Emotional Balance Offers Heart Protection

By Linda Penkala, Author, LMT

Optimum Health For Life

. http://www.lindapenkala.com/

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Emotional Balance Offers Heart Protection

“Emotion can be the enemy, if you give into your emotion, you lose yourself. You must be at one with your emotions, because the body always follows the mind.” –Bruce Lee

These hands have touched and massaged muscles for over 33 years as a massage therapist and can attest to that quote being 100% correct. The body, especially soft tissue along with ligaments can be a sponge, a holding area for countless emotions. They may range from anger, anxiety, awe, horror, joy, confusion, love, and involve not only feelings, but behaviors, sounds and smells. It’s safe to say we have felt a wide range of emotions this past year, positive or negative, sensing where they may have settled in the body, whether shoulders, hips, neck, face or heart. It is this latter soulful engine of your body that needs loving attention most especially during stress filled times to keep cardiovascular issues at bay.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins revealed that an abrupt emotional stressor can lead to a weaker heart muscle, appearing that it could have been a heart attack. This “broken heart syndrome” is more prevalent in women under a huge burden of stress, and is misdiagnosed as a heart attack. One example is the death of Debbie Reynolds, one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher’s death. “Any imbalance in an emotional state – when one emotion dominates or overrides the others – can predispose one to heart disease,” says Frank Lipman, MD, an integrative physician, board-certified internist. “Learning to deal with emotions is extremely important.”

Heart Math demonstrates on their valuable website www.heartmath.com that the heart and brain communicate with either love, joy and ease, or frustration, anxiety and stress. Having tools such as their Quick Coherent Technique uses the power of your heart to balance thoughts and emotions. What follows are others:

• Choose Gratitude ~ noting three moments grateful each night
• Sleep Deep ~ dark room, cool, lavender, lemon,
• Prayer, Meditation ~ with 3-5-8 breathing, in, hold, exhale slowly
• Smile More ~ uplifts spirits
• Gather with Girlfriends ~ connecting hearts for health
• Aromatherapy for Calming ~ cedarwood, frankincense 

• Slow Down, Relax ~ intentionally

Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. Don’t lock them away. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.” –Sabaa Tahir