“And every day, the world will drag you by the hand, yelling, ‘This is important! And this is important! And this is important! You need to worry about this! And this! And this!’ And each day, it’s up to you to yank your hand back, put it on your heart, and say, ‘No. This is what’s important.’”
This quote by Iain Thomas, which I first heard years ago during a yoga class taught by a friend, feels especially poignant around the holidays. The season often brings a relentless pull from every direction: social plans, family gatherings, travel to coordinate, crossing things off various lists, all layered with the emotional toll these otherwise pleasant activities may carry. For those of us who are empathic, the lending of our ears and shoulders to others’ problems or dramas creates debris that affects and infects us, leaving us yearning for a metaphorical decontamination chamber to cleanse it all and return to our sense of self. Thomas’s words serve as a call to pause, realign, and reconnect with what truly matters: the steady rhythm of our hearts, our inner compass.
Consider the rhythm of music as a metaphor for life’s ebbs and flows. At an EDM concert, for instance, the DJ layers sound upon sound, building the crowd’s energy to a fever pitch before the beat finally drops. In that moment, the room pulses with a shared, euphoric release as everyone in the crowd moves as one, jumping and dancing in time with the music. Even if EDM isn’t your scene, the metaphor resonates. Picture a symphony building to its crescendo; while you sit composed in your seat, your toes tap inside polished shoes, your fingers subtly drum the velvet armrest, and your heart keeps time. Whether in the frenzy of a mosh pit or the elegance of a concert hall, rhythm has the power to carry us into flow.
Those of us who practice or teach yoga understand the profound power of being in flow: the letting go of oars that fight the current, surrendering to the natural course, and blissfully allowing ourselves to be carried forward in freedom and oneness.
But in life, crescendos often build without resolution. Racing thoughts, emotional spirals, and endless to-do lists create a relentless climb with no beat drop in sight. It’s exhausting, and we’ve all been there: replaying conversations, obsessing over mistakes, or worrying about the future. Clarity feels unattainable as we battle the rapids of our overactive minds.
What if, instead of waiting for the chaos to subside, we could consciously create our own release—a deliberate letting go of the oars?
This past summer, I found myself caught in my own mental EDM concert. I was on my bike, pedaling along a quiet trail, but my mind was anything but silent. Thoughts spun and looped endlessly, replaying conversations, getting revved up in the coulda-woulda-shoulda energy that creates. Then I started worrying about unfinished tasks, and about things I couldn’t control, like global political unrest. Too many topics, too many thoughts, the chaos in my mind was deafening and maddening.
Then, out of nowhere, my spirit team sent me a message, as they often do during mundane moments: brushing my teeth, taking a shower, just waking up, or moving my body through yoga or exercise. Their messages sometimes come in dreams, whispers, or, occasionally, literal shoves from behind, sudden and undeniable. As I pedaled, I felt my awareness shift from the clamor in my mind to the steady rhythm of my breath and the motion of my legs. In that instant, everything changed. The path ahead seemed to narrow into a clear tunnel shaped like my third eye, yet it simultaneously felt as though the path itself emanated from my heart. I saw the path as clear, and my mind cleared. The road becamse smooth, and my breathing did as well.
I continued pedaling along this familiar trail that now seemed entirely new and that’s when the term Heart Drop came to me. I saw the image of an EDM concert and its connection to this idea. The DJ’s build-up mirrored my overthinking: mental stress and tension escalating to such a degree without any relief from a beat drop in sight until I felt like I had discovered how to create one. I pedaled home with a lighter spirit, a new rhythm, and an eagerness to share this idea. But because I’m human, what happened next is probably something to which you may also relate…
The moment I sat down to write about it, my mind revved back up. What if someone else has already thought of this? What if no one gets it? Who am I to try to explain this when I’m not a science expert? Self-doubt hit like a freight train. My thoughts spiraled again, into a battled between faith in myself and fear I couldn’t deliver this idea adequately or that no one would give a shit once I did.
But here’s the thing: I practiced what I was about to preach. I closed my eyes and imagined my thoughts as comic book-style bubbles—ping, pang, ka-pow!—then, one by one, I placed each thought bubble into my heart. I breathed through my heart until the chaos settled. Once again, the path ahead became clear, and I asked myself, How can I express this idea in my unique way? That shift, from doubt to clarity, from chaos to calm, was my own Heart Drop in action.
The practice is simple yet profound: pause, breathe, and focus on the rhythm of your heart. Let racing thoughts settle as your awareness shifts from your overworked mind to the intuitive center in your chest. In yoga, we call this drishti: a steady gaze that keeps you grounded amidst wobbling poses and external distractions. Off the mat, it’s just as powerful, offering a way to steady the wobbling of our thoughts by anchoring them in the grounding force of our hearts.
Science and yoga supports this, too. The HeartMath Institute calls it Heart-Brain Coherence, a state where the heart, mind, emotions, and body synchronize. It’s like your internal orchestra finally playing in harmony. When you focus on your heart’s rhythm, your nervous system balances: stress decreases, clarity increases, and you feel grounded. Similarly, the vagus nerve, a vital part of the nervous system, acts as a switch for stress responses. Deep, diaphragmatic breathing like we practiced in yoga stimulates the vagus nerve, signaling the body to relax. Heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and a wave of calm washes over you. It’s not just spiritual; it’s physiological.
This holiday season, when the world pulls you in every direction, remember: you have a choice. Yank your hand back, place it on your heart, and say, No. This is what’s important. Let the chaos of the world fall away, and flow instead with the rhythm of your heart.
Namaste, and thank you for reading!
Lauri
©Lauri Stern - Custom Designed Wellness
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