12
&
February 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Like us
@healthykentucky
INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Mindfulness is Heartfulness
By John A.
Patterson MD,
MSPH, FAAFP,
Mind Body Studio
The human
heart is much more than a muscular pump that circulates blood
and oxygen throughout the body.
We experience the breadth of our
emotions in our heart. Our heart
is where we feel the love for our
romantic partner, dear friends and
family, children and pets. Those
who have the experience of holding
their newborn child or grandchild
for the first time report a feeling
in the heart unlike anything they
have ever known or even considered themselves capable of feeling.
We feel the grief and loss of loved
ones in our hearts as well. We even
have palpable, heartfelt “driveway
moments” listening to stories on
the radio that move us deeply and
connect us emotionally to people
we don’t even know. Research has
also identified anger, rage and hostility as internal toxins that increase
the risk of heart attacks and death.
A 75-year-old patient came to
me with a heaviness and aching in
her chest that had been there since
her husband’s death several months
before. She had not cried a single
tear during his death or funeral. She
had the feeling if she could just cry,
this aching in her chest would go
away. Indeed, during
two sessions of supportive counseling, she
was moved deeply to
tears and her heartache went away, never
to return. This experience of the heart as
more than a physical
organ is not limited
to humans or even
our closest primate
relatives. A friend
told me of her old
dog’s reaction to
her bringing home
a new puppy. Her
old dog went under
the house, refused
to come out and
died.
This normal
physiological
experience of
deep emotions
in the area of
the anatomical
heart is part of
the emerging
science of heartbrain-emotion
interactions sometimes referred to
as neurocardiology. While much of
this field is properly concerned with
pathology and disease states, more
and more research concerns the
health benefits of positive psychological states, emotions, behaviors,
attitudes and practices. Mindfulness
Forgiveness research
suggests choosing to let go of
resentment and revenge can
actually add years to your life.
is emerging as a catalyst for
these positive psychological states.
Mindfulness is an increasingly
popular and effective psychological
tool for maintaining physical and
emotional health and managing
stress-related chronic conditions.
Mindfulness practice systematically
trains the mind to pay attention in a
particular way, with curiosity, openness and acceptance. Despite its origins in ancient contemplative practices, mindfulness as taught today is
primarily a scientifically validated
tool for self-inquiry, self-acceptance
and self-care.
Another translation of the original words for mindfulness is “heartfulness.” The ancient calligraphy
(see illustration) for mindfulness is
composed of two parts. The upper
part looks like a roof (protective)
or mountain (grounding). This
component represents the present
moment. The lower part represents
a stylized heart, which represents
the mind or soul. This can be
translated to mean paying attention
– staying in the present moment –
protects and grounds the heart, the
mind or the soul.
Practicing mindfulness naturally connects us to positive inner
resources and attributes. Awareness
of heartfelt emotion increases.
Emotional intelligence and positive psychology grow. We learn to
integrate our right brain and left
brain. In his poem “Two Kinds
of Intelligence,” Sufi poet Rumi