In Reiki, the heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra and serves as our center of love for oneself and others, compassion, empathy and forgiveness. The chakra is associated with unconditional love, compassion, and joy. It is the source of deep and profound truths that cannot be expressed in words.’
In February Biofeedback Health and Wellness is celebrating the Heart! I believe that one of the more important relationships we must foster is the relationship with our own hearts.
– ‘YOUR HEART KNOWS THE WAY, RUN IN THAT DIRECTION’ Rumi’
The heart is a very complex organ that affects and can be affected by our physical and emotional well being. Understanding what influences it in a negative or a positive way is an integral key to a deeper understanding of who we are.
From a biophysical perspective, every heart contraction creates a wave that pushes blood through the veins and arteries providing the energetic signal that helps synchronize all the cells of the body, including the brain.
From a hormonal perspective, the heart is a hormone-producing endocrine gland, producing and aids in the regulation of blood- pressure, adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin (the love hormone)
From an electromagnetic perspective, the heart’s electromagnetic field is 5,000 times more powerful than the brain’s! Our heart’s electromagnetic field expands and touches those within 8 – 25 feet of where we are positioned. This is what modern science now calls an auric field. The healthier and happier an individual is the more their auric field expands.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120504110024.htm
“Science is discovering more about our physical heart and how amazingly intelligent it is. Scientists have proven that the heart has its own ‘Heart Intelligence’. For the past 30 years scientists at the HeartMath Institute, as well as hundreds of independent researchers, including researchers in the fields of neuroradiology, have been speaking about Heart Intelligence. Heart Intelligence very simply explained is a higher level of awareness that arises from the heart’s connection and coherence to the brain. That powerful connection is an integral part of how we live our lives.
Scientific research has discovered that the human heart has approximately 40,000 neural cells. Those neural cells constitute the heart’s own nervous system called the little brain. The “little brain” actually sends more information to the brain, than the brain sends to the heart! The “Little Brain’s” intelligence is the actual flow of intuitive awareness, understanding and inner guidance that we experience when the mind and heart are aligned and connected. We become more aware and better at understanding this logical and well organized system through self-initiated practices, like quieting your mind or meditative practices.
“HeartMath scientists have also proven that when fully embodied and integrated, “Heart Intelligence” gives us the ability to be fully real, present, connected and heart-directed in every area of our lives so that you can experience greater levels of performance, creativity, intuition and higher order thinking.”
Experts ALSO point out that this connection goes in both directions. The health of your heart is also linked to the health of your mind. People who are depressed are two to three times more likely to develop heart disease. Meanwhile, roughly half of all people with heart disease battle depression, explained by Angelos Halaris, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences and assistant dean for translational research at Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago.
A vast scientific literature has detailed how negative emotions harm the body. Serious, sustained stress or fear can alter biological systems in a way that, over time, adds up to “wear and tear” and, eventually, illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Chronic anger and anxiety can disrupt cardiac function by changing the heart’s electrical stability, hastening atherosclerosis, and increasing systemic inflammation.To show just how far-reaching the connection is, the risk factors that can lead to heart disease could play a role in memory loss and dementia as well. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/happiness-stress-heart-disease/
The good news is that taking steps to prevent heart disease and reduce stress can also help protect your heart and mind.
If you’re seeking an in depth personal assessment, please contact me to book an appointment.
Basic overview of keeping your heart healthy:
- Eat healthily,
- Make Physical activity part of your daily routine
- Stay at a healthy weight
- Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
- Checkups for cholesterol and blood pressure
- Drink alcohol only in moderation
- Get enough sleep
- Manage stress by making yourself a priority
BIOFEEDBACK AND HEART HEALTH
https://biofeedbackhealthandwellness.com/services/biofeedback-and-neurofeedback-retraining-session/
During a biofeedback session, we can identify a rate of breathing that optimizes heart rate oscillations and identify any undetected stress that may be contributing to less than optimal circulatory and cardiovascular function. We retrain the body on how to control heart rhythms by connecting to causes of specific stressors ( Emotional and physical) and help the body recalibrate and restore homeostasis. HRV biofeedback is not a process for relaxation. It’s systematic training to tighten the heart and mind’s ability to navigate stressful moments with precision. When it’s performed systematically, individuals create measurable improvements in how their body and mind respond to stress and recover. The goal of HRV biofeedback is to amplify your body’s ability to respond effectively during stress and increase your body’s ability to efficiently recover following the stressor. HRV biofeedback is also useful beyond just navigating critical moments. It hones your body’s natural response to stress and helps you achieve clarity, confidence, and resilience. HRV training can be used to increase focus and attention, elevate mood, relieve trauma, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, and enhance your overall well-being. As you increase your HRV and strengthen your parasympathetic nervous system, you may also find that your relationships improve as you become able to listen more empathetically, make better decisions under pressure, and enjoy a sense of mindfulness. https://biofeedbackhealthandwellness.com/services/biofeedback-and-neurofeedback-retraining-session/