The Importance of Brain and Heart Coherence
The brain and heart are designed to be in a coherent rhythm and beat. The heart informs the brain and the brain the heart.
When our mind is racing, we have left the heart and are operating from the brain. This is a necessary survival response because if we feel threatened by something, it is not a time to feel emotions of peace, gratitude, and safety. It is a time for the mind to race and for the brain to throw out every possible thought to keep us safe and alive.
When we go back and feel into the heart and hold the sensation for a period of time, this actually resets the anxiety/trauma response in the amygdala, which is the part of our brain that stores stress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.
No new information can enter the nervous system that isn’t equal to the emotion we are feeling. So if you are trapped in a cycle of anxiety, you will see/find/connect with anxiety everywhere. Same with anger, but it is also the same with love and joy.
I went morel mushroom hunting with a friend a few years ago and she said, to find the mushrooms you have to picture a morel mushroom in your head, hold that image, and then you’ll see them everywhere.
This is how it is with emotions/information in the nervous system. When we are anxious our brain will keep finding things around us to feed and prove that anxiety. From a biological perspective, the brain thinks there is a predator around and is looking for anything that could be threatening to keep itself safe.
Studies show that when our nervous system is in a stress response state, neutral faces (faces with no emotion or hostility) can look angry and hostile.
Next time you feel anxious or stressed, try closing your eyes and bringing your hands to your heart, and feeling your heartbeat. Slow your breath so it flows in and out of your nose only and see if you can extend the exhale for a longer period of time.
If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog, website or in any linked materials.
