Are all months created equal?
In the world of many major religions, December is different… unique and special.
But unique and special can be overwhelmingly positive – OR – overwhelmingly overwhelming. It can even be both.
December has a concentrating effect on our emotions. This concentration can lead to stress and worry and anxiety for many (I’ll include myself in this group).
In a year (or even years) where you may be impacted by the effects of COVID, or a loss, any loss – a special person in your world, a treasured pet, maybe financial, physical or mental health – finding some inner peace and solace can be very difficult.
Today, as these possible December woes descend, I’m privileged to share with you another guest post from my good friend Jim Ferguson. Jim is a newly “retired” Physician Associate – Canadian (Nova Scotia)-born, but living and raising a family for many years in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon, USA.
Jim is a hybrid in many areas… he combines a deep scientific curiosity and knowledge with great compassion through his religious and philosophical beliefs, thrown in with a blend of humour and silliness that sets him apart.
I’ll let Jim take the reins for today’s helpful post with “heart-healthy” practical advice to support us all through the coming month (and years):
FREE!!
Who amongst you loves FREE STUFF?
I think we all do.
Larry has welcomed another guest blog from yours truly and I decided for this blog it was time to give out some “free stuff”, some “intellectual swag”, information that could have a profound impact on your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Most importantly… IT IS FREE!
It doesn’t come in a capsule or tablet. You don’t need an IV infusion. You simply need to read today’s blog and ponder the content and practice the skills. That’s it! Interested? Read on.
Do you remember the television commercial where the woman is stressed to the max and she utters the words “Calgon…take me away!” The next scene shows her in “bubble bath bliss” as the Calgon soaks away all the stress.
If only it were that easy, right!
How many of us have jokingly (or not) uttered those words for a laugh or in a moment of exasperation? While the t.v. commercial is good for a laugh, the underlying existence of stress in our lives is real and for many of us, it is no joke.
We all have experienced the deep valleys of negative emotion and the summits of positive emotion along life’s journey.
What if there were some basic mind-body tools that could help us manage stress effectively. Well…there happens to be such tools and they are simple to learn.
What would you say if I were to tell you that your emotional-wellbeing is closely related to the rhythm of your heart? That there is a direct connection between your heart and brain and that your heart rhythm plays an integral role in regulating emotions and cognition?
There is scientific research from the HeartMath Institute (HMI) that shows these statements to be valid.
We all know emotions are a normal part of life. We all experience the “highs” (joy, love, happiness, peace, exaltation, etc) and the “lows” (sadness, stress, anxiety, depression, etc.).
Nobody is exempt from the rollercoaster of emotions. Neurobiological research shows that with every shift from positive to negative emotion or vice versa, over 1,400 biochemical changes occur in the body and these changes impact not only our physiology but our psychology too.
HMI identifies negative emotions as depleting emotions while positive emotions are renewing emotions.
I doubt this is a surprise to you. I have experienced the energy drain of sadness, depression, stress, etc. and the energy renewal that comes from joy, happiness, love, etc. I suspect you have too.
You are, no doubt, aware that depleting emotions result in the release of “the stress hormone” cortisol from your adrenal cortex.
Medical scientists have been telling us for years that one of the greatest predictors of life longevity is our serum (or salivary) cortisol level. The higher the cortisol, the shorter our life span. The opposite is also true. The lower our serum cortisol the greater our longevity.
When we experience renewing (positive) emotions, our body produces regenerative hormones such as DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) and the love hormone known as oxytocin. These hormones increase our resilience and, like cortisol, can be easily measured with a blood sample.
The cutting-edge research of HMI shows us that by activating the powers of the heart we can reduce stress by shifting from depleting to renewing emotions.
I can hear it now: “I thought the heart was just a pump for the blood!”
We have come a long way in our understanding of the heart and have learned that the heart is much more than a pump. The great mystics, sages, and prophets have known this for thousands of years.
The heart’s rhythm affects the brain’s information processing abilities and emotions. Neurocardiologists have discovered the heart has its own complex nervous system – coined by Dr J. Andrew Armour in 1991 as the “heart-brain”.
The heart has over 40,000 associated sensory neurons that transmit information to the brain including the amygdala – the emotional processing centre of the brain and the thalamus – the critical thinking centre.
The science shows the heart is sending much more neurological information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. The heart has an electromagnetic field, and this field can be sensed several feet outside the body.
Research shows that while negative emotions can create chaos of the nervous system and our emotions, positive emotions can bring order to the nervous system and to our emotions.
HMI refers to this heart rhythm “order” as coherence. Heart coherence is attained through controlling breathing patterns which subsequently act to coordinate the heart’s rhythm. Positive emotions can be added to the controlled breathing to increase our brain’s ability to make good decisions. This combination can even boost our immune system.
Coherence is a measurable state involving the coordinated alignment between heart, mind, and emotions. It is measured by looking at the heart’s beat-to-beat changes in rhythm known as heart rate variability (HRV).
With sustained positive emotions, we experience high coherence positively affecting our physiological, emotional, and mental wellbeing. With sustained negative emotions, we experience low coherence and disruption in our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. It is that simple.
So… enough of the science review.
I want to leave you with three (3) simple tools that you can practice, thus creating positive coherence in your life promoting a state of physiological, emotional, and mental balance.
Remember: these are practices.
Doing these once or twice isn’t going to cut it. To get the best mind-body “bang for your buck” you must develop the practice over months to years. If you do this, you will have simple tools at your disposal to help you through any stress life may throw at you.
Caveat: if you have health concerns that would prohibit you from performing these practices – don’t do them.
First, I want to teach you the core breathing pattern called “Heart-Focused Breathing”.
Sit in a comfortable position with hands resting on your lap. Now focus your attention around your heart and imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart/chest area. As you imagine this flow, slow your breathing and make the breaths deeper than usual. The ideal breathing pattern is approximately 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out for a total of approximately 6 breaths/minute. Practice this for a minute or two. As you become comfortable with this practice you can lengthen the duration to several minutes. Take notice of how this practice makes you feel. Take note of your heart rate. The research has shown that this breathing pattern is ideal for creating coherence – for shifting one from the stressful “fight/flight/freeze” mode of the sympathetic nervous system to the relaxing mode of the parasympathetic system.
Second, I want to now teach you the “Quick Coherence Technique”.
Begin by initiating the “Heart-Focused Breathing” pattern above. Once you have settled into this coherence-generating rhythm now activate a positive or renewing feeling or attribute such as gratitude, appreciation, love, calm, etc. Take notice of how you feel as you practice this technique. With practice, you can use this technique “in the moment” in any situation that might typically lead to stress. By initiating this “Quick Coherence Technique” you can shift from a potentially depleting situation to one of renewal quickly.
Finally, I want to introduce you to the “Heart Lock-In Technique”.
As you have learned already, begin by initiating the “Heart-Focused Breathing” pattern and then shifting into the “Quick Coherence Technique” by adding the positive emotion or attribute. Now I would like you to practice actively radiating this positive emotion outward to all you encounter. As you practice this technique, take notice of your breathing and heart rate and rhythm. Take notice of your own emotions and of those with whom you engage while practicing this technique. This is a powerful renewing practice that can have amazing benefits for you and those with whom you come in contact. Remember, your heart has a magnetic field that extends several feet outside your body, and this can be sensed by others with whom you come in contact. Just like we are sensitive to people’s negative emotions, we can also sense positive emotions. Just imagine how different our world would be if we all practiced these simple actions.
So… there you have it.
I have provided you some basic review on negative and positive emotions and the connection between the heart, brain and emotions, and the concept of coherence. I have provided you with three simple techniques that can create a higher sense of coherence in your life and in the lives of those you encounter.
Now it is up to you to practice these techniques and utilize them for greater physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing for you and those around you.
I hope you find this helpful.
Peace,
Jim Ferguson
Man On The Fringe 