The Examined Heart Practice

Mirabai's poems reveal constant self-examination—asking herself why she loved, what she truly felt, whether her devotion was authentic or ego-driven. This rigorous honesty was her spiritual practice. Applied to attachment, the examined heart means regularly investigating our partner choices with radical honesty: Why did I choose this person? What wounds am I trying to heal through them? Am I present or am I performing? What triggers my anxiety or avoidance? This practice requires journaling, meditation, therapy, or trusted counsel—spaces where we can be utterly truthful about our motivations without shame. Mirabai modeled that examining the heart isn't self-criticism but self-knowledge. She could acknowledge her jealousy, her need, her rage, her longing without denying her devotion. Secure attachment requires this same capacity: to know ourselves deeply enough to choose consciously rather than reactively. The examined heart practice means returning regularly to these questions, allowing our understanding to deepen as we mature and heal.