Cante Ista, which translates to "The Eye of the Heart" in the Lakota language, is a powerful concept rooted in the spiritual traditions of Native American communities, particularly those of the Lakota Sioux people. It represents a profound connection between the mind, body, and spirit, focusing on the intuitive and spiritual wisdom that flows from the heart rather than from intellectual thought.

At its core, Cante Ista refers to the inner sight or heart vision - the ability to perceive and experience the world through the lens of spiritual intuition and emotional intelligence. This approach contrasts with the Western emphasis on logical reasoning and visual perception. For the Lakota, the heart is the seat of the soul, and cultivating "eye of the heart" involves deepening one's spiritual awareness and understanding the interconnectedness of all beings.

• Spiritual Insight: Cante Ista allows individuals to tap into their inner wisdom, to see beyond the physical world, and access the spiritual truths that guide personal and communal well-being. It's a tool for self-awareness, compassion, and empathy.
• Healing: This concept is central to indigenous healing practices, where the focus is on restoring balance to an individual’s emotional and spiritual states. Indigenous healers often work with Cante Ista to understand the root causes of emotional distress, trauma, or illness, believing that healing begins with the heart.

In Lakota tradition, Cante Ista is not only a personal spiritual practice but also plays a crucial role in community healing ceremonies. The use of Cante Ista is integral in vision quests, sweat lodge ceremonies, and sun dance rituals, where participants seek to connect with their spiritual guides and ancestors.

• Vision Quests (Hanblecheyapi): During these quests, individuals go on a journey into solitude and nature, fasting and praying to gain spiritual visions and guidance from the Creator. Cante Ista is activated as they open their hearts to spiritual insights that will help them navigate their life path.
• Sweat Lodges: In purification ceremonies, the heat and prayers are used to cleanse the body and mind, allowing participants to focus inwardly, using the "eye of the heart" to release emotional blockages and renew spiritual energy.

In modern times, the concept of Cante Ista offers a unique perspective for those seeking to reconnect with inner peace, spiritual clarity, and emotional balance. As mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and trauma become more prevalent, the teachings of Cante Ista remind us of the importance of looking inward, using the heart's wisdom to navigate life's challenges. It's about fostering a relationship between the individual and the sacred world, understanding that healing is holistic - spanning the physical, emotional, and spiritual planes. While deeply embedded in Lakota spiritual practices, the philosophy of Cante Ista can be integrated into daily life by anyone looking to deepen their connection to their inner self:

• Meditation and Mindfulness: Practice mindfulness by focusing on heart-centered meditation. This involves quieting the mind and letting go of intellectual analysis, instead trusting your heart’s guidance.
• Journaling: Reflect on moments when your heart's intuition has guided you in making decisions. Record insights and dreams, as these may carry messages from your deeper spiritual self.
• Nature Connection: Spend time in nature to foster Cante Ista. The natural world is viewed as a spiritual teacher in many indigenous traditions. Nature walks, quiet reflection, or simply sitting in a sacred space can help to activate the eye of the heart.

While Cante Ista and SOULSPEAK® originate from different spiritual traditions, they both encourage individuals to access a deeper layer of consciousness - whether through the eye of the heart or the superconscious mind - to heal and navigate life. The essence of both lies in trusting inner guidance beyond the intellect, recognising the importance of spiritual perception, and allowing that higher awareness to lead the way toward healing and transformation. The relationship between Cante Ista (the "Eye of the Heart" in Lakota tradition) and SOULSPEAK® lies in their shared focus on deep inner wisdom, spiritual connection, and intuitive guidance. Both concepts emphasise the importance of connecting to a deeper, non-rational aspect of the self to achieve healing, balance, and transformation, although they come from different cultural and philosophical backgrounds.

INNER WISDOM AND SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION

• Cante Ista: In Lakota spiritual practice, Cante Ista refers to seeing through the heart, a way of accessing spiritual truth and understanding beyond the intellect. It is about perceiving the world and personal experiences from a place of inner knowing, often connected with the sacred or spiritual dimensions of life. It encourages individuals to trust their intuition and emotional intelligence to guide their decisions and healing.
• SOULSPEAK®: SOULSPEAK® also centers on the idea of connecting with the Higher Self or superconscious. It teaches that by transcending the mind and ego-based thinking, individuals can access pure energetic information from within that leads to healing and transformation. The focus is not on emotions, thoughts, or past traumas but on the energetic landscape that the Higher Self uses to guide life and heal. It advocates a non-intellectual approach, similar to how Cante Ista emphasises moving beyond mental analysis to access heart-centered truth.

Both philosophies stress that true insight and healing come from beyond intellectual understanding, from an intuitive, heart-centered or superconscious perspective.

HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION

• Cante Ista: Through Cante Ista, healing is viewed as a holistic process where one reconnects with the sacred wisdom of the heart. Traditional ceremonies like sweat lodges or vision quests are used to align one’s inner vision with the spiritual truths necessary for healing both personal and communal wounds.
• SOULSPEAK®: Healing in SOULSPEAK® is about transforming one's energetic field without needing to delve into emotional or psychological narratives. By aligning with the superconscious mind and activating one's true choices, individuals heal and transform in ways that seem to transcend the ordinary psycho-emotional processes. Like Cante Ista, this healing process requires the individual to trust in an inner guide that knows more than the mind can conceive.

CONNECTION WITH THE SUPERCONSCIOUS AND SACREDNESS

• Cante Ista: The heart in Lakota spirituality is often seen as a connection to the sacred — to the Creator, to nature, and to the spiritual world. The "Eye of the Heart" is a tool for recognising the sacredness of all things and aligning oneself with the natural flow of the universe. This connection is intuitive, coming from a place of soul awareness.
• SOULSPEAK®: In SOULSPEAK®, there is a strong emphasis on connecting with the superconscious mind, which is synonymous with the True Self or the Higher Self. This is the part of the self that holds sacred wisdom and is aligned with the natural, energetic flow of life. Much like Cante Ista connects one to the spiritual world, SOULSPEAK® enables connection with the energetic reality beyond the surface level of emotions or trauma, leading to healing and self-realisation.

NON-LINEAR HEALING APPROACHES

• Cante Ista: The healing approach in Cante Ista is non-linear, emphasising spiritual connection and heart-guided understanding over rational thinking. Healing takes place on a spiritual plane, and it is not about addressing specific emotional or psychological issues in a step-by-step manner. Instead, it’s about restoring balance and seeing the bigger picture from the heart’s wisdom.
• SOULSPEAK®: SOULSPEAK® also rejects the traditional, linear path to healing, instead offering a non-traditional model that skips over "shadow work" or "inner child work." Healing is seen as a spontaneous and rapid process that happens when the superconscious mind aligns with the present moment’s energetic truth. Both systems work beyond traditional therapeutic modalities, seeking immediate transformation through deeper connections.