Robin Johnson, ACC • August 30, 2022 • 2 Minute Read

The Physical Heart and Emotional Heart

There is an amazing and beautiful connection between the physical heart and the emotional heart. Here are some facts about the physical heart:

• The heart starts beating in the unborn fetus before the brain has been formed.
• There is a constant two-way communication between the heart and brain.
• The heart sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart.
• The heart sends signals to the brain which help inform our choices.
• The heart helps synchronize many systems in the body to function in harmony.
• The heart signals especially affect the brain centers involved in strategic thinking, reaction times and self-regulation.

All of these powerful functions of the heart affect our emotional state, our reaction to life, our results each day and the level of stress we are experiencing in our lives. We know what it feels like to be in a state of harmony, where heart and mind are working together and we feel a genuine connection to others. We enjoy this state of inner harmony but often don’t know how to create this alignment consciously.

What empowers our ability to create more balance and harmony in ourselves, our relationship, our work and how we handle our challenges? Through twenty years of applied research at the HeartMath Institute, they have identified a core element, a physiological state they call “heart coherance” that supports a balanced partnership in the interactions between our heart, mind, emotions and physiology. To create this coherence within you, try this simple exercise:

1 | Focus your attention on the area of the heart. Imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart or chest area, breathing a little slower and deeper than usual. Let the chest rise and fall with each breath.

2 | Activate and sustain an uplifting feeling such as appreciation, care or compassion.

3 | Radiate that renewing feeling to yourself and others.

This simple process can bring the heart into a state of coherence. As a heart-centered Life Coach, this is a process you can easily do with your clients. Take five minutes to try this simple exercise with them. Once you complete the exercise, invite them to explore the changes by asking questions:

• Can you describe how your mind felt before and after the exercise?
• Has there been any change to the stress level in your body?
• How did it feel to radiate those renewing feelings out into the world?
• How would you describe the state of your heart in this moment?

One of the key roles we will play in our client’s lives is helping them begin to distinguish their heart connection. The physical heart and the feeling heart are both significant to the quality of our lives. We all easily understand that without the physical heart connection – we would die! But most people don’t understand without the connection to the feeling heart, they never fully live.

As you share this technique with your clients, I hope they will be amazed at the results after five minutes of breathing through the heart while connecting to positive feelings. This is a simple and beautiful technique to create a more heart-centered life.

Enjoy the new state of coherence and peace that you experience.

Big Hugs~ Robin