Did you know…. that the heart is, in fact, a highly complex information-processing center with its own functional brain, commonly called the heart brain? This communicates with and influences the brain via the nervous system, hormonal system and other pathways. These influences affect brain function and most of the body’s major organs and play an important role in mental and emotional experience and the quality of our lives.1
The heart communicates with the brain and body in four ways:
Neurological communication (nervous system), Biochemical communication (hormones), Biophysical communication (pulse wave), Energetic communication (electromagnetic fields).
As far back as the middle of the last century, it was recognized that the heart, when over- stressed, does not get enough rest. (Stress makes us feel less at ease, or, puts us in a state of dis-ease). Over time, this often results in disorders of function and becomes vulnerable to disease.
SO… What’s LOVE got to do with it????
Love is not restricted to the love one has with a partner. It is felt in many ways; a mother’s love for a child, compassion for someone less fortunate, the feeling of helping someone, the appreciation that we feel when we see a beautiful sunrise, or sunset, and even the love we have for ourselves.
Each time we feel these feelings, we create changes in each of the four communication pathways between the brain and the heart. This is referred to as Coherence. According to the Heart math Institute, “Many contemporary scientists believe it is the underlying state of our physiological processes that determines the quality and stability of the feelings and emotions we experience. The feelings we label as positive actually reflect body states that are coherent, meaning "the regulation of life processes becomes efficient, or even optimal, free-flowing and easy, and the feelings we label as "negative," such as anger, anxiety and frustration are examples of incoherent states. It is important to note, however, these associations are not merely metaphorical. For the brain and nervous system to function optimally, the neural activity, which encodes and distributes information, must be stable and function in a coordinated and balanced manner. The various centers within the brain also must be able to dynamically synchronize their activity in order for information to be smoothly processed and perceived. Thus, the concept of coherence is vitally important for understanding optimal function.”2
In these very busy times, most people can relate to feeling over stressed, out of balance, out of ease. Too often, people feel that they do not have control over external influences and are unable to make lifestyle changes that lead to better health, until they are in a health crisis.
Feeling love is a very quick way to have a break from those feelings. There is a very simple technique, used in many cultures for many centuries, that can quickly and easily, bring the Heart and the Brain into that state of Coherence.
Gregg Braden ,five-time New York Times best-selling author, researcher, educator, lecturer and internationally renowned as a pioneer bridging science, spirituality, and human potential,
brings us this simple, yet powerful exercise.
A Powerful 2-Step Meditation for Inner Peace and Calm
This meditation is a powerful technique that will allow you to shift from stressed-out to instant inner peace and calm. The technique cultivates heart-brain coherence— what athletes call being in “the zone” — and is appropriately called the Quick Coherence® Technique and has been refined into two simple steps that you can do right now — wherever you are.
Independently, each of the following steps sends a signal to your body that a specific shift to peace and calm has been put into motion. Combined, the steps create an experience that takes us back to a natural inner harmony that existed in our bodies earlier in life, before we began to separate our heart-brain network through our conditioning.
Steps for Quick Coherence®
Step 1: Heart Focus & Steady Breath
Heart Focus. Shift your focus into the area of your heart and begin to breathe a little more slowly than usual, as if your breath is coming from your heart.
This step is a powerful technique unto itself and can be used when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the day’s events or when you simply desire to be more connected with yourself.
As you slow your breathing, you are sending a signal to your body in general, and your heart specifically, that you are in a place that is safe and it’s okay to turn your attention inward.
Step 2: Activate a Positive Feeling
Make a sincere attempt to experience a regenerative feeling such as appreciation or care for someone or something in your life. The easiest way to do this is to think of a beautiful place you have been or to think of a very close friend or loved one.
The key in this step is to first create the feeling, to the best of your ability, and then to embrace the feeling, again to the best of your ability.
Your ability to sustain the feeling is what maintains the optimal conversation between your heart and your brain.
As with any skill, you’ll find, I think, that the more you practice creating coherence between your heart and your brain, the easier it becomes to do so and find that inner balance. And the more you consciously practice this 2-step meditation, the more natural the experience of achieving coherence begins to feel to you.
With the growing level of ease in achieving heart-brain coherence, you’ll also discover your ability to sustain the connection between your heart and your brain for longer periods of time.
Finding inner peace and balance will be something you can begin to cultivate at will, allowing you to be more resilient when conditions in your life become more challenging and stressful. You can practice this technique anywhere and anytime. 3
If you or a loved one are feeling stuck, or want to talk about how meditation and chiropractic can transform your heart and life, come and see me at my South Berwick, Maine chiropractic office! (207) 200-3113
References:
3 https://greggbraden.com/meditation-inner-peace-and-calm/
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