The process of opening and strengthening your heart is joyful, freeing, natural and purely feeling oriented.  This is not a serious practice that involves hard work, creative visualizations or any sort of effort whatsoever.  If it is being done properly it should feel light, gentle, peaceful, effortless…and fun!

Smile to Your Heart Meditations introduces and explores in depth the four basic, yet key steps in strengthening the heart.  And regardless of your level of heart practices, from beginning to advanced, these fundamental steps are always important and can always be improved upon.  The four key steps are:

• Relax
• Close your eyes
• Touch your heart
• Smile to your heart

Through a series of simple, relaxing and deepening exercises, this book gently guides you to recognize and experience the truth and natural joy of the spiritual heart for yourself.

The following testimonial is one of many from all over the world featured in the book about the beautiful and life changing experience of opening the heart.

“As a spiritual aspirant for over 30 years, and in my profession as a Ph.D. psychologist, I have experienced and taught numerous practices and approaches for enhancing wellbeing and spiritual growth.

In these, I used to believe I knew about being in my heart and did not realize that I was still primarily head-centered. I spent countless hours doing disciplined meditation practices and could easily experience the calm space between my thoughts. But with all those practices, I never got to experience the depth of my heart. I have come to realize that mindfulness is not the same as heartfulness.

If we reflect back to the most special times in which we felt so deeply touched, grateful, and connected to life—whether it was the birth of a child, a tranquil moment in nature, a peak experience, or time of spiritual communion—it was our heart that was touched. In that moment, we were connected with our heart, and that is why it felt so special and precious.

Over the entire span of a person’s life, when all is said and done, and when one is about to leave this earthly plane, it is these few heartfelt experiences that give them their greatest sense of satisfaction and joy.

My happiness comes from the realization that our heart is not reserved for just a handful of special moments. We are meant to live as a heart, so that every moment can be special and precious, and so life is filled with abundant love and joy. When our hearts are open, we become less and less bothered by idiosyncrasies or differences in people. Relationships begin to bring great joy; we become more accepting of our shortcomings, as well as others’; we easily forgive and share from our heart.

The quality of life improves as people realize that what used to push their buttons, or create emotional reactivity, no longer does so. And if negativity is triggered, it is significantly diminished compared to previous patterns. They feel more sweetness and joy in their relationships, and allow the intelligence of the heart to guide their lives.

Open hearts live authentically with love, humbleness, and gratitude. And the more we are able to open our hearts, the more we are able to experience a tangible connection to the Source of Love and Light.

I am so happy that I know from the core of my heart this is something reachable and achievable for all of us. It is our birthright. I am so grateful that True Source is supporting us to fulfill this ultimate destiny.”

Ed Rubenstein, Ph.D.

North Carolina