Truth Lives in the Heart
Virtues of the Shen
The Heart Spirit is called the Shen.
The Shen is our mind, spirit, or consciousness. The Shen represents both our "higher self" or eternal soul (Yuan Shen) and our personality self (Shen Zhi) that is expressed through the other 4 spirits.
Referred to as the Emperor/Empress, the Shen knows the truth at all times: both personal and spiritual.
The Shen oversees the entire mind/spirit system. A healthy Shen will be unafraid to speak the truth, and will set boundaries, and create order and harmony based on those truths.
However, when we are over-stimulated, excited, shocked or traumatized, the energy scatters and the Shen flies back up to heaven. With the shen not home, we can no longer hear what is true for us.
This is why we might regret the decisions we make when we are anxious, over excited, newly in-love, or caught up in the moment: The Shen is not Home!
Ways to bring the Shen Home:
Spend time in silence each day. Perhaps quietly meditating, or taking a walk. Talking can continue to scatter energy.
Create space in your life. Think of the shen like a fire. Packing too many logs douses the flame.
Avoid projects, relationships, or events that do not align with your heart's truth. The more you listen to your heart's messages, the more clear it becomes.
