02 Feb Two Worlds That Do Not Meet

Most people who seek healing initially approach it through the mind. This is perfectly logical, as the mind is where we humans spend most of our time. The mind operates within a dualistic and polarised reality, embedded in concepts such as time and space, cause and effect, free will, and karma. Within this framework, the majority of our actions are driven by the subconscious, while only a small fraction originates from conscious creation.

Virtually all forms of therapy, healing, and coaching work within the limitations of the mind’s perspective. They attempt to diagnose the issue and find solutions using the tools that the mind provides. However, just as the mind’s design is limited, so too are the solutions it generates. If you observe closely, you will notice that every explanation or solution that the mind offers is rooted in identifying the problem and understanding its cause, with the aim of taking action to fix it. “I have an issue, I want to know who, what, where, when, and why, and once I have mapped it out, I can act to resolve it.”

Over the course of more than 30 years of professional experience, I have encountered countless clients who, in their search for healing, explored and experimented with a wide range of approaches. When I ask them about their experiences, I often hear that they have “found a way,” “given things a place,” or “turned a corner.” My next question is always: “That sounds great, but why are you still here?” The answer I typically receive is that what they have tried so far has only worked partially or temporarily. This is not surprising and can be explained.

When we suffer or face discomfort, our instinct is to try to get rid of it as quickly as possible. There is something we do not want anymore, and something we desire instead. From an energetic perspective, this creates a conflict—two opposing forces and the tension that arises between them. We focus on what we want, and through that focus, it begins to manifest. So far, so good. However, the reason this approach only works temporarily or partially lies in the rejection of what we do not want. Instead of acknowledging it, we push it away, banishing it to the shadows of our subconscious. There, it takes on a life of its own and eventually, it will come knocking on our door, demanding recognition.

This is something that nearly all my clients come to realise. When I ask them whether they have, amidst all their reading, research, and attempts at healing, truly sat with and embraced the core of their discomfort, their answer is always “no.” They recognise that they have spent all their time trying to escape it—trying to get rid of it, protect themselves from it, or avoid it altogether. This revelatory and often confrontational insight is frequently the turning point in their healing process. They come to understand that their search has been endless and that it has not brought them any closer to what life is really asking of them: acknowledgment. In fact, many realise that their efforts have been an effective way to delay or avoid the inevitable. Life is not meant to be fixed or fully understood; it is meant to be lived and embraced.

To face life head-on, to fully experience it and acknowledge it without attempting to fix it, requires a sense of safety. This safety can either come from within yourself or be provided by someone who can create that safe space for you. This is where your compassionate heart comes in. Unlike the mind, which operates in duality and strives for understanding and control, the heart exists in unity. It takes nothing personally, requires no explanations, and does not seek to fix anything. The heart knows that when an experience is fully embraced, it resolves itself. This is the self-healing capacity of your entire energetic system, activated through acknowledgment.

And this is where most people begin to see the significant difference between how the mind approaches problems and how the compassionate heart does. The mind seeks to analyse and resolve, while the heart simply allows. This discovery can be sobering and eye-opening, often leading to surprise. Interestingly, this surprise can take two forms. Some people realise that their mind has been leading them astray, and that they possess far less awareness and compassion than they had believed. Others, when guided into a direct experience supported by compassion, discover that they have far more awareness and compassion than they ever thought possible. They just needed to be reminded.

The mind and the heart are two worlds that do not even touch. Their natures and ways of functioning are in complete opposition. Yet within this opposition lies a paradox that invites us to confront our inner conflicts and embrace them. The more you do this, the more you come to a remarkable realisation: the mind, in its ignorance and desperation, cannot embrace the heart. But the heart, in its wisdom and wholeness, can fully embrace the mind and everything it is trying to do.

And so, the mind finally receives what it has unknowingly been searching for all along: acknowledgment. Not through control, understanding, or fixing, but through surrendering to the embrace of the compassionate heart.