Open your heart - 5 mins

What makes the world go round? Well, we could argue it’s many things, but at the core of it, we believe that the essence of life; is love.

We’re not talking about that romantic kind of love, or even the kind of love you hold for your family. We’re talking about love that you live and breathe every day, that is shared through all of your interactions; how you show understanding and kindness.

And so why do we believe that this is the essence of life? Because ultimately, love builds the bridge between differences, and allows us to live in harmony, despite the challenges we come up against each and every day.

For some of us, it’s unnatural to feel compassion and empathy without effort - it’s understandable that with the pressure of life we don’t always feel like forgiving or understanding, however with practising this heart opening exercise regularly, you’ll soon find yourself having more patience, kindness and genuine care.

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Feelings: Feel love, feel compassion

Time required: As long as you like - 5 minutes a day should do the trick!

What you’ll need: Something that smells lovely - an essential oil roller or essential oils

Instructions:

1. Find somewhere quiet to sit, undisturbed.
2. Roll the scent on your neck and on your wrists, so that you can smell it while you complete this exercise.
3. Close your eyes and take some long, slow deep breaths - breathing in through your nose for the count of five, breathing out for the count of five, feeling your tummy and chest rise on the inhale, and completely flatten on the exhale.
4. Now here's the important part - as you breathe in, imagine your body filling with warmth and with love. And as you breathe out, feel this love pouring out of you and into the world around you. Practise this with each breath.
5. Repeat this as many times as you feel you need - it could be as simple as 10 breaths, or it could be for 10 minutes.
6. With regular practise, you’ll start to notice yourself becoming more patient, understanding and kind.