by Carl Johns, LMT, Director, ASIS Massage Education – Flagstaff
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” — Carl Jung
The heart is the most celebrated part of human beings in art, literature, music and in all the spiritual traditions.
Chinese medicine sees the heart as the controller, the emperor, the seat of the mind and the spirit and the center of joy, compassion and awareness. Geneticist Mae Wan Ho, working in the realm of quantum physics and biological organisms, understands the heart as the central communication hub with every variable beat, for every cell in the body.
The Institute of HeartMath, tells us the heart has neuronal cells like the brain and is in constant communication with the brain — with most of that communication going from the heart to the brain — and encourages us to bring our awareness to our hearts regularly to create heart-brain coherence.
HeartMath also tells us that our heart fields are connected to the earth, to the planetary electromagnetic fields of our solar system and most importantly to each and every heart field on our planet.
When the heart space is clear and uncluttered, the heart can bring joy to the jobs of all the other officials (organ systems). Fear, stress, over-work, over-activity — all clutter the heart space and interfere with our ability to approach life with joy, peace, compassion and awareness.
There are many ways to open and calm the heart — creating quiet time, engaging in the creative process, participating in meaningful, heart-felt conversations, connecting with nature, and experiencing any of the myriad styles of massage and bodywork.
Consider seeking a massage and bodywork practitioner. When we feel good, we become healthy. All the stresses, aches and pains start to drop away.
So in this heart-centered month, give the gift of touch to yourself and your loved ones, and bring the frequency of joy, compassion and awareness into all of our heart connections.