Marcey Shapiro, MD

I have spent a lot of time examining my heart. This is an ongoing process that involves perceiving the physical structure (the beating heart) as well as the emotional/spiritual organ. I have noticed that every emotion I feel resonates in my heart. I have painstakingly tracked my emotions: the ones that feel good such as love, fulfillment, and wonder, and those that feel not so good such as anger, fear, and worry. Each of them resonates physically in my heart.

There is much to be gained by such examination. It can become a great habit.  I have found that stock phrases such as “from the bottom of my heart” have actual meaning. The bottom of my heart is the seat of my deepest and longest-held feelings. My heart is only ever “full” from a deep sense of well-being, appreciation, or gladness. My heart feels empty or depleted when I feel isolated, lonely, or despairing. Anger “stabs me in the heart.” Agitation feels like incoherence throughout my heart. My heart “overflows” when I feel my connection to the divine within me; and as I strengthen and breathe, filling myself with the strength of that connection, I can radiate that feeling to others.

When I am at a loss as to what more to do for a patient, I simply listen without judgment and silently offer my heartfelt connection to peace. From that space, often, the perfect words or question will come to me to coax the individual toward wellness.

To begin watching your own heart, gently settle into your breathing. Let go of thoughts; allow them to drift away like wispy clouds. Breathe into your heart and out from it. When you are calm and centered, it can be a good time to deliberately introduce thoughts and emotions to see where they go in your heart and your body. Try observing some typical thoughts that you have. Notice how different thoughts impact you. When you observe or consider something pleasing, find it in your heart. Do the same for experiences that are upsetting. Notice what shape, texture, and size your thoughts and experiences have as they come into the heart field. Do they have colors? Does anything happen with your heart rate or your comfort level when you track various thoughts and experiences to your heart? Notice if thoughts and experiences track to other areas of your body. Find the connection between those areas and your heart. If you become agitated or distressed at any time, return to your calm heart breaths.

Make notes, record sounds, or draw pictures of what comes to you.

When you are done with your explorations, return to your peaceful, centered breathing. Let your heart know that you are interested in clear, gentle, and subtle modes of communication in order to lead a more balanced, “heart centered” life.

Excerpted from Freedom From Anxiety: A Holistic Approach to Emotional Well Being by Marcey Shapiro, MD, published by North Atlantic Books (1/14/14), copyright © 2014 by Marcey Shapiro. Reprinted by permission of publisher.

Stay tuned for more thoughts from Marcey Shapiro, MD,  on “Transforming Health” and Heart Centered Living