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"Heart Natural" by Marie H. Beach and other articles

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Heart Natural

by Marie H. Beach, C.Ht., CI

The heart. Celebrated by poets, mentioned in the Old Testament, it is powerful beyond measure, an anachronism that while lyricized, exalted, examined, pondered can, when assaulted, broken, betrayed, or wounded, kills more of us annually (910,000—including stroke) than any other disease.

The heart, unlike a liver, kidney, gallbladder or any other organ serves both a physical and metaphysical purpose. Physically, it acts as the wellspring upon which every other organ and system relies for nutrients; psychologically it's a manifestation, a metaphor for what's been going on in our lives emotionally and spiritually. Poets and prophets have for centuries made reference to the heart's dichotomy. In 2500 BC, the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine cautioned: "When man is serene, the pulse of the heart flows and connects, just as pearls are joined together or like string of red jade, then one can talk about a healthy heart." In scripture we're told, "where our treasure lies, there lies our heart," implying whatever we treasure—the things of the world or of the spirit—will influence our lives. Contemporary believers in this metaphysical connotation, such as physician-author Christine Northrup, have long waited this moment. As she writes in her book, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, "Nearly every disease or illness I've seen or treated in two decades of medical practice could've been improved or even cured had my patients or I knew how to access the physical power of our heart's intelligence."

What is the heart's intelligence, exactly? For IAM, the Institute for Applied Meditation run by Puram and Susanna Bair outside Boston, it is the heart's capability to be the source of energy that gives optimism and real joy, and able to heal its own wounds, if supplied with attention and breath. Spiritually, the Bairs write in their book, Living from the Heart, the heart holds the memory of your purpose in life.

Saying the same thing but in a different way, Heart-Math, the prestigious research organization in Boulder, Co., states that we have a "heart brain," one that sends sensory information to our other brain governing its activities and functions. Quality of life is determined by the message: sent with fear, guilt and worry, it's a negative one; clothed in love, appreciation and gratitude, it transmits "coherence" between the heart and the brain that inspires a more beautiful, balanced life.

An equally fervent convert to the metaphysical view of illness is Dr. Candace Pert, neuroscientist at Georgetown University in DC, author of the brilliant, groundbreaking book, Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Connection. For Pert, unresolved emotions is a breeding ground for at least 90% of sickness. She uses Charles Darwin and her own AIDS research at NIH on neuropeptides to back up her claim. "Repressed traumas caused by overwhelming emotion can be stored in a body part.affecting our ability to feel that part or even move it." She is particularly adamant of feeling your feelings, the good, the bad and the ugly. No suppressing or making nice, she says because faking feelings, says Pert, creates a "dis-integrity" within the soul—that's when what we want to do clashes with what we are doing. A conflict like this can lead to many dysfunctions, mind and body, including falling into the black hole of depression.

Perhaps because women are more conditioned to be pleasers, they are twice as likely to become depressed then men, particularly after menopause, a time when many changes are taking place, a time also when their proclivity towards heart disease heightens. Post-menopausal women with symptoms of depression, but with no history of heart disease have a 50% greater risk of developing or dying of heart disease.^* In 2003, the last year for which we have statistics, almost 250,000 women die annually. The first warning they have heart disease is usually sudden death. The entire cardiovascular death rate (CVD) is far larger with the numbers for women increasing while mens' deaths are decreasing.

Dr. Clifford Morris, a cardiologist at John Randolph Hospital in Hopewell, who is a practiced meditator and embracer of the mind-body-spirit connection, has observed first hand the role of emotions in heart disease. "When a patient comes to me I listen closely, and usually by the first ten minutes I hear the emotional stress underlying their symptoms."

It is no exaggeration that we are standing at the precipice of a vast advance toward a much wider acceptance of the holistic premise that we have the power within to heal our bodies. Addressing this power to the biggest killer in America will hopefully, in the process create a kinder, gentler world at large and in our hearts.

^*Mayo Clinic HeartSource newsletter.

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