future – Vertical posture – Fill the lungs – Expand the spine – Mindful, grateful and content – Feel love for the moment. Attention is placed solely on the task at hand – Movements are rhythmic – Stay completely unfazed and detached from all expected outcomes - Accepting of it all – Making no judgements and embracing uniqueness.

Slowing it down now, listen deeply to everyone and all things. Let the universal consciousness that flows through all things gently use us as its instrument in physical form to bring light and love into this world. We are individual incarnations of the universe simply having a human experience. Guide it sweetly as it lights the way home.

None of what I'm practicing and writing about is meant to sound religious. It's more of a way of life, serving as tools that help live it to the deepest level available, but with no finish line. Like a great book that doesn't have to ever come to an end. It's impossible to perfectly put into words. Lao Tzu said, "The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao". It's a feeling that completely overwhelms your senses with pure love when felt. But even that still doesn't begin to describe it, and is a reason why it is also referred to as the nameless source of all things.

The practice, the remembering, the return - It’s a sort of presence that you can always keep with you in the background as you go from place to place, moment to moment, naturally smiling to yourself each time you remember that it's still right there for you, awaiting your return.

Again, we mentally must detach from all expected outcomes. (Doing the opposite only leads to suffering) Accept life radically as it unfolds before you. Smile as you watch it happen, knowing that you’ve tapped into something magical. Being completely ok with "how things go down" in any situation again adds to the complete immunity that this practice brings you. And through this practice you can likely become stress-free, possibly pain-free, and can most definitely bask in quite a blissful state of euphoria that this creates for you.

The words I've written above are about interacting in the world around us. Next will be my ideas that talk more about the spiritual realm of things.

A step into deeper practice…

There’s an idea that the life force from which all things emerge lives inside each and every one of us. It flows through all things. It beats your heart and fills your lungs thousands of times each day without any effort on your part. It guides the flight of a thousand birds flying in unison. It makes you walk like your father, and talk like your brother. It lights the path so that young sea turtle hatchlings can find their way home to the ocean. It dwells deep within us - it is the witness of our awareness. This unnamable, unbound by space and time, divine consciousness connects us all together as one. We are all incarnations of this essential spirit simply expressing itself in human form that is experiencing, in one blink of an eye, an entire lifetime on Earth. When we recognize our oneness with it and with all other beings, we see that we are all merely branches of the infinite sprawling tree of life. With each new moment that we live from this perspective, we melt just a little more into the limitless ocean of consciousness. Let it work through you. Let it simply and gently use you as its instrument in physical form to shine light and love into this world.

What about pain? After practicing different approaches to how I viewed my pains, not fearing them and reprogramming my mind to not associate pain with fear and whatnot, I still found myself suffering from pain. There are many approaches to help cure us of chronic pain that have worked for many people, and that's amazing for those people. I gave it my all for two years, practicing dozens of methods, but it unfortunately did not rid my body of pain or lessen it. I approached it with an open mind and gave it all many fair chances. I then came up with my own philosophy based on the aforementioned practices to move forward in the only way I saw possible. And although I'm still suffering with pain daily, as weird as it sounds, I owe my condition some gratitude simply because it got me back into living in this current mindset of self-mastery. Knowing that I can return to the moment, tap into the essential consciousness that dwells within, and feel complete bliss whenever I want is truly a blessing.

When it comes to pain now, for me I say, "pay it no mind". Pretend like they’re not there. Power through. Strong like a monk walking for peace. Mind over matter. These pesky thorns are merely part of your path. Walk through them with all the strength you've got. Remember, radical acceptance for all things. Most people don't agree with this approach to simply ignore it. It's impossible to really ignore, of course, but I don't give them much of a reaction since it seems to be here for the long haul. Some of the pain that I deal with is somewhat predictable, but still nowhere close to normal for your average Joe. Then there's the freaky stuff... the pains that hit without warning. They can be any type of pain, burning, stabbing, sharp, aching, etc... and hit anywhere on me at any time. Two years into this and it's still finding new places on my body to surprise me with. But one must adapt and live in harmony with the changing of the seasons. It sure makes things difficult, but all I can do is detach and soldier on. I value the character it builds in me.

I know this is easier said than done. Sometimes the physical pain we get can make it impossible to ignore. Each pain is different. And it's definitely a strange existence to literally be feeling some random pain somewhere on my body every moment of every day. To those dealing with the same, my heart goes out to you. Stay strong, seek refuge in the moment, and know that through it all, the soul remains untouched. When it gets really bad, I lie there and quietly repeat: "I am not this body. I am not this pain. I am light consciousness going back to the source." I came up with that early on in this state I'm in, and I still use it.