A "bucket list" can help you figure out which direction your heart wants to go in. Try to set goals that you are likely to be able to accomplish (not "be the first human on Mars"). This list can be a great source of inspiration when you are searching for meaningful events to work toward in your life. If it's truly from the heart, it will reflect some of your deepest interests and aspirations. The first step to getting in touch with your heart in a deeper way is to give your heart the time and space to speak up. It's important to sit still without distractions for your heart to be able to let itself be heard. You may want to create an intentional place where you can go to just sit. If you have an extra room in your house, you can light some candles and create a comfortable environment for this task. Once you've set the right conditions, you can begin to do the work of being mindfully open to your heart. You may want to ask yourself a question, such as "what am I feeling under the surface right now?" Wait a while after you ask the question to see if a response bubbles up from your heart. This kind of practice will help your heart, and your inner desire, express itself. You can also use a technique called Focusing, which is great for getting in touch with your body. Here's how to do Focusing: Once you've cleared the space and asked what's going on inside you, pay attention to what your body answers with. Don't try to explore it, just notice it from a distance. For instance, you may feel a tightness in your chest when you ask what's going on underneath the surface. Notice it from a distance. Put a handle on the sensation. This is usually in the form of a word or short phrase. For instance, you can say "tightness" or "chest pressure" or "tension." Keep trying words out until it seems to fit the sensation. Go back and forth between the sensation and the word that describes it. Check and see how they interact. See if the body sensation changes a little bit when you have an accurate name for it. Ask yourself what's causing this sensation. What is it about your life right now that's causing you to feel tight in your chest? Don't grasp for an answer, just let the response bubble up. This may not happen the first time. Focusing can take practice, but this is a great series of steps to help you open yourself to your heart and everything that's going on inside you. A hectic life can really dampen your ability to follow your heart. Take time out of your day, every day, for yourself. Don't let anything else impose on this time. What you do with it is up to you, but here are a few suggestions: Meditate. There are a number of mental and physical health benefits to meditating, such as lower blood pressure and lower stress. Try sitting upright for at least 10 minutes in a quiet place. Focus on one thing, such as the sensation of air going in and out of your nostrils, or an object like a pencil. When your attention leaves the object, gently remind yourself to return. Take a long bath. Relaxing in water has similar effects to other relaxation techniques. It's a great way to wind down. You can use this time to reflect on your life, or just enjoy the silence and sensation of a warm bath. Have a coffee date with a friend. You may not get to spend as much time catching up with friends as you would like. Use this "you time" to invite a cherished friend to have lunch or coffee with you. Society places a big emphasis on the brain. It says that you should "think before you act" and make good, rational decisions. However, this doesn't leave much room for your intuition or your heart. These things can make life enjoyable rather than routine and efficient. Finding activities that touch your heart can help keep the pathway open, rather than only engaging the world with your brain. For instance, if you like to read, make sure to allow time for reading in your schedule. Ask your friends for recommendations of good books. A poetry collection can be especially evocative. If you're more of a movie buff, check out some highly rated films that will tug on your heart-strings. Spending time in nature is another good option; it can help you feel more alive and in touch with yourself.

Summary: Make a list of things you want to accomplish. Create an open space. Listen to your heart. Set aside time each day. Find interests that activate your heart.

Keep it close by your bed at night, and write down your dream immediately after waking, or the emotions and sensations you experience right when you wake up. This will train you to remember more of your dreams, which is important for lucid dreaming. Plus, there's not much point in controlling your dreams if you forget the experience before the morning. Alternatively, keep a recording device by your bed. You might remember more of your dreams if you stay still for a few minutes and concentrate on the memory before you start writing. Every few hours during the day, ask yourself "Am I dreaming?" and perform one of the following reality checks. With enough practice, you'll start following the habit in your dreams as well, cluing you into the fact that you're dreaming. Pinch your nose, close your mouth and test whether you can still breathe. Simply look at your hands and feet. These are often distorted in dreams when you inspect them closely. Read a page of text or the time on a clock, look away, then look back again. In dreams, the text or time will be blurry or nonsensical, or will be different each time you look. Attempt to push your index finger straight through the opposite palm. Really expect it to go through, asking yourself whether you're dreaming or not both before and after attempting. During a dream, your finger would pass straight through your opposite palm, and asking yourself the question twice will increase your chances of realizing this is not normal. Each night as you fall asleep, repeat to yourself "I will know I'm dreaming" or a similar phrase until you drift out of consciousness. This technique is known as Mnemonic Induction to Lucid Dreaming, or MILD. Mnemonic induction just means "using memory aids," or in this case using a rote phrase to turn the awareness of your dreaming into an automatic habit. Some people like to combine this step with a reality check by staring at their hands for a few minutes before they go to sleep. Read through your journal regularly and look for recurring "dream signs." These are recurring situations or events that you may notice in your dreams. Become familiar with these, and you may recognize them while you dream, and therefore notice that you're dreaming. You probably know some of these already. Common dream events include losing your teeth, being chased by something large, or going into public without clothes on. When you wake up and remember your dream, write it down in your dream journal, then close your eyes and focus on the dream. Imagine that you were in the dream, noticed a dream sign or reality check, and realized it was a dream. Hold on to this thought as you drift back to sleep, and you may enter a lucid dream. Note that most lucid dreams occur while the person is fully asleep, usually because they notice a bizarre event and realize they're in a dream. This is just an alternate trigger that starts off about 25% of lucid dreams. Go online and purchase a light-based, instead of a sound-based alarm, or even a specialized "DreamLight" designed to induce lucid dreaming. Set it for 4.5, 6, or 7 hours after you fall asleep, or set it to go off every hour if possible. While sound, touch, or other stimuli during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep can also make a dreamer aware of the fact they're dreaming, one study shows that light cues are most effective. You don't want to actually wake yourself up (unless you try the Wake Back to Bed method below). Keep the light alarm more than arm's reach away from your bed, and/or cover it with a sheet to dim the light.
Summary: Keep a dream journal. Use reality checks frequently. Repeat "I will be aware that I'm dreaming," each time you fall asleep. Learn to recognize your personal dream signs. Drift back to sleep when awakened from a dream. Consider purchasing a light alarm.