Matters of the Heart
When we grew up we learned that the heart was a muscle and a pump.
It actually pumps1900 gallons per day, 48 million gallons in a lifetime That is not bad for a 10 oz pump.Then we began to hear stories of people’s lives changing who had received a heart transplant. For instance there was a man who had a heart transplant and then fell in love. Turns out he fell in love with the widow of the guy whose heart he had received.
There was another man who heard the artist Sade and started crying. He had no previous knowledge of the music and found out that it was the donor’s favorite recording artist.
There are many curious stories just like that
The heart has long been considered the source of emotion. There is now a scientific basis to understand how the heart affects mental clarity, emotional balance, and effectiveness.
Through the science of neuroendocrinology and the work of The Heartmath Institiute we have discovered that the heart is densely populated with the same type of neurons as the brain.There is a dynamic ongoing 2 way dialogue between the heart and the brain.,with each organ continuously influencing the function of the other.Thinking with your Heart takes on a whole new meaning.
In Tibet when you ask people to point to their mind they will point to the center of the chest. In Chinese Medicine. the heart houses the Shen which is another name for the spirit..It is very important for the spirit to be intact for all the organs to function properly.
I have a friend to is a heart surgeon. He told me that people with heart issues have matters of the heart that need to be dealt with. Of course it is important for all of us to attend to our Matters of the Heart. The overall picture seems to suggest that all agitating, distressing states of mind heighten heath risks.
The sufi mystics call it cleaning the mirror of the heart and the Hawaiians call it Hooponopono which literally means to make right. We are in winter which is our time of reflection, it is a time to go inside and see if there is anything that needs tending to. Know that as we do this inner work our life will flow more easily outwardly and our Inner Qi and health will flow more easily inwardly.
Perhaps you need to have a Heart to Heart with a friend. Allow yourself to be gentle with yourself and speak from your heart. The language if the heart is LOVE.
An easy practice that one can do is to sit quietly every day and imagine where your heart is located and that will create a coherence amongst the neurons which will help us bypass our habitual pattern of responding to stressors. Once we connect to our heart it’s innate intelligence provides alternative to stressful situations. Visualizing your heart to be filled with love. I appreciate the image of the Heart with wings. Relax into that place within your self and rest there. They have found at Harvard The Relaxation Response has many health benefits. Calmness, optimism, confidence, freedom, friendliness, joy and happiness are all very important in cultivating more health and wellness. There have been many studies on the positive and negative emotional states. Research has found conclusively that positive states of the heart and mind benefits health. Afflictive emotions makes one ill and wholesome states of mind promote health. So shine your beautiful heart..
Maurgana Stiastny Lac, MAcOM, LMT
Quan Yin Healing Center located between Paia and Makawao
Acupuncturist and Natural Healthcare practitioner of 23 years
