THE DAILY SPARK

There is in the very nature of life some essential joining force.  This inborn ability to find and enliven a common beat is the miracle of love.  For if two cells can find the common pulse* behind everything, how much more can full hearts feel when all excuses fall away.* Research has shown the impact of love... two hearts beating together changes the body chemistry and pain.  "The more empathic the partner and the stronger the analgesic effect, the higher the synchronization between the two when they are touching," said lead author Pavel Goldstein, a postdoctoral pain researcher in the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab at CU Boulder.  Authors say such 'interpersonal synchronization' could play a role in the analgesic impacts of touch.Quote by Mark NepoREFLECTION:Just holding a loved ones hand can change their pulse.  Two hearts can join to have a common pulse and alter physiology. Hold the hand of a loved one or friend today and observe what happens. Are your heartbeats in sync?How can you be more loving today - giving it freely?

"In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."Quote by Dietrich BonhoefferDietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 - 1945)  was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book The Cost of Discipleship is described as a modern classic.REFLECTION:Have your received more than you have given?Write down a list of things you are grateful for.What "riches" do you possess that you can be grateful for?

The mind creates the abyss. The heart crosses it.  Quote by Sir Nisargadatta MaharajSri Nisargadatta Maharaj was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita (Nondualism), and a Guru, belonging to the Navnath Sampradaya.REFLECTION:The mind is a very powerful tool.  It does create... including an abyss. How can you tap into your heart to cross the wide space?What messages is your heart sending  you today?Write about it.