Our heart is an incredible marvel of biology and science. Not only does it serve the purpose of controlling and pumping the vital substance of blood throughout our body but it is like the command center of many other systems in our body. I was recently introduced to the company HearMath and the research and information that they have put together are astounding. There are two major things that I want to point out. One is the influence our minds have on our heart. They looked at the heart rate of the same person wherein one scenario the person was frustrated and in the other the person was appreciative. What they noticed was that the simple act of being frustrated drastically change the heart rate and made it extremely inconsistent, or what they called incoherent, whereas during the time of appreciation it was much more regular and consistent or coherent. The consistency of the heart matters because when the heart rate is consistent that means that the immune system, hormones, and nervous system function in a more optimal, coordinated effort in keeping us healthy.
So, our thoughts and the way we think has a huge influence on our heart and overall health.
Another fascinating fact is that our heart emits an electromagnetic field that other people in your environment can detect with their nervous system. And this may be something you have felt yourself; when you are in a room full of friends or family and enjoying each other’s company you end up feeling quite positive and well, whereas being in a conflict-filled, tense environment can be extremely draining. Or in another scenario, if you are all moving together, breathing together and having the intention of doing something positive for oneself, like in a yoga class, this personal thought and emotion can have a profound effect on the group as a whole.
What you think and feel affects your heart, your heart can affect those around you and the hearts of those around you can affect your heart. What if we all worked on uplifting ourselves and those around us. What kind of world would that look like?