Purity of Heart
People get stuck. They get stuck in their jobs. Relationships get mired and become static. Our minds can also become sticky. Thought patterns and ways of doing things freeze. They become glued to a particular rut, unable to allow us to get past the ideas that limit and contain us.
Although having a mind that is frozen can be challenging, what’s worse is when our hearts become rigid. You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all met people whose hearts are shut down, locked up tight.
It’s like their heart is icebound, unable to thaw. You’ll often see them with their arms folded across their chest in conversation. The unspoken message is: “I won’t let you in.”
Or have you ever been in close proximity to another person and you look them in the eye and they can’t make eye contact?
Having a frozen heart, a heart that is closed to other people or to love can be damaging. It can be fertile ground for illness. Medical research has shown that hearts which hold onto negative emotions such as: anger, sadness, fear, sorrow, disillusionment, loneliness, anxiety, depression- are more prone to becoming sick.
Negativity of the heart alters the biochemical structure of our bodies in an unhealthy way. It can lead to hormonal and neurological changes that create the environment for dis-ease.
Heart disease in particular flourishes in a negative environment.
It’s known that people who suffer with depression are 2 times more likely to be stricken with a heart attack when compare to people who lack depression. Job stress also dramatically increases a persons risk for serious heart related illness. (BMJ 2002)
Even something as simple as being anxious or worrying can be injurious to your heart health. http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Dont-Worry--Be-Good-To-Your-Heart-21765-1/
Dean Ornish, M.D. a noted cardiologist who first proved that reversal of heart disease is possible, has chronicled many research studies that document the link between our emotions and heart disease.
It has been Dr. Ornish’s observation that just changing our diet and exercising isn’t enough if we want to prevent or reverse heart trouble. If we’re going to keep unwanted cholesterol deposits from literally choking our heart’s, we also must have a change of heart emotionally or even psychologically.
Dr. Ornish championed the idea of developing an “open heart” if we want to create real heart wellness. An open heart is a heart that is willing to be embraced and connect with other people. It suggests that we’re willing to allow people to get past our outer “mask,” the persona we show to most of the world, and really let people know who we are personally. Becoming openhearted entails breaking down the barriers that keep people at a distance. We may have to become involved. We may have to be willing to be vulnerable.
Although these changes may sound frightening to some people, living a life of closed heartedness is even more terrifying. No one wants to set himself or herself up to become a victim of heart disease.
Our hearts don’t need to be stuck. We don’t have to suffer through isolation and give into negativity. We can choose to change the course of our lives.
We can choose to have a change of heart.
Kirk Laman, D.O., F.A.C.C.
Dr. Kirk Laman is a board certified, cardiologist interested in heart disease prevention. He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Michigan State University. He offers a free monthly newsletter on his website called “Mending Hearts. ” His book, “How to Heal Your Broken Heart, ” (http://www.HealingYourBrokenHeart.com) is designed to help people struggling with issues of the heart. Go to: www.drlaman.com for further information about Dr. Laman
