Heart health has a critical aspect that goes beyond tissues, fluids and nerves: energy. When you focus your life on the healing power of emotions and thoughts you can improve your heart’s well-being in ways that conventional medicine neglects.

Chest Pain Rooted In Panic And Fear

Consider for a moment the part of your heart that is connected to your thoughts and feelings. Because your body is a complex biofeedback system, chest pain may begin with panic and fear. Consequently, every doctor knows that the most common cause for chest pain is not a heart attack (which, to be on the safe side, must be ruled out) but, rather, a panic attack.

Moreover, when you experience prolonged emotions like intense fear or anger for many hours, your body reacts in adverse physical ways. Headache, neck tension, stomach acid (or other intestinal symptoms) and high blood pressure are only the most obvious ones. Intense fear or anger boosts release of the stress hormone cortisol, too. That hormonal disturbance, though, increases your risk of an adverse cardiovascular event.

Angry Heart

It is well-documented that stress, anger and depression are independent risk factors for an unhealthy heart and hostility is known as the Achilles’ heel of the heart. No matter how healthy your heart structure is, these strong negative emotions can trigger painful vasospasm (sudden squeezing and narrowing) and ischemia. If an area of your heart arteries is narrowed from atherosclerosis, vasospasm can put you into the emergency room. This happened to my neighbor after several hours of loud arguments with his wife.

Interestingly, the spiritual meaning underlying heart disease originates in dealing with anger issues, not love; addressing unhealed issues with your family relationships or certain friends; or chasing money or position at the expense of having joy and peace in life.

In this vein, I heard Louise L. Hay observe: “Good health is having a good appetite, having no fatigue, going to sleep and awakening easily, having a good memory, having good humor, and having precision in thought and action… being honest, humble, grateful and loving.”

Know What You Really Want In Your Heart Of Hearts 

The healing feelings of gratitude, love and bliss can be felt almost in the heart itself. Fortunately, Cupid knows the answer to this whole problem — just be in love. It is a magical feeling. Love not only heals but also protects the heart and other organs from disease. In effect, every moment your thoughts create emotions which are energies in motion which can cause illness, when they’re negative, or heal you.

The powerful force that heals known as unconditional love is the kind of love that is not full of expectation, judgment or conditions of behavior on self or others.

It is also true that all people innately thrive on acceptance and love. An integral part of life is the experience of love in counterfeit forms. This counterfeit love allows us to better recognize and appreciate the real thing: pure unconditional love. The counterfeit forms of love take the form of material possession, status, flattery, feelings of power over others or simply having more stuff than your neighbors. I believe many criminals end up in prison because they seek counterfeit forms of love that result in destructive behavior and loneliness.

Love And Connection

The power of love and connection has actually been measured in terms of heart health. In a Yale study, those who felt the most loved had much less blockage in their coronary arteries. Similarly, Case Western Reserve University researchers studied almost 10,000 married men only to find out that those who said “Yes” to the question, “Does your wife show her love?” had significantly less chest pain (angina).

Furthermore, Duke University researchers found in a survey of men and women with heart disease that the death rate after five years was three times higher for those who were single or lacked a trusted friendship connection. Both of these studies found the protective effects of love to be independent from other risk factors.

In addition, I really like what one doctor noted about a heart disease patient:

“This man [61-year-old executive] was in the midst of a divorce when he was stricken [with a heart attack]… he had fallen out of touch with friends and family members. Unaware of the strife in his life, I counseled him to change his diet, start exercising and quit smoking… It was sound advice, but in combing the medical literature, the patient discovered that he needed to do more. Studies suggested that his risk of dying within six months would be four times greater if he remained depressed and lonely. So he joined a support group and reordered his priorities, placing relationships at the top of the list instead of at the bottom. His health has improved steadily since then, and so has his outlook on life. In fact, he now describes his heart attack as the best thing that ever happened to him. ‘Yes, my arteries are more open,’ he says. ‘But even more important, I’m more open.’”

An Invitation To Love

Guided meditation is one of many beneficial healing tools for the heart and other organs. Do it with soft and instrumental, healing music to enhance the experience. Find a quiet place for this and allow yourself about 30 minutes of uninterrupted time and be completely attentive for this experience.

Simply follow these steps:

1. As you inhale, the abdomen expands, and as you exhale, the abdomen contracts. Regulate your breath to be deep, slow and even. Make your inhaled breath equal in length to your exhaled breath. Continue this pattern, allowing your entire body to relax, yet feel energized.
2. Now acknowledge any distractions, deadlines or worries and dismiss them for a later time. Be fully present now. While you play your soft music, create a mental picture of a very bright light beginning to appear above you in the air. Imagine it gradually getting brighter and brighter.
3. As you inhale, see that the light enters through the top of your head. As you exhale, this light of the life force energy moves into your bloodstream and throughout all tissues of your body.
4. Practice your deep, slow, gentle and even breathing for five minutes while visualizing the light energy literally filling every part of your body. Feel the peace, love, confidence and healing from within you. This light is also gratitude, loving kindness to others. Notice that you are also able to share this with others at any time.
5. When you feel ready, slowly bring your awareness back to the present moment in time again (out of eternity). What will you do for yourself or another person today to bring more love into this world?

To your continued health and learning,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Author, Easy Health Options