On the outside Tim’s health seemed OK.  According to his physician, he had heart disease but was in no danger.  He wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of heart disease.  No chest pain plagued him.  He wasn’t limited by shortness of breath.  Recently, he had walked on a stress test and passed without difficulty. 

(http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/russert-dies-of-apparent-heart-attack/?hp)

And then disaster struck.  A cholesterol plaque in one of the major arteries of his heart ruptured.  Blood flow to his heart was compromised, and he went into a life threatening heart arrhythmia.  Even though CPR was started immediately, it was sometime before the paramedics could arrive to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. Sadly, Tim passed away.

We’ve all been shocked by the loss of this magnificent human being.  

The outpouring of dismay has been overwhelming.

“How could this happen?”  “His stress test was normal!”   “Shouldn’t he have seen a Cardiac Surgeon?”  

The trouble is that stress tests don’t tell everything.  Even the best stress test can’t pick up a heart blockage if the blood vessel is  less than a 50% blocked.   And unfortunately, nearly half of all heart attacks are caused by blockages that are 25-50%.  

Heart blood vessels are living tissue, and cholesterol blockages can grow suddenly.  Like a pimple they can swell with liquid cholesterol, and then because of stress or an unexplained insult, they can suddenly rupture.   Bleeding occurs within the blood vessel and a clot can form shutting of the flow of blood.  Dangerous heart rhythms may follow.  

It is well known that inflammation within the heart arteries is a cause of heart disease.  Many things lead to this inflammation:  high saturated fat in the diet, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol levels, and even our emotions.  

Most people don’t know it but a negative emotional state can create heart disease.  Anger, fear, sadness, depression, and many other troublesome feelings have been shown to cause heart illness.   Stress in particular can be devastating.

People who are overworks, or feel overwhelmed are particularly at risk of increased inflammation and heart attacks.

According to NBC’s Tom Brokaw, Mr. Russert’s life was very hectic.  He stated that Tim was “burning it at both ends.”(http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/russert-dies-of-apparent-heart-attack/?hp)

So if things can seem fine and yet beneath the surface trouble is lurking- what can be done to keep us from suffering an unexpected heart attack?

Lessons For Preventing An Unexpected Heart Attack

•  Don’t Think:  “It will never happen to me”  

As Tim Russert’s death shows us even if we think we’re fine we need to be on the alert for heart disease.  If you’re someone who has significant risk factors for heart disease begin taking an active role in your health management.  

• Know your cardiac risk factors

The people who are more likely to suffer an unexpected heart attack are those people with risk factors.  Examine your life and see if you possess 2 or more risk factors for heart disease  If you do then you could be at risk.  Heart disease traditional risk factors include:  smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, low HDL cholesterol, males over the age of 45, females over the age of 65, sedentary lifestyle, or a family history of premature heart disease.  

• Make sure you aren’t at risk for excessive blood vessel inflammation

Most people don’t know it but there is a simple blood test for determining if you have heightened inflammation that could be ravaging your body.  The test is called:  A High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein- hs-CRP for short.  This is a simple blood test that your doctor can perform that can help tell you if you are at risk.  People with excessive hs-CRP are more likely to get heart disease.

If you have an elevated hs-CRP  diet and exercise has been shown to reduce your risk.

• Control your weight

Obesity is a major problem in America.  It is estimated that over 30% of the population is obese.  Obesity can lead to major health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.  Being overweight is also a component of the Metabolic Syndrome (http://www.metabolic-syndrome-institute.org/).  People who have the Metabolic Syndrome have altered insulin metabolism and are at risk for premature heart disease.

If you have a problem with your weight seek professional help.    

• Exercise Frequently

Regular aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping) has been shown to prevent heart disease.  It’s also useful for reducing the inflammation of your heart arteries.  Exercising can reduce your chances of getting diabetes.  It can lower your chances of developing the metabolic syndrome.  Plus it can be great fun!

You should strive to do some form of aerobic exercise 45 minutes 4-5 times a week.  

Check out the recommendations at the American College of Sports Medicine:

(http://www.acsm.org/Content/ContentFolders/TopicsintheField/Fitness/ACSM_PUBLIC_INFORMATION___generating_interest__awareness__knowledge.htm)

• Adopt the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is an eating plan that has been shown to prevent heart disease.  And you don’t have to move to a foreign country to follow the diet- (although it might be fun!).  Amazingly, 75% of the people who follow this plan will not get heart disease.  Even if you already have heart disease the diet can help prevent a second heart attack.

The key feature of the diet is limiting the intake of saturated fat in your diet.  You should avoid eating animal products, particularly red meat.  Switch to olive oil for all of your cooking and oil use.  Increase your consumption of fish and other omega-3 fatty acids.  Eat only whole grains with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  

Many books are available on this topic.  A trip to the local library will prove fruitful.  If you want to get a quick start look to the left on this website!  You’ll see my simple pamphlet on  Improving Your Heart Health with the Mediterranean Diet.  Just click on the button to download a copy.

• Explore your emotional heart health- make sure you don’t have a Broken Heart

Is your heart broken?  Most people don’t know it but our emotions can affect our physical body!  If your heart is Broken you could be at risk for having a major heart event.  When most people hear the words, A Broken Heart, they instantly think of a heart that has been traumatized because of a romantic relationship that has fallen apart.  But this isn’t always the case. 

Other things can lead to a Broken Heart.  Stress, worry, anxiety, depression, or major heartache can break the heart and lead to heart disease.

If you’re suffering from severe emotional stress you could be at risk.  Check out my other blog posting to find out more about developing heart trouble from a Broken Heart:  http://blog.drkirklaman.com/2008/03/22/can-a-broken-heart-kill-you/

Although this list isn’t complete, if you follow these recommendation and suggestions you’ll be well on your way towards becoming more heart healthy.  

We’ve all felt a great loss from Tim’s passing, but perhaps it can remind us to cherish life.  

We may even be prompted to take a more active role in staying well.

Yet, I have to believe that it’s OK to check out occasionally. Sometimes the tugs and pulls of our responsibilities can seem overwhelming.  We just have to pull back.  

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working hard on a new website, E Book, with audio downloads.  The title is:  A Broken Heart Can Kill You.  

I’ve been wanting to help people who haven’t yet warmed to the idea that their emotions can lead to heart injury.  It’s  the missing link in heart disease and one that (in my view) is sorely needed.

Cardiologists are quick and rightly so to treat the physical aspects of heart disease, but often the “softer”  emotional/psychological influences are overlooked.

So in the process of getting a number of things together, working on updating my workshop, Creating a Heart Centered Life, I’ve had to put blog posts on the back burner. 

Life is a process.  One writer has said that, Life is flesh and blood, not stone.  

We have to be willing to acknowledge when we are pushed past out limits and just accept where we are in the moment.  

Trusting our heart in this way allows us to check out occasionally and not be paralyzed by guilt.      

Life moves in cycles.  The leaves fall. Winter’s chill descends, and just when it seems the cold oppression will never end- spring begins to come.

Dealing with these cycles is part of the rhythms of life.  And its not always easy.  It’s not easy to roll when you might feel like falling.

Do you know what I’m talking about?  I’m sure you do.  Most people have experienced the cycles of life.  

Recently, I’ve found myself in the midst of a particularly bothersome cycle.  I sometimes felt like a Bruce Springsteen song:  going down, down, down. It made me almost wonder if I had stepped into a hole that was too big to scale.

My saving grace and what always brings me back to balance is to journey deep into my heart.  I have to get quiet, and use a skill called “Practicing Remembrance.”  Its an ancient skill for opening and healing the heart.  But I”m always surprised at how easy it is to find peace if we’re willing to do what it takes.

Our hearts are truly wondrous.  They contain a wisdom that defies logical explanation.  But we have to find the time, make the time to to tap into this wisdom.  

You may have a skill that takes you back to center.   If you do then take the time to use it.  

Life carries us around and around- up, down, in, and out.  Like on a magical merry-go-round,  we travel though life.

Take the time to find your own heart.  Explore it.  Move with it.  You won’t be disappointed.

Our hearts can be disfigured. 

They can be troubled and tormented.  Our hearts can be squeezed and distressed emotionally and psychologically to such a degree that finally they begin to whither under the strain. 

They crack or even break. The experience of having a “Broken Heart” is real.

 Losing a loved one, struggling with job woes, or having our lives shattered with a horrible divorce are just some of the catalysts that can create severe trauma to our hearts. 

 The psychotherapist and author, Thomas Moore writes that “at one time or another, most people go through a period of sadness, trial, loss, frustration, or failure that is so disturbing and long-lasting that it can be called a dark night of the soul.”  

 Unfortunately, hearts living through darkness and turmoil, hearts that are “broken” don’t just suffer emotionally.  Medical research has clearly shown that deep grief, sadness, and other painful experiences can cause actual heart disease. 

 In the 1970’s medical researchers from the Mayo Clinic discovered that what we think and feel has a direct bearing on having a healthy heart.  In a research study of over 170 people they demonstrated that people suffering with severe grief or overwhelming anger can literally “drop dead” from something called Sudden Cardiac Death.  You can indeed die from a “broken heart.”

 Yet, just as emotional pain and trauma can wind us tighter and tighter and ultimately create heart disease- the troublesome cords that bind us can also be loosened.  We can learn to unravel the emotional heartache that is creating illness.  We can learn to heal our broken hearts.

One important first step for heart healing is to recognize that our “dark nights” of broken heartedness can be a path to deeper meaning, perhaps even spiritual awakening.  If we tune into this idea that our misfortunes may in fact teach us something about ourselves, something vital to our overall growth as a human being, then some of the painful “sting” of our heart’s aching can be lifted.

 Not long ago a patient of mine suffered a major heart attack.  John worked at home as a computer programmer.  He was loner, who hadn’t made the effort to establish a new relationship after a messy divorce.  Suffering a heart attack was a wake up call.  Facing death, he became acutely aware of the fragility of life. 

 Having a heart attack provided the motivation for him to begin dating again.  Soon he was married and actually started a family. 

 Another key for healing one’s broken heart is to find a treatment that right for you.  Support groups, meditation, psychotherapy, and many other modalities are available that can get you moving down the road towards heart healing.  What’s vital is that you begin searching diligently for a method you feel comfortable with and then begin working on yourself.

 Just as you can’t get into shape while sitting on a couch, you can’t release the pain and anguish of a broken heart by ignoring the problem.  You’ll need to get busy doing the psychological work that it takes to become well. 

 Having a “broken heart” isn’t the end of the world.  Rather we should consider it as a natural part of life.  As long as we’re living, we’re going to rub up against people and situations that stretch and challenge us.

 We just need to have hope.  Your broken heart can be healed. You become well.

Did you know that your heart has an intelligence that is separate from your brain?

It’s true.  Research has shown that the human heart has an intelligence does not rely on the brains input.  40.000 nerve cells are found in your heart’s sphere. Some centers in the brain, particularly the sub-cortical areas (the area that is emotionally driven) have less neurons than the heart.  The human heart also has it’s own independent nervous system.  It independently influences the body, and even the brain. 

Our hearts intelligence is different from the intelligence of the brain.  Your heart wisdom comes on a more feeling level.  It doesn’t rely on logic, but seems to integrate feelings in making its decisions.   

Why am I concerned about the heart’s intelligence? 

I’m concerned because the intelligence of our heart may actually be more important than our cerebral intelligence.  In 1996 Daniel Goleman published an exciting new book called:  Emotional Intelligence: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/0553375067   

 What was revolutionary about Goleman’s writing was that he concluded that success in life had more to do with what happens on an emotional/social level than on a thinking level.  So even though thoughts are important,  how we control our emotions plays a bigger part in success in life. 

You know what I mean right?  I’m sure you’ve seen this in your business and personal life.  The people who advance, who get the best raises, and positions aren’t always the most capable intellectually.  It’s often the people who excel socially, who have the ability to bond with others who seem to make the most advances.

Here’s where your heart intelligence comes into play.  You heart’s wisdom is global.   It’s holistic.  Your heart integrates what is happening on an emotional, psychological, and spiritual level.  If we can gain the ability to tap into our heart’s intelligence it can have a profound impact on our lives.  

Indeed researchers at the Heart Math Institute (http://www.heartmath.org/)  have shown that tapping into the hearts wisdom is something that can influence our overall health and well being.  Their research has demonstrated that it can reduce anxiety and eliminate worry.  Both of these negative emotions have been shown to create heart disease.  Tapping into the hearts wisdom is also something that can be done easily and practically.  

The HeartMath Institute has invented a technique called Freeze Frame (r)  Freeze Frame is a method for instantly stopping stress. If you’ve never heard of it you might want to get the book:  The HeartMath Solution by Doc Childre (http://www.amazon.com/HeartMath-Solution-HeartMaths-Revolutionary-Intelligence/dp/006251606X)  describes in detail the Freeze Frame method.

The Freeze Frame method is similar to other meditation techniques but its a quick method.  It consists of 5 Steps:

Step 1: Recognize that you’re feeling stressful and stop to Freeze Frame it.  Take a time out.

Whenever a person feels stressed out their body is out of balance emotionally and physically.  But because we’ve adapted to this level of stress we don’t always recognize it.  So the first step of Freeze Frame is to recognize that you’re feeling stressful and stop.

Step 2:  Stop what you’re doing and bring your awareness and breath down to the heart region.

Shifting our focus away from out outer environment and towards our heart we shift our perception away from the problem and towards the solution. Research has shown that the simple act of shifting the awareness to the heart enhances communication between the heart and brain.  The HeartMath Institute has also shown that this can calm the heart and brain.

Step 3: Recall a positive, comforting feeling that you’ve had in life and try to re-experience it.

If you have ever had a time where you fell totally connected, happy, and well- bring this memory to mind.  Let yourself feel the memory.  It should be a full re-creation of the memory.  It has been demonstrated that when we feel such feelings it can bring healing to the nervous system.  Its very important to let yourself go with the memory. It isn’t just visualization.  We actually need to a re-experience of the event.  Such a re-experience produces the same biochemical and hormonal effects on the body.  It can bring a real sense of well-being to our bodies.

Step 4:  Now using your intuition, common sense, and sincerity, ask your heart, What would be a more efficient response to the situation, one that would minimize further stress?  

During this step continue to focus on your heart as you ask the question.  You’ll be surprised with the results.  You won’t get something every time, but if you continue to practice you’ll increase your ability to defuse stress.

Step 5:  Listen to what your heart has to say.

Our hearts do know what we need to be well.  If we take the time to listen to our heart’s intelligence, it will not steer us wrong.

Good luck in Tapping into Your Heart’s Intelligence.

Know what I’m talking about?  Most people do.  Most people have had their hearts trampled on in one way or another.  

The pain, the anguish, the heart-ache can be so deep, so shocking that we may feel like giving up on life.  

And our hearts can be Broken from more than just relationship issues.  Hearts can be broken because of grief.  You can lose someone you’re very close to:  a mother, father, sibling, grandparent, or a child- and this can fracture the heart.  Our hearts can also be broken because of loneliness, anxiety, depression, or a host of emotional traumas.  

Are you someone who’s had these feelings?

Know when I ask if “Can a Broken Heart Kill You?”  understand that I’m not just talking about feeling bad.  I’m actually asking if a Broken Heart can really cause your demise.  If it can damage your physical heart to the point that you actually pass away?

Did you know that it’s true?  Any emotional trauma or psychological insult can malign the heart and produce real injury.  Having a broken heart can have real health consequences.  It can lead to actual damage of your heart muscle.  A recently recognized medical condition called, The Broken Heart Syndrome has been identified where a person’s heart muscle weakens due to severe emotional trauma.  

CBS recently wrote a news story on this syndrome: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/09/health/main672774.shtml

Seen frequently in middle-aged women, The Broken Heart Syndrome commonly sends people to the Emergency Room because of symptoms similar to a heart attack.  They experience shortness of breath and chest pain.  They generally have an abnormal EKG, and will be treated initially as if they are having such a heart condition.

Only after cardiologists take pictures of the heart arteries do they see that the arteries have no cholesterol deposits.  The muscle injury isn’t from heart blockages.  It isn’t a heart attack.  Overwhelming stress is the culprit.  Massive stress in the form of grief, heart-ache, or physical illness- leads to excessive levels of adrenaline that damage the heart muscle.  

Although the Broken Heart Syndrome is rarely permanent, (with the proper medications to block the damaging effects of adrenaline, most people achieve a full recovery) heart injury from emotional trauma isn’t always so innocuous.  Frequently, it leaves a lasting effect.   Stress, anxiety, depression, and other emotional issues have been shown to increase a person’s chances of dying from heart disease.

A good book that examines the role that our emotional health plays on heart disease is Love and Survival, by Dean Ornish, M.D.   Dr. Ornish was the first medical researcher to prove that heart disease was reversible.  Look for his book on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Survival-Scientific-Healing-Intimacy/dp/0060930209 

So what do we do if we’re suffering from a Broken Heart.  It there hope?

Sure, just because you have emotional or psychological difficulty it doesn’t mean you are destined to physically injure your heart.  Choices and options exist when it comes to a broken heart.

First and foremost, seek medical help.   If you feel over-stressed and overwhelmed contact your physician.  They can direct you to appropriate services for your condition.  You might need counseling, perhaps medication.  Don’t keep your head in the sand.  Take steps to identify how you could be at risk.

Second:  know that you are not alone.  Many people face similar trials and tribulations and have made it through to the other side.  Keep you chin and hope up.  Having a positive attitude will go a long way towards speeding up your recovery.

Finally, begin moving towards Whole Heartedness.  We are not just physical bodies.  Besides the physical we also have thoughts and feelings.  We are emotional and also spiritual beings.  What is clear from the work of Dr. Ornish and others in the mind/body/spirit field, is that In order to become truly well we need to embrace and work on every part of who we are as people.  True heart health will only be achieved if we make a commitment to live Whole Hearted lives.

Can a Broken Heart Kill You?  Sure, it can, but you don’t have to let it ruin you life.  

You can change your health and life today. 

Talk about taking the wrong steps.  Have you thought about where you’ve been stepping lately?

I have.  As often happens real people, particularly the people I take care of in my cardiology practice, are a mirror for me.  

What do I mean a mirror?  I mean that as I go through life and rub up against people, get close enough to them to feel their pain or have them really affect me- I see things in them that are the same issues I have.  Or I notice what annoys me about them is something that I need to work on in my life.

They are reflecting back my own issues.  Do you know what I’m talking about?  Quite often it is the people who really challenge me to stay focused or heart centered that are the best mirror.

Take the man I saw in the office just the other day.  He was a middle-aged man early 60’s.  Two months earlier, he had suffered a heart attack.  Thankfully, damage to his heart was avoided by giving a drug to dissolve blood clots, and he had a metal stent placed inside the major artery that circles to the back side of his heart.

When I saw him in the office he was once again having some chest discomfort.  Chest pain after a stent placement is rather unusual.  I wondered what was going on with him.

It quickly became clear that he wasn’t making progress in his life style modification program.  He was a big man.  Not tall, but just big as in quite obese.  He stood five feet, eight inches tall and weighed over 290 pounds.  

We wasn’t exercising, and his diet was still way off the mark as far as heart disease prevention was concerned.  

“I like red meat,”  he said sheepishly, “I have to admit it.  And me an exercise just don’t mix.”  

“Well,” I replied, “Your body is telling you that what you’re doing right now isn’t working.  Your likes and dislikes are taking you in the wrong direction.

We had a long talk together (as long as the usual 15 minute office visit would allow)  about the journey to what I call a “Healthy Heart Zone.”  I outlined what living in this zone would look like- the activity level he would need, the foods he should be avoiding and eating, the relaxation exercises he should be engaging in daily, and a number of other activities that would help him create the health he wanted to have.

“You need to be stepping in the right direction if you’re going to be healthy and avoid another heart attack.  He agreed with me and promised to begin working on changing his life style choices so that they would direct him where he really wanted to go.

Somewhat later that day, I began thinking about his predicament and our interaction together.  When I had talked to him I hoped that I wasn’t too judgmental.  I realized that he was a mirror for me.  Although I don’t have heart disease, I know just how difficult it is to lose weight.  I’d lost about 20 pounds over an 18 month period but it was quite the challenge

As I thought about this man three things came to mind that I though he could do to begin moving towards his heart healthy zone.

1.  Start with small steps.

All too often I see people try to do too much in the beginning.  They set their sights so high that when they don’t achieve their lofty goals they become discouraged.  I know this is true of myself.  Life doesn’t happen in big jumps.  We don gain 50 pounds in a few days, and we rarely can lose it that quickly as well.  It’s important to set goals that allow us to succeed.  Once we feel good about “making progress”  we can move forward to the next goal.

2.  Learn to take a breath and pause for 10 seconds.

Often we let our impulses get the best of us.  When it comes to our eating this is particularly the case.  A very simple way to overcome impulsive actions is to slow down our lives.  If the impulse to do what we know isn’t best for us comes up, if we can just slow down….take a breath…and really think about what we’re doing, we can often overcome such actions.   A pause of ten seconds is often just what the doctor orders.  Research has shown that our emotions work faster than our thoughts.  Circuits in the brain connect emotionally before rational thought has time to kick in.  Have you ever found yourself eating something unconsciously, without even thinking about it?  It’s like you see something and before you even know it you’ve popped it into your mouth?  If you have then you’ve seen first hand how our emotions can easily propel us.  Learning to take a breath and pause for 10 seconds is a skill that can give the rational mind time to catch up with our emotional overdrive.  

3.  Be open to new ideas.

If we’re going to change ourselves, change our lives, to begin to live the way we know we can live- then we have to be open to new ideas.   Without the openness to move in a new direction we can’t get where we need to go.  For people who have heart disease, it’s important to recognize that their old lifestyle habits have helped to create their illness.  They need a paradigm shift, to being willing to consider new ways of being. In the patient case of my patient, he needed to be recognize that the food choices he was making were harmful to his health.  If he wanted to move into his heart healthy zone he would have to re-think what he was eating on a consistent basis.  

Perhaps your life needs a shift.  Maybe you need to change the direction you’re heading.  Your steps matter.  

It’s been said, “The journey of a lifetime begins with the first step.”  

The choice is up to you.

I just got back this past week from a seminar called, The Language of Impact given by Joel Roberts.  Joel previously hosted a talk show program with KABC Radio Los Angeles for ten years. He has worked with Stephen Covey, author of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, as well as the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series authors.

Joel’s seminar was fabulous.  It was upbeat, funny, informative, and very, very practical.  Like no-one I’ve ever met Joel has the ability to find the core message of a topic and really make it shine.  I would highly recommend his course to anyone who is planning on speaking publicly or wants to have a media presence.  

Have you been to a great seminar lately?  If you have leave a comment about it. 

One of the key points of Mr. Robert’s message is that in order for speakers and language to be impactful, it has to move us.  We need to feel pushed or pulled inside at our deepest level.  It’s almost as if the words have to act like a catalyst that wakes up some part of the listener that has been dormant.  So that a reaction, a chemical, emotional awakening begins to to take hold inside our beings.

Another way of saying this is that for communication to be most effective, our hearts have to be engaged.  Meaning if we want to be heard we need to learn how to come from the heart on a more consistent basis.

Joel’s message resonates with me.  It resonates with what I’m all about!

All us us want to be heard.  Don’t you want to be heard?

I bet like me you do.  We all want to know that we matter, that we’re special.

What I saw by attending this workshop, reinforced my belief that what happens at the heart level matters most in life.  Finding meaning in life is all about finding the heart, getting to the heart of something.  Amazingly, it doesn’t really matter what that something is.  Your something could be cooking, biking, lecturing- anything.  It doesn’t matter what your thing is all about.  All that really matters is that your heart gets moved.  

Life is all about coming from the heart.  If you want to feel jazzed by life.  You need to get to the heart of whatever it is you are doing.  Find your passion.

If you do this you’ll be having the impact you want.

You’ll know real impactful living.

Thoughts can be problematic.  They can keep us locked in a vicious cycle of endless rumination.  

Our heart’s can also become locked in one thing.  We can have a bad experience and hold onto it for way too long.  I’ve had patients who couldn’t let go of anger, sadness, and a host of negative emotions.

Unfortunately, negative emotions can be damaging to our hearts.  Perhaps you’ve heard of this?  They can lead to the development of heart inflammation and blockages of the heart arteries.  You can die from this.

So holding onto negative emotions is something that we need to work on.  Its something we need to learn to release.

What can you do to let go of negative emotions?

1.  Traditional forms of treatment are important

Psychotherapy, counseling, and other talk therapies have been shown to work.  You should investigate one of these modalities if you’re having trouble.  Talk to your friends to find someone who is effective.  

2.  Get into some deeper heart work.

As a cardiologist I’ve seen the value of deeper heart work for releasing negative emotions.  Workshops are good.  Often these intensive programs can help us break through.  I’m reminded of the Jim Morrison line, “Break on through to the other side.”  This is what we need.  We need to go past our usual forms of thinking and being to release harmful negative emotions that can trouble us.  The form of deep heart work that I recommend is called, “practicing remembrance.”  Its very powerful and effective, but not for the spiritually faint at heart.  Many other forms of deep heart work are available. Look at the book, Loving What Is, by Byron Katie.  It will help you look at the depth of release that is needed.

3.  Find out who you really are.

As you begin to investigate yourself more fully, you’ll have to make a decision to learn who you are at the deepest levels.  By this I mean you’ll need to take some time and launch into self reflection.  As you travel deeper into your own psyche you’ll get in touch with your authentic self.  It’s here that the fun begins.  

I’ve mentioned journalling before.  It’s a very good starting place for this process.  As you explore yourself it will become more and more clear that you are part of a larger whole.  A “oneness” exists in all of creation and its also inside you. Once you know your true self letting of unwanted emotions becomes easier.  You recognize that this isn’t your real self and so you’ll have no doubts about releasing unwanted feelings.

4.  Work at it.

My last suggestion is to really work at letting go.  Letting go may not happen instantly.  You have to be willing to use the methods listed above and give them some time.  I recommend that people practice remembrance for 30 minutes 1-2 times daily.  This is the bare minimum that is generally required to be effective.  The same can be said of self reflection or journalling.  You’ll need to do it daily and be intent on spending a fair amount of time to achieve the results you desire. It may take a number of weeks or sometimes a month or two to let go of negative thoughts and feelings.  Think about the length of time it takes to learn to play the piano or taking up some other hobby.  You know from this that you’ll have to be patient.

I am certain that if you want to let go of harmful emotions you can do it.  Intention is everything.  Make up your mind and your heart- you’ll be successful.

You know what I’m talking about!  We all know the importance of physical exercise for the heart, but the type of exercise that I’m talking about moves past the physical.  It takes us on a deeper journey of the heart.  

Besides flexing our physical heart muscle, it’s also important to exercise the other aspects of our heart.  We need to expand the emotional, psychological, mental, and even spiritual aspects of our heart health.  Know what I mean? 

How are you doing in these areas?  Are you paying attention to the other needs of your heart?  As a cardiologist, I often see this aspect of heart health overlooked. 

Just last month a man in his early 40’s came to me after a recent heart attack.  His cholesterol wasn’t that high.  He didn’t smoke.  The only risk factors that he possessed were a mild family history of heart disease and some anxiety.  Yet, he still had developed serious blocked heart arteries.  As I spoke to him it became clear that he suffered with significant grief.  His mother who he was very close to has passed away and he was having a hard time dealing with his loss.  

When I began talking to him about this aspect of his health- the emotional or spiritual influences in his life, I could see his eyes cloud over.  Although he acted like he was listening, he was really checking out.  He had a hard time acknowledging that emotional issues could be playing a role in his heart illness. It’s a common issue with many people.  They have difficulty acknowledging that what happens to them emotionally is playing a part in their physical condition.

The medical evidence tells us otherwise.  Hundreds of medical studies show time and again that feelings and emotions play a critical role in illness.  Our hearts are particularly prone to being injured from runaway emotions.  Fear, anger, sadness, anxiety, depression, and many others- can create real heart disease.

But most patients aren’t interested in working on this aspect of their heart health.

People are willing to exercise their bodies, but they rarely willing to exercise their other heart muscles.  How about you?  Do you fall into this camp.  Does the idea of getting emotional, attending a workshop, or becoming “touchy, feely”  make you run?

I’ve got some suggestions for exercising the other parts of your heart and improving your total heart health- if you’re willing to take the plunge.

1.  Check in with Your Heart.

Our heart’s have a knowledge that defies logical explanation.  Have you ever had a gut feeling about something.  It wasn’t a logical thought or idea, but just a feeling that something wasn’t right about a person or a situation?  And that illogical feeling turned out to be correct?  Such experiences aren’t pure chance.  At a deep level our heart knows.  It knows what we need to be healthy.  So make the time to start checking in with your heart.  Get quiet.  Spend some time in meditation or reflection.

2.  Be Willing to have an Open Mind and Heart to New Ideas

Most people are close minded.  They get set in one way of thinking and are unwilling to see other views.  They do this will their heart as well.  They develop a certain way of responding to a situation and don’t ever change.  As a way of exercising your heart, why not consider having an open mind for a change.  Try this exercise.   Sit down with the newspaper and read something that would normally have you thinking in one direction and choose to think about it differently. 

For example, say you like sports and you dislike a certain team.  Read one of the stories about that team and completely reverse your thoughts about them- just as an exercise.  Make a conscious effort to think completely different.  See how that feels.  Now do this with something related to your heart.  Say there’s a person who really annoys you at work.  The next time he/she does something that bugs you just say to yourself, “Why are they doing that?”   “What experience from their past makes them respond in that way?”    Rather than judging them you’re trying to understand them.  Notice what that does to your experience of them.

3.  Read Something that Really Moves Your Heart

Our hearts can get rusty.  Just like machinery that doesn’t get used regularly, they can get stuck.  Make the effort to read something inspirational- something that really touches your heart.  It could be a whole book, or just a short blurb of something.  The Chicken Soup for the Soul series is a good place to get something inspirational.  But take the time to read something that really stretches your heart.  Do this at least once per week.  We need to have our hearts touched.  We need to feel sad, happy, content, and even angry.  Having something move our heart keeps us from shutting down.  It helps us to avoid complacency and disconnection.

4.  Connect with Someone Everyday- Really Connect

Make a heartfelt connection with someone everyday. By this I mean talk to someone and make sure the conversation moves past the superficial.  Find out about their kids, their health, their fears, pains…you get the idea.   When we connect hearts by becoming intimate it can be healing.  Dean Ornish, M.D., in his book, Love and Survival, relates many research studies that show over and over that connecting with people can improve our health.  Connection can be the spice of life that moves us out of our limited existence and into an experience of the infinite.  

5.  Go Within

Meditate, pray, chant, pose, breath- use any method that will take you from the outside to your deep inside. One of the things I teach in my workshops is what I call the mystical life.  A mystic is someone who closes off the outside and moves inward.  This skill is vital for defusing stress and becoming well. If you don’t have a regular method for going within, take the time to find a method that resonates with you.  Many scientific studies have shown that techniques for relaxation can alter illness. 

People who make the time to touch into their own hearts on a regular basis are healthier and happier.   It doesn’t matter what you do- just that you do it.  Even journaling can be useful.  I’ve previously written about the one line journaling.  Its great for people who are busy.  But if you do it regularly it will help you learn to stop the outside world.

I hope you’ve found this posting useful.  I’ll stop writing now.  But I’d love to hear your comments on exercising the heart.