Mindfulness + Heartfulness

TL;DR: While mindfulness is crucial for overall well-being, healing from complex trauma requires greater depth—heartfulness. In NARM, heartfulness involves deep, non-judgmental connection with oneself and others, allowing the full spectrum of emotions to arise. When paired with the skill of mindfulness, this creates embodied cognition—a powerful integration of mind, body, and emotions that promotes holistic healing.

Mindfulness is widely celebrated in therapeutic circles—and for good reason. It’s a powerful skill that can significantly enhance our well-being. But when we're talking about healing from complex and developmental trauma, there’s another layer we must consider.

In NARM, we recognize that while mindfulness is beneficial, it alone doesn’t fully address our need for a grounded, embodied experience of healing. For a whole and healing experience of embodiment, mindfulness must be paired with heartfulness.

What is Heartfulness? In NARM, heartfulness is an experience of deep connection in the present moment with self and others. It’s where we allow ourselves to feel the full spectrum of human emotions, without judgment, censoring, or suppression. In this space, we’re not protecting ourselves from “negative” emotions or clinging to “positive” ones. In doing so, we create the fertile ground for courage, compassion, kindness, acceptance, and resilience to organically emerge.

Why Does This Matter for Healing? When mindfulness and heartfulness combine, we experience what we in NARM call embodied cognition—the integration of mind, body, and emotions in the healing process. As NARM trainer Ralf Marzen explains in this brief training clip, this integration is powerful because NARM works both top-down (cognitively) and bottom-up (somatically/sensory). The result for both clients and practitioners? A holistic experience of connection and self-organization on all levels, in sensations, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

This dual approach helps clients reconnect with their bodies, emotions, and their innate inner wisdom, creating the conditions for healing.