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www.thevillagenews.co.za
30 September 2020
MY WELLNESS Dr Arien van der Merwe is a medical doctor specialising in natural and mind-body medicine, herbal remedies, fat loss, stress management, workplace wellness and holistic health counselling. Address: The Green Healing Space, 16 Hope St, Hermanus. Tel: 067 1166 111. Email: hermanus@DrArien.co.za. Website: www.DrArien.co.za
Youthful Living
The heart of the matter for the entire hormonal system reside.
By Dr Arien van der Merwe
M
y heart’s not in it anymore’; ‘my heart is sore’; ‘my heart is breaking’. We have all uttered these phrases. They are not simply figures of speech, but very often unconsciously uttered, based on our intuitive understanding of the heart as the seat of the emotions and soul. In all cultures and religions, the experience of peace, love, healing and harmony is seated in the heart and thymus (responsible for immunity) region in the chest. Feelings of love also have a positive influence on the immune system, hormones and cognitive brain function.
The heart has receptor sites for, and manufactures, peptides that are identical to the neurotransmitter message carrier molecules inside the brain. It is now crystal clear that the heart is a very important endocrine gland, producing and releasing oxytocin (the bonding hormone) that acts on its cardiac receptors to decrease heart rate. The heart also produces and releases the major hormone, ANF (atrial natriuretic factor). ANF has a profound effect on the brain’s limbic structure and function. The limbic system is the seat of the emotions and stress survival reaction, and is also called the emotional brain. The limbic system includes the hippocampus where the memory, learning and control centres
Approximately 60 – 65% of heart cells are neurons (nervous system cells), and not cardiac muscle cells as previously believed. These neurons are identical to brain neurons. About 50% of the heart neuron cells translate information from the whole body to keep it functioning as a harmonious whole. The other 50% have a direct, unmediated neural connection with the brain inside the head, with a 24/7 heart-brain-heart dialogue we are completely unconscious of. The heart is a powerful electromagnetic generator, which creates an electromagnetic field that encompasses the body and extends at least 3 – 5 metres away from it. One can actually take an ECG (electrocardiogram) reading one metre away from the body, with no wires attached. This electromagnetic field has a profound effect on the brain, furnishing radio wave patterns from which the brain draws to create an internal experience of the world. Ultimately everything in our lives depends on our emotional response to events. Stress accelerates your heart rate through secretion of the adrenal stress hormones adrenaline, noradrenaline and the long-term stress hormone cortisol. Stress is initially experienced as emotions or feelings within the limbic system of the brain. ANF influences not only the heart muscle contraction, and pressure in the blood vessels and kidneys, but also the mood-influencing adrenal glands, as well as the brain. In the brain, parasympathetic or sympathetic
impulses coming from the heart help trigger the onset of either calming or excitatory thoughts and emotions. The feelings and emotions of kindness, compassion, forgiveness, appreciation and love can be encoded into your heart, creating a coherent wave pattern between your heart and brain, amplifying the electromagnetic field generated by both organs, reaching out and extending from the body to encompass not only yourself but everyone and everything around you. Practice the heart-centred meditation/visualisation every day and you will soon notice a difference in your heart rate. Heart-centred meditation Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair, in a quiet place, or outside in nature, or with soft pink candle light, rose quartz crystals and soothing music if you prefer. Hold your back straight, chin parallel to the floor, hands relaxed in your lap, eyes closed. As you breathe in, deeply and slowly, feel the breath entering your nose and mouth, extending into your heart, and from there to the rest of your body, into every cell of your being. Repeat the ‘ah’ sound of gratitude as you breathe out. Do it softly or aloud, whichever feels comfortable to you. Notice the deep sense of peace and calm infusing your whole body and mind. You can envision this sense as a blanket of green and blue enveloping your heart, your whole body, your loved ones, all sentient beings, the earth and the universe. Feel yourself relaxing with each exhalation. Do
this for 5 – 20 minutes until you’re completely relaxed. As you breathe in and out, know that when the heart beats, it pumps blood to itself first, and from there to the rest of the body. If it didn’t do this, the rest of the body would die. This is an example of self-love. It is not a selfish act. Give appreciation and deep love to your own heart, for its lifetime of service. Then, in your mind’s eye, imagine a bright, healing light shining into your heart. The light becomes softer, changing to hues of pink or green, associated with feelings of love, peace, reassurance, forgiveness and acceptance. The light dissolves all tension from your heart and chest. Feel all heaviness, sadness, regret and pain lift and release, leaving you light-hearted and joyful. Feel your heart developing its own radiance as though an inner flame is being rekindled. Allow this light from inside your heart to spread to every part of you, into the far reaches of every cell, molecule, thought and emotion. Imagine yourself filled with this light’s purity and wonder; your body, mind, emotions and soul healed by the radiance inside your own heart. As your heart opens with love, peace and forgiveness, bathe in this light for as long as you can. Then slowly become aware of your body, move and stretch your limbs, notice your breathing, experience the calm and peace inside. Gently come back to normal awareness. Read more about Heart Health at www.drarien. co.za/heart-functions/ and www.drarien.co.za/ heart-healing/
