This is the second in a series of articles that is exploring the latest heart research particularly in the fields of neurology, psychoneuroimmunology and bodymind healthcare.
Heart Health
“Feelings are something you have; not something you are.” ~ Shannon L. Alder
We are very blessed in Ottawa to have the Heart Institute, one of the best in Canada and in the world. Their focus is on helping people survive the physical effects of heart disease.
The human heart is more than an efficient pump though and its importance to our overall health has been historically underestimated.
For example, why is it that we experience the feeling or sensation of love and other regenerative emotions as well as heartache in the physical area of the heart?
Why is it that when we feel threatened emotionally, we tend to curl up our bodies, as if to protect the heart?
It turns out that there is a very strong relationship between the heart and the brain.
Did you know that:
- The heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart.
- The human heart’s magnetic field can be measured up to several feet away from the body.
- Your heart emits electromagnetic fields that change according to your emotions.
Along with emotions changing the electromagnetic fields of the heart, certain emotions will create more “noise” and dysregulation between different brain regions. In order for the brain to work properly and to help have optimal health, all the different areas need to be able to talk clearly with each other.
Emotions such as overwhelm and frustration can create disharmony between different brain areas, leading to more stress and unhealthy outcomes.
If we’re experiencing emotions like frustration and overwhelm continually, this will start to affect other body organs and systems. It can cause us to have:
- higher blood pressure
- more inflammation (which leads to higher cholesterol)
- Poor circulation
- pre-diabetes (because the pancreas is told to flood the body with insulin for more energy)
- Poorer digestion (including ulcers, hernias, constipation, loose stool, IBS and Crohn’s disease)
- Lowered Immune system
All of this is to say that if we want to be truly healthy, physically and otherwise, we will focus on creating emotions such as love, compassion and gratitude. These emotions help create more synergy between the heart and the brain as well as between different areas of the brain.
This synergy or coherence helps us have increased cognitive function, self-regulatory capacity, emotional stability and resilience. Our ability to adapt better to life is more. And this helps us to create a more healthy and fulfilling life.
If you’d like to learn better how to be at your best, thrive and experience more health and vitality, come to the Complimentary Coherence workshop on Thursday, February 27th from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. You can register with Ceci frontdesk@thehappyspine.ca.