True transformation is a five-letter word: H-E-A-R-T

You can see the radical alteration of my appearance in the before and after photos.

by Ronna Prince — 

Transformation is a big word. The first definition in the World English Dictionary states that it is “a change or alteration, especially a radical one.” You can see the radical alteration of my appearance in the before and after photos in this article. And it was indeed radical.

The radical outer change in me was created by the inner change I experienced in making the film Sacred Journey of the Heart. The film is about the science and spirit of our connection to the universe, but more obviously, the film is about the heart, where all true transformation is centered.

In making the film, I went through a personal journey from stress to balance, from fear to gratitude and acceptance, and from agitation to peace. I learned something valuable from every person who touched the film, especially from our “heart experts.” I learned about heart coherence (see definition below) from the Institute of HeartMath® as I proceeded to become a certified HeartMath provider.

I fully embraced Radical Forgiveness (RF) after meeting Colin Tipping and becoming a certified RF coach. I developed some of my own proprietary practices along the way, such as the 360-degree review that I share near the end of the film.

One of our expert scientific speakers, Dr. Deb Rozman of the Institute of HeartMath, says in the film: “Heart coherence is really a balanced place where you feel, acknowledge what you feel, and you bring it back to the heart to gain the wisdom from that. And that is the new … it really is because spirit connects with the emotional system through the heart.”

I agree with Dr. Rozman. The heart is the new frontier in human evolution. As a life coach, I like to provide my clients with easy to remember acronyms. My acronym for change is HEART — Humanity Experiencing A Radical Transformation. So for me, transformation is a five-letter word that is centered on the heart.

The most important lesson I learned in making the film was about acceptance. For a long time, I carried a heavy load of resentment due to childhood sexual abuse. In so doing, I was re-experiencing many aspects of victim-consciousness.

It was visible in my face, which carried the same shut-down expression I had in my childhood. What you see in the before picture is me in the safe zone of my head. I was thinking but not feeling and unable to express true emotion. From this place, I was attempting to share concepts and ideas. But when the clips came back from the editor, I knew I needed to fully dive into my heart for true transformation.

I created the theme “Dive In, Tune In, Lighten Up” early in the filmmaking process. I was good at diving in and tuning into the hurt and pain of the past. I had been doing that for years.

But what I learned from opening my heart fully and entering into acceptance was to finally lighten up, and that is what is revealed in the after picture.

I lightened up in many ways — I lost weight, my skin cleared, and my eyes and entire face were more animated and alive. Today, I laugh a lot, love even more and continue to live heart-centered every day.

I look back on the film’s progression now and see it as a valuable lesson, one that I would not change at all. In the process of learning to open my heart again, I have learned to be fully present, as you can see in the after photo.

I learned how to express my feelings, as well as my thoughts. I am now able to be animated, articulate and joyful in sharing my message.

Transformation begins with the willingness to change. And when that willingness is heart based, the change is radical.

The Institute of HeartMath states, “Heart coherence refers to coherent or smooth and balanced heart rhythms. It is the optimal state for your heart, mind and emotions, as well as all of the processes in your body, including the cognitive, hormonal, digestive, respiratory and immune systems. Learning to achieve and sustain smooth and balanced heart rhythms is one of the smartest, healthiest, easiest and fastest ways to improve your quality of life.”

Ronna Prince is the founder of Modern Mastery™, a step-by-step program for personal growth, and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Global Wholeness Corp. Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., she is an intuitive counselor, life coach, workshop leader, inspira-tional speaker and songwriter. She is the writer and producer of Sacred Journey of the Heart, a film about the science and spirit of our connection. www.modernmastery.com and www.sacredjourneyoftheheart.com. 

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 5, October/November 2012.