Episode Description

Just because you feel a lot does not mean you are present in the Heart Center. In this episode, Hari, Michael, and Rasanath explore what it really means to live from the heart. They look into the realm of emotion, identity, and our longing to be seen.

They reflect on how emotions shape our humanity, why we often mistake validation for value, and how the heart connects us to love, gratitude, and one another. They also unpack the emotional landscapes of the Heart Center types (Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4), exploring how each seeks to be seen in its own way, and what is at stake for all of us in becoming more connected to our hearts.

Podcast Hosts: Michael, Hari Prasada Das and Rasanath Das

Highlights

• [01:00] A meditative portrait of the Heart Center

• [04:00] Hari Prasada’s experience of being seen at the Enneagram Institute

• [07:30] A litmus test for presence in the Heart Center: “What is it like to feel available to the world?”

• [12:30] The heart as the driving force behind everything

• [13:40] Type 2, The Helper: “Do you love me?” and the longing to be needed

• [17:00] Type 3, The Achiever: Confusing validation with value and detaching from feeling

• [19:15] Shame as the central emotion of the Heart Center

• [23:30] Type 4, The Individualist: Feeling a lot as a way to feel authentic

• [26:30] The 4’s obsession with being in the Heart Center

• [29:00] The impact of shame

Quotes

• “ The heart is the gateway for the core experiences that we crave. Through the heart, we come to know the gamut of human emotions, and all of them are tightly connected to our sense of identity and the richness of our lives.” -Hari Prasada

• “ Emotions are at the baseline of even logical thinking. It is what really exemplifies our humanity… and the heart is the seat of all emotions.” -Rasanath

• “The heart drives everything…so it is not something that is optional to connect with…it's actually the driving force behind everything. And when we're not in touch with it…then we wonder why life is so dry.” -Hari Prasada 

• “ When we're present in our hearts, we're fit to receive people and experiences as they are without expectations…in doing so, we can be filled up by beauty. Love is the result, and gratitude is the reflective quality for that beauty and love.” -Hari Prasada