The heart is the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy in the body, it produces the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of any of the body’s organs. It used to be thought that the brain was the largest electromagnetic field in the body but research into heart health over the past three decades has shown this is not the case. The magnetic field of the heart can be measured several feet away from the body by sensitive magnetometers, this field forms a toroidal shape, a little like a donut, see above illustration. Most illustrations only show the larger torus surrounding the body but there is a smaller torus surrounding the heart itself which in turn influences the larger torus. The team responsible for the research that has led to this knowledge being distilled into a usable form for the modern world is the HeartMath Institute, founded over 25 years ago to research heart health. They have free online courses, and a free book on enhancing the health of the heart and reducing stress, if you would like to learn more go here – https://www.heartmath.org/resources/courses/ The HeartMath institute have devised a very simple meditation/relaxation technique utilising and increasing this field in a way that strengthens heart-rate variability and brings harmony throughout the body and mind.

I once experimented with a friend who had borrowed one of the devices the HeartMath Institute sell that can actually monitor when we are in the heart and when we go back up into our head. We took it in turns to observe the device going through a small range of colours and beeps as our focus of attention went to the heart (the beeps were essential as my friend is blind!). It was astonishing how fast the process of going into the heart and therefore into a more harmonious state can be with just a little practice, we learnt how to go straight into heart harmony within seconds but as soon as we began to discuss it we were straight back in the head! This is useful to remember as you practice the meditation, something concrete is happening simply through your focus of attention.

What is Heart Rate Variability and How Does it Affect Health?

When physicians monitor the beat to beat changes in the heart they are measuring the Heart-Rate Variability (HRV). The beat changes are due to the synergistic actions of the nervous system, the sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate, stimulus to action, while the parasympathetic nerves slow it down, when we rest and relax. As far as the heart is concerned these two branches of the nervous system are continually interacting to maintain cardiovascular activity in its optimal range. (For more detail on the nervous system and how to utilise it for optimal functioning please check out my book “Why Does Stress Make Us Ill?”)

HRV is an important indicator of health and fitness, it reflects our ability to adapt or cope well with stress – physical and emotional. HRV is also a marker of biological aging. When we are young our HRV is at its peak, and as we age the range of variation in our resting heart rate becomes smaller. By reducing our stress load we lessen the impact of wear and tear on the nervous system and help increase the body’s natural regenerative processes – in short we slow down the aging process!

Through the practice of any deeply relaxing technique, particularly one that targets the heart, the greater is our heart coherence or heart rate variability, not only is this significant in terms of heart longevity but the impact upon the nervous and the immune system is quite profound. When this time out for the heart and nervous system is regular not only is disease preventable but chronic conditions have the space to heal and will respond more favourably to other health measures you put in place. Please watch the 2 minute video below for more remarkable findings about our heart and our heart field.

Spiritual Implications

As far as spiritual growth is concerned, the more harmony we introduce into our being through techniques that foster coherence on all levels the easier it is to expand spiritually and have an increasingly clear relationship with the higher realms. The technique of heartmath breathing is quite a significant stepping off point for deeper meditations that can take us to deeper insights and expanded consciousness. In this post I am including the basic heartmath technique (written and audio instructions below) that I will use in a later post to go much further. By further I mean visit and communicate with our Higher Self, with guides or Angels and even how to use these expanded states of being to clear old issues and to bring in gifts and higher ways of being.

Instructions for the HeartMath Meditation

• Start by focussing on your breath, simply notice the passage of air as it flows through your nose and expands your chest.
• After a minute of this bring your attention into the area of the heart, focus on the heart itself (not the heart chakra), focus on breathing rhythmically, equal length of time as you breathe in and breathe out.
• Now think about someone or something that you love or appreciate or feel peaceful about and as you begin to feel the love, gratitude or peace continue to focus attention on the heart, as if you are breathing through the heart itself.
• As you continue to breathe in this way see a huge toroidal shape around your body centered in the heart (a bit like a doughnut – see the picture at the top of this post). As you breath in the energy is flowing into the heart from all around, as you breathe out the energy flows out, this is continuous in one endless stream of energy.
• Continue breathing the positive feelings through the whole toroidal field for a few more minutes.
• Now for a few minutes think about this field flowing through every part of the body. If you notice or are aware of hard/ tight places in the heart or body just focus your attention there until you feel them softening.
• Practicing this every day for ten to fifteen minutes is enough to make a noticeable difference to your health and well-being. A couple of minutes is enough to take your state from stressed to peaceful.

HeartMath meditation below and below the video is the Mp3 if you wish to download the meditation