Written by Cindy Graham

Practices for Emotional Heart Health

 

Gratitude

 I love to wake up in the morning and spend a few minutes feeling gratitude for all the gifts in my life. I feel it starts my day on a positive note that carries throughout the day. It’s also a great way to shift your perspective when ever needed.

 Decrease Stress

 Research is showing that stress, and more importantly, the way we handle it, is the ultimate cause of disease.

 Begin a practice of checking in with yourself regularly as to your stress level. Pause to take a deep breath, slow down, and maybe even stretch for a moment.  Hamstring and gentle neck stretches, as well as spinal twists are especially helpful.

 I find pausing and coming back to stillness for even a moment resets me back into ‘the flow’ and I end up being more productive and happier as well.

 Take Time for Fun

 Find what ever brings you joy and do it often! Remember how it felt to play as a child or take a couple lessons from a young person in your life. A little goes a long way.

 Nurturing Relationships

 Make regular time for relationships that feed your spirit. Community and connection are a basic emotional need that we as a culture have strayed away from, replacing them with over achievement, media and ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.

 Service

 I believe that service to others and the earth feeds our hearts and helps elevate us out of our own problems. It brings meaning, connection and satisfaction. Research shows that it increases happiness, may extend life expectancy and reduces blood pressure.

 Smile More

 I love smiling sincerely at people, whether I know them or not and seeing it bring a big smile to their face. It’s bound to make you feel happier.

 Heart Focus

 An internationally renowned bestselling author and pioneer, Gregg Braden, is one of my favorite inspirational speakers. Here is one of my favorite practices.

 He teaches a simple method of tuning into your heart. You start by quieting your mind, then place your hands on your heart while focusing on your heart and/or feeling gratitude for 5 minutes.

 This exercise has been found to increase the length of the telomeres. Telomeres are the DNA protein that protects the ends of our chromosomes, and shorten as we age.

 Check out this video ‘How to Harmonize Heart and Brain’ on YouTube, and also learn more at the Heart Math Institute

 

Conclusion

I believe we are all connected. How we live in the world affects everyone and everything else. With a balanced holistic approach, we can keep our physical hearts healthy and create more meaning, connection and fulfillment for ourselves and the greater world.

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