February is the month we dedicate to Love, celebrating our beloveds we hold dear in our hearts. More cards are sent this holiday than any other besides Christmas. Ain’t love grand! Oh, you have no idea! From an energetic point of view, love is the most powerful force of creation. It is the energetic substance out of which everything is created. While we may not consider Love’s ultimate source, we intuitively know and feel it—either abiding in the heart or absent there.
Let’s look more closely at this amazing organ.
A few days after conception, the embryo forms a clump of vibrating cells that becomes the new heart. It would seem that life begins with the beating of the heart, and it ceases when it is no longer able to maintain its life-giving rhythm.
But the heart is more than a physical organ. The heart is multidimensional—the intersection of the body, mind, and spirit. In many traditions, the heart is believed to be the seat of our spirit, our conscience, and our unconscious and subconscious mind.
The word and idea of the heart are ancient and revered. Three thousand years ago, King Solomon, through his wisdom and understanding of human nature, said: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Ancient Egyptians held reverence for the heart above all other organs. When a king or pharaoh died and was prepared for burial, all his organs were removed and placed in clay vessels to be entombed with the body, except for the heart, genitals, and brain. The heart and genitals were considered essential for the afterlife, so they were placed back in the body. The brain, however, was thrown away.
Today, most people assume that the brain is the most essential part of the body. Using a non-invasive medical measurement tool, researchers have discovered that the brain’s magnetic field can be measured an inch or so beyond the head. But the heart has a magnetic field about twelve feet in diameter! They’ve also discovered that when you feel love or affection for another person, your heart waves become apparent in the other person’s brain waves, and your heart rates will synchronize. You are literally sending electromagnetic energy from your heart to theirs.
The heart is an organ of perception. Research conducted by the HeartMath Institute suggests the heart is an access point to a source of wisdom and intelligence that we can call upon to live our lives with more balance, greater creativity, and enhanced intuitive capacities. They observed that the heart seems to have a mind of its own, significantly influencing how we perceive and respond in our daily interactions. Through numerous research studies, the HeartMath Institute found that an optimal physiological state they dubbed heart-coherence is associated with increased mental clarity, cognitive function, self-regulatory capacity, emotional balance and stability, and resilience, as well as creativity, intuition, and personal effectiveness.
Anyone can develop heart coherence to feel calmer and clearer, healthier and happier, with beneficial energy levels and improved performance. Important to know is that coherence automatically occurs through positive feelings. These include compassion, caring, love and gratitude, and other states of appreciation. In contrast, we can quickly become incoherent when we experience negative attitudes and emotions. These may include anger, fear, and anxiety.
The following exercise is a simple method proven to help develop a state of greater coherence at will. We can use this technique much like an energetic defibrillator to stop the inner chaos, opening the heart to be receptive to receive all the goodness available.
With practice, you can use it to manage your stress, promote feelings of well-being, and be present for increasing periods of time without conscious effort.
The Quick Coherence Technique
Create a coherent state in about a minute with these simple steps.
Step 1:
Heart Focus – Focus your attention on the area around your heart, the area in the center of your chest. If you like, place your hand over the center of your chest to help keep your attention in the heart area.
Step 2:
Heart Breathing – Breathe deeply but normally. As you inhale, feel as if your breath is flowing in through your heart, and as you exhale, feel it leaving through this area. Try to imagine that the energy in your head is now flowing down into the heart. Continue breathing through the heart slowly and casually, but a little deeper than normal. Keep your focus there and continue breathing with ease until you find a natural inner rhythm that feels good to you.
Step 3:
Heart Feeling – As you maintain your heart focus and heart breathing, activate a positive feeling. Recall a time when you have felt a sense of love or appreciation. One of the easiest ways to generate a positive heart-based feeling is to remember a special place you’ve been to, perhaps in nature, or the love you feel for a close friend or family member, or treasured pet. Or breathe the feelings of love and gratitude.
This is the most important step.
Practice several times each day to promote health and a sense of well-being. In time, this practice will profoundly deepen your state of coherence. This is a great technique to use anytime you feel a draining emotion, such as frustration, irritation, anxiety, or stress. Using it at the onset of less intense negative emotions can prevent them from escalating and bring you back into balance more quickly. Another good time to use this technique is before transitions, like before meetings, going into work, coming home, and especially before important communications.
You can use the quick coherence technique anytime, anywhere, with eyes open or closed. It creates positive changes in your heart rhythms in less than a minute, sending powerful signals to your brain to improve how you feel. Quick coherence can also be used whenever you need more coordination, speed, and fluidity in your reactions.
For more information, visit the website of the HeartMath Institute --
https://www.heartmath.org/
