What is emotional intelligence? And what role does the heart play in it?
In the last decade or so, science has discovered a tremendous amount about the role emotions play in our lives. Researchers have found that even more than mental intelligence, your emotional intelligence will determine your success and happiness in all walks of life.
Key Factors
IQ (intelligence quotient) measures cognitive ability where EQ (emotional quotient) measures you on:
- Awareness of your own emotions
- Incorporating emotions into your decision-making
- Appreciating your emotions and desiring to go deeper with them
- Controlling your emotions appropriately
High Emotional Intelligence
- Speaks from the heart
- Clarity
- Inspired
- Optimistic
- Visionary
- Transparent
- Energetic
- Harmonious
- Supportive
Low Emotional Intelligence
- Distant
- Confrontational
- Impatient
- Manipulative or secretive
- Low Energy
- Loner
Factoring in the Heart
In Heart Meditation we connect with our emotions by focusing on the heart. We know that the heart is the center of our emotional body and so we give our attention to it through focusing on the heartbeat or directing our attention to our heart center.
Then we imagine our breath flows into and out of our heart area. This is called heart breathing. Then we try to feel gratitude and appreciation for someone or something while breathing slowly and rhythmically.
Feelings of gratitude and appreciation create heart coherence which is a state of well-being and harmony between the body systems and the mind.
Improving emotional intelligence comes from connecting with our hearts.
- Heart awareness
- Conscious breathing
- Feeling gratitude or appreciation and holding it in your heart center.
Related Articles on Emotions
Improving Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Benefits from Meditation
Return from What is Emotional Intelligence to What is Emotional Health