21/07/2025
Breathe For A Better Heart & Better Life!
How much do you know about creating a healthy heart?
As part of this weeks Yoga classes, we're learning a breathing practice particularly for developing a healthier heart, also known as creating heart coherence, cardiac coherence or physiological coherence.
Heart coherence is a state where the body's systems (breathing, heart rhythms, brain rhythms, nervous system and hormonal responses) are synchronized and working in harmony.
Making it simpler to understand, the way your heart is working can either create balance between the systems of your body - OR - it can create chaos!
Aristotle in the 4th Century BC identified the heart as the. most important organ of the body. In the ancient Ayurvedic text The Caraka Samhita, it states that the heart is "indispensable for all the normal mental and physical activities" and "the soul, together with consciousness and mind, cannot but be located in the heart."
So not only is there the inherent physical aspect of the heart, but also the metaphysical significance. It has been identified as both the spiritual centre of the body and the emotional centre.
Reinforced by Andreas de Laguna in 1535, who wrote "If indeed from the heart alone rises anger or passion, fear, terror, and sadness; if from it alone springs shame, delight, and joy, why should I say more?"
And so why is this relevant today?
We have over 70% of the world's population in a constant state of chronic stress. Still our #1 leading cause of death is heart related illness. We have nearly 50% of the Australian population experiencing a mental illness at least once in their life. Not to mention the number of people taking heart related or mental health or stress related medications.
What if we could help these imbalances through creating better heart coherence? And what if we could create better heart coherence through simple daily practices like breath work?
Let's return to this statement: Heart Coherence is a state where the body's systems (breathing, heart rhythms, brain rhythms, nervous system and hormonal responses) are working in harmony.
We (as a global population) could be happier, healthier, and have the power to make more nourishing choices. Heart coherence is a real thing. We've known about it forever. We now have the science to measure it and give it validity.
This week, this is one of the focus points at the Perfect Health Centre yoga classes. And will also be one of the main aspects of the upcoming meditation program starting on 18th August, The Empowered Meditator. Registration opens on Wednesday.
