Anahata Chakra and Heart Rate Variability

We are now in the heart of the fleeting summer season, immersed in the effulgence of the green world and the glorious scents and colors of so many flowers. The humming of bees and birdsongs are the soundtrack of life that humans have resonated with since the beginning. Summer's life giving power of the natural world offers a greater sense of vitality that connects us to our heart energy, the Anahata Chakra.

Did you know that the human physical heart's energy has been shown to reach about three feet outside of the body?

In the last few years, the concept of heart rate variability has been embraced by technology as a measure of how well a person is able to overcome stress. Something so important we can glean from the intelligence of the heart is that variability is vitality.

Low heart rate variability is present when there is a lot of stress and continuous activation of our body's alert and danger signals in the nervous system. A person shows greater variability between heart beats when the system is more at rest and in balance. According to Harvard Medical School,"the healthier the ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) the faster you are able to switch gears, showing more resilience and flexibility. Over the past few decades, research has shown a relationship between low HRV and worsening depression or anxiety. A low HRV is even associated with an increased risk of death and cardiovascular disease."

When the nervous system is in balance, our heart has flexibility, a range of possibility, and there is more choice - and less reactivity in how we respond to the constant changes in our world. Here again we see the intersection of the boundaries between internal and external experience as well as the mind and body!