02|2025
The heart is so much more than just a beating pump keeping us alive. It is a source of wisdom, intuition and emotional connection. In recent weeks, the heart has been a central theme for me during a heart coherence meditation course with my favorite teacher, Peter Harper (from 'The Drunken Monk'). This inspired me to share insights from well-known science in epigenetics and my newfound understanding of the power of our heart with you.
Be inspired by the wonders of this extraordinary organ and discover how you can connect with your own heart.
(Special photo credit: This beautiful ceramic sculpture is by my dear friend Greet Egbers, created for her son Wolf. My heartfelt thanks to her for allowing me to use it for this blog!)
We know our heart as the motor of our body. Together with our brain, we see it as one of our most essential organs. It beats faster when we are nervous, tense, or in love, or when we need to take fast action to avoid danger. But did you know that our heart sends more signals to our brain than the other way around?
The heart and brain communicate via a dynamic two-way dialogue, constantly influencing our body and emotions. This communication happens in four ways:
The heart’s electromagnetic field is remarkable: it extends up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) around us and is 60 times stronger than that of the brain. This field plays a vital role in how we feel emotions, communicate and subconsciously absorb and send information from and to our surroundings.
Our heart is the center of our emotional world. It serves as a ‘container’ for the full and vast spectrum of emotions and feelings — from fear, guilt, and grief to joy, pride, and love. These emotions give our lives color and meaning.
Emotions help us savor moments, give us courage in difficult times, and strengthen our care for others and sense of connection. Without emotions, life would feel empty. But they also do more: emotions are crucial for our resilience. They influence key physiological processes that determine how we handle stress, regulate energy, and adapt to situations. Regulating our emotions is therefore essential for good health and resilience.
One of the best ways to harness the power of your heart is through heart coherence — a self-regulation tool and simple breathing exercise developed by the HeartMath Institute. During heart coherence, your heart rate forms a regular and balanced pattern. This enhances the cooperation between your heart, brain, and nervous system, bringing balance to your body and mind.
Heart coherence helps reduce stress, improve sleep, enhance focus, and find inner peace and balance. It’s a powerful tool for health and resilience, and it’s easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Even a few minutes a day can make a difference 😊.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in the time intervals between consecutive heartbeats. It provides insight into the balance between the stress system (sympathetic) and the rest system (parasympathetic). A higher HRV indicates good health and resilience, while a lower HRV may suggest stress or fatigue.
Heart coherence promotes a healthy HRV, and biofeedback tools allow you to measure and improve your HRV (e.g., via the HeartMath app with an annual subscription). This makes it a valuable method for monitoring your well-being. You can find more information at heartmath.com.
The heart is more than a physical organ. Beyond being a key communication hub and the container of our emotional world, it is also the home of our intuition and inner wisdom. It offers a sense of protection and serves as an anchor in difficult times. From the heart, we can view ourselves and the world with compassion and love. It truly is the epicenter of our being.
Over the past year and a half, I have discovered my heart in new ways. Meditation has played an important role in this journey. Regularly doing a "heart check-in," I ask myself: How am I feeling? What is alive in me? This sparks an inner dialogue that helps me better understand and connect with my emotions.
Sometimes I uncover surprising feelings that were already there but hadn’t yet surfaced in my awareness. Alongside feelings of loss or calm, I often find a spark of energy and enthusiasm for the day. I approach this practice with the intent to allow everything to be present, free from judgment. The heart simply feels what is — without the mind intervening with analysis or opinions (most of the time — practice makes perfect! 🙂).
By continuously setting an intention to see, feel, and live from an open heart, I have learned to "feel" my heart more clearly. I can now better sense when there is tightness, stress, or a "bubbly" sensation of joy, love, or inspiration. This conscious connection allows me to respond more quickly, take rest when needed, or savor joyful moments more fully.
Focusing on heart coherence helps me navigate tension or restlessness. Resting my attention in my heart brings me back to balance more swiftly. It has become an essential tool for self-care and self-compassion — a wondrous journey and a new way of living that I continue to explore. It makes me feel more connected to what I do, who I am, and what I want and desire.
After the passing of our son Lukas in the late summer of 2023, I consciously felt the deeper wisdom of my heart for the very first time. Days after his death, it struck me — clear and powerful: We can never truly be separated — our love is infinite. This realization marked the beginning of a remarkable journey that is far from over.
Our heart is an essential link in our body, a gateway to connection, and the center of our experience. Through heart coherence exercises and mindful attention, you can connect more deeply with your heart, learn to live in harmony with it, and enhance both your health and resilience.
I invite you to discover the power of your heart and learn to live from this unique source of inner communication, love, and wisdom. It’s a journey that can enrich your life in ways you may not have imagined.
On my website, under "Sparkly Things," you’ll find two beautiful infosheets for your heart:
Have a look and explore these wonderful tools!
Spiritual wisdom, inspiration & meditations from Peter Harper & Vero Kremenova | the-drunkenmonk.com