The heart a muscle of love | TCM natural inspirations for health

Fascinating Facts: A normal healthy heart is about the size of your own fist. Each minute your heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood and beats around 100,000 times a day through a system of blood vessels over 60,000 miles long (1).Wow!

Did you know that “Happiness and a strong sense of emotional vitality helps lower your risk of heart disease”(2). Well now is the time to get in tune with nature because these qualities are in alignment with the Heart’s frequency of Summer and the TCM FIRE Element.

More than this! TCM takes the broad view that there’s more to the heart than a pumping muscle – albeit a very important muscle that delivers oxygenated blood and nutrients around the body; the heart, therefore, is to be cherished not only for its life-sustaining function but nurtured for its wider connotations.

The mind is housed in the heart: This lovely ancient TCM perspective of emotional thought or heart-brain synergy is endorsed by modern research relating to ‘Heart Coherence’ (HeartMath Institute) indicating that the heart is also a highly complex information processing centre, influencing and interacting with the nervous system, hormonal system and immune system. http://www.reflexologyplus-therapies.co.uk/summer-love/ The Masters of old would agree!

Issues of the Heart: it’s all about relationships!  With TCM, health and wellbeing is so comprehensive! The physical and emotional are inseparable aspects of our personal wellness.

The FIRE Element appertains to joy, laughter, sociability, love, sexuality, passion and importantly to peace of the ‘emotional mind’ (remember the mind is housed in the heart);  something we could all do with to counter-balance numerous stressors of modern day living and avoid burn-out.

Guilty pleasures to avoid burn-out: ‘Physiological relaxation is a set of specific internal changes that occur when your mind and body are calm’.(3)   There are many steps you can take to protect your heart centre but following a good diet (go mad for watermelon, there’s so many heart health benefits), taking regular exercise (nothing like walking on the beach) and managing stress (who needs stress, summer is here) is particularly important.

Be willing to change! ‘My new thoughts are positive and fulfilling’(4)

Thinking kind thoughts about yourself and others and developing a sense of gratitude is beneficially nourishing too.  From this self-care perspective, investing in regular  replenishing and relaxing treatments encourages your body to be less sensitive to stress hormones and becomes a necessity rather than a guilty ‘time for me’ pleasure!

Just a minute!  An energy prescription

TIP:  What can you do in a minute that will help you keep stress at bay?  Well, you can break away from your immediate tasks to simply recharge: go to a quiet place, breathe deeply, stretch your spine, unravel your shoulders, think of a colour, a beautiful place, something that makes you smile.  In this way for just a minute you will be nurturing your thoughts and your body – you’ll  feel more ‘heart-brain coherence’ and get back to work recharged!

Open your heart! “If our hearts are open more possibilities will come to us’(4) Every ‘Element’ has a season, every season has a particular energetic vibration and every ‘vibration’ has an emotional tendency that corresponds to a vital body organ function or system. The summer season belongs to your heart!

Louise Exeter
© July 2017

Mind body harmony: Everything works together for the benefit of the whole.

Louise provides a range of deeply soothing and restorative treatments. She also gives talks to the public on the 5-Elements and runs CPD approved Classes for therapists on the 5-Elements and their meridians partnerships louise@reflexologyplus-london.co.uk

References: (1) & (2)  Source: Clevelandclinic.org. (3) Adrenal Fatigue, the 21stCentury Stress Syndrome, James L. Wilson, N.D. D.C., Ph.D
(4) Louise L Hay Power Thoughts (4) Musician Sam Garrett, Spirit & Destiny Feb 2016.