Breaking Cycles | How to Stay Present, Grounded, and Heart-Centred
As I sit at the airport waiting to board a plane home, I find myself reflecting on how easy it is to be swept away by life. Our days often become a blur of responsibilities, tasks, duties, and expectations. In the midst of it all, our attention is rarely here in the present. We are not fully observing, not truly listening, not allowing ourselves to simply be.
Instead, our minds race ahead. Worries pull us out of the moment and away from our centre. And when we drift too far from that inner stillness, clarity begins to slip away. The mind convinces us that we’re being “productive” by anticipating every possibility, but more often than not, it’s simply feeding fear.
So many of us live in this state, constantly predicting what the future holds in the hope of finding something better, or at least something safer. But here lies the paradox: if we are not content with where we are, it becomes nearly impossible to draw in the experiences we say we desire. Dissatisfaction in the present only breeds more of the same.
The fight-or-flight response, which evolved to protect us, often keeps us trapped in cycles that harm us. We stay in situations that don’t nourish our souls, returning to them again and again for a false sense of safety or fleeting stability. The red flags are often clear, but acknowledging them fully would mean facing uncomfortable truths so instead, we ignore them, hoping they’ll fade on their own.
This is how cycles repeat. When we don’t consciously choose presence, when we don’t pause to connect with our inner self and ask what truly aligns, we end up running in circles. The karmic wheel spins, and we move through the same lessons again and again, until we finally listen.
To become unstuck, something has to shift. It requires trust, trusting the quiet voice of inner guidance, trusting that the path ahead doesn’t need to be fully mapped out before we take the first step. It requires courage to break free from patterns that feel familiar but limit our growth.
And this courage is nurtured in the quiet moments we carve out for ourselves each day. Taking even a few minutes to pause, to reflect, and to listen inwards allows us to realign with what truly matters. But reflection alone is not enough. We must also commit—commit to honouring the choices, actions, and boundaries that support what we know aligns with our soul.
Ego or Heart: Which is Driving Your Decisions?
A key part of staying aligned is noticing whether your decisions come from the ego or the heart.
Ego-driven decisions come from fear, comparison, or the need to control. They focus on what seems safe, what others might think, or what brings temporary comfort. Decisions from the ego often lead to repeated patterns and frustration.
Heart-centred decisions come from clarity, intuition, and what truly feels right for your soul. They may feel uncertain at first, but they are rooted in authenticity, love, and courage. Acting from the heart helps you grow and move forward rather than staying stuck.
Pausing and reflecting before taking action helps you hear which voice is guiding you and choose what truly aligns.
Staying Heart-Centred
One way to stay connected to what truly aligns is to live from the heart. Being heart-centred means approaching life not just from the mind, which is often busy, critical, or fear-driven, but from the deeper wisdom of the heart. The heart is where clarity, compassion, and truth reside. When we are heart-centred, our actions are guided by alignment rather than fear, and by love rather than control.
Here are a few simple practices to help you return to your heart each day:
Morning check-in – Before reaching for your phone or starting your day, place your hand over your heart, take a few deep breaths, and ask yourself: How do I want to feel today? This sets the tone for living with intention rather than reaction.
Journaling for clarity – Write down what feels heavy and what feels light in your life. The heart always recognises truth, and this practice helps separate genuine alignment from fear-based decisions.
Grounding practice – Spend a few minutes each day grounding yourself, whether by standing barefoot on the earth, feeling your feet firmly planted on the floor, or simply taking slow, steady breaths while visualising roots extending down from your body. Grounding reconnects you to your body and calms the nervous system, making it easier to return to centre.
Pause before action – Before saying “yes,” reacting, or making a decision, take a moment to pause. Ask yourself: Is this in alignment with me right now? That short pause creates space to respond from the heart rather than react from fear or habit.
Trust the signals in your body – Your body often knows before your mind does. Pay attention to clues like a tight chest, a sinking stomach, clenched fists, or a lump in the throat. These signals may be telling you that something doesn’t feel safe or aligned. Likewise, notice the sensations of ease, soft shoulders, steady breath, or lightness in the chest as signs that you’re on the right path.
When we practise living from the heart, we create space for clarity and courage to emerge. From this place, life no longer feels like a cycle of endless duties or fears—we move through it with trust, purpose, and alignment.
The only question is: are we listening—and are we willing to commit to what we hear?