For a Healing Heart
By Ana Palles
There are a variety of supportive, self care tools and techniques we recommend when working on healing the heart and coping with sadness. Healing from cancer, grief, hysterectomies and any kind of loss, begins with the heart. Animals, Stones, Drumming, Bowls, Bells, Essential Oils, and Guided Imagery offer helpful tools. These therapies are often listed under Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) modalities.
Animals speak to us at such a deep level, that they access most heart injuries, without triggering any of our normal defenses. This is one of the reasons why pet therapy is so effective in aiding recovery, boosting mood, reducing stress, and enhancing social interaction. We let animals into places that we don’t let people into. Because of this ability, animal totems can be powerful aids in healing the heart.
Working with the spirit of an animal totem, and the characteristics they represent, can often help us in surprising ways. Using a representation of an animal, such as a picture, a Zuni fetish carving, or a feather, in any sacred space, acts as an honoring of the energies or archetypes that the animal characterizes. Attributes such as the courage of a mountain lion, the tenderness of the deer and the strength of bear medicine serve as a reminder to embrace these qualities within ourselves and heal our hearts.
While any animal with which we have a strong affinity helps us with heart related issues, some of the animals more strongly associated with the heart are Hummingbird, Buffalo, Butterfly, Dolphin, Otter, and Swan.
Hummingbird brings joy and beauty, and has a strong affinity with heart healing, especially when working with flower sprites. Buffalo brings abundance and gratitude, both of which originate in an open and loving heart. Butterfly brings transformation, beauty and grace, which helps us when we need to change old patterns to align more with Spirit. Dolphin helps us to remember to play and sing, using our voice to ‘make a joyful noise’ straight from the heart. Otter reminds us to have fun and brings us a zest and joy in life. Swan brings us empathy and love, and aids us in recognizing our true beauty and power. For more information on Animal Totems, pick up a copy of Ted Andrew's Animal Speak book.
Gems and crystals have electro-magnetic properties. We use quartz crystals and other minerals such as tourmaline in transmitters, in circuitry and in frequency controlled devices. One of the reasons we find ourselves attracted to a particular stone is because we are drawn to that stone’s energy signature. Children will sometimes pick up stones to carry in their pockets, finding comfort from rubbing the stones with their fingers.
Some stones are very grounding, such as Jet, Black Tourmaline, Hematite, and Calcite, while others can be very active, raising frequency levels of their surroundings, like Kunzite, Celestite and Moldavite. All of these are great stones to work with when you or your space come in contact with many people.
When working on heart issues, it is a good idea to work with stones that have a gentle and supportive frequency. Good choices would be Rhodochrosite, Ruby, Garnet, Amazonite and Rubellite (red tourmaline). All of these minerals are very supportive of the emotional layer of the body’s field. Amazonite creates a sense of harmony and peace which can be extremely helpful in cases of deep emotional turmoil.
Ruby is known as a stone of nobility. There is intensity in its energy that is sometimes used for lucid dreaming. Ruby is said to dispel darkness and supports the heart at the physical and mental layers. Garnet is a stone of health, supporting heart functions at the physical layer, strengthening and regenerating emotional and intellectual processes. Rhodochrosite helps accepts and integrates new things into one’s life, while gently balancing the emotions. Its effects tend to be felt fairly quickly. Rhodochrosite helps maintain the etheric energy levels sturdy, supporting good health and healing structures in the body. Rubellite restores a fragile heart, working at the root and heart chakras, giving life force and vitality to the hearts own healing qualities. Rubellite stimulates the energy of love activating flow throughout all chakras. It is a powerful gem for heart work.
I work with all of these and keep some on my nightstand making my bedroom a comforting, healing space for sleep.
Music can calm and soothe a troubled spirit, even easing depression. Sound healing has a long history in many native traditions who use drums, bowls, bells, gongs, horns, forks and other instruments. The objective is to send vibrations of different frequencies along the body’s energy meridians. These are the same energy meridians studied by acupuncturists.
One of the easiest ways we can use sound for our hearts is through singing or chanting. Singing offers health benefits by exercising major muscle groups in the upper body, improving the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, oxygenating the blood and improving neurological functioning. Furthermore, the vibration of our voice flows through our bodies, washing over our cells and encouraging harmony.
Other easy ways to support the heart with sound frequencies are through instruments like drums and singing bowls, and also by listening to guided imagery or meditation CDs. Each is designed to help in different ways.
One of the effects of drumming is synchronizing heartbeats. This is one of the reasons why drumming circles are used by churches, support organizations and healing groups. Drumming helps us release emotions such as anger and grief and express joy and excitement.
For women, the beat of the drum is sometimes felt as a beating heart in the womb. Women who have undergone hysterectomies, or who are challenged with cancer, often find that spending 10-15 minutes a day drumming helps them feel energized, connected and more powerful. A friend's mother recently underwent a hysterectomy. During one of her subsequent healing sessions, she mentioned how much she yearned to own a drum. After she traveled back home, I sent her a small personal drum. She tells me it has really helped her process her grief.
Drumming is heart healthy from both the physical and emotional levels. By increasing Alpha brainwaves, assisting in lowering blood pressure and promoting a relaxed state, the heart is calmed and supported.
Emotionally, drumming supports the heart by allowing stressful and often, toxic, emotions to empty out through the drum itself. The rhythm of the drum is easy to internalize, allowing us to release blocks and flow in the stream of the vibration. Drumming is a powerful heart healing activity.
Bowls and Bells and other instruments
The pitch of a singing bowl, a gong, a bell, a flute or didjeridoo can be very different, but all do a good job of vibrating our internal skeletal structure. When working on healing the heart, we can use these instruments to feed and harmonize our heart chakras. Tibetan healers will often use singing bowls directly on the body. Experiencing these waves of vibration help remove energetic obstacles in the body much like an ocean wave washes away sand dunes along the shore.
For someone working through deep grief and loss, a singing bowl tuned to F for the Heart chakra or C for the Root chakra, would be very supportive. Strengthening the root chakra is helpful because it grounds and centers the person in the here and now. So often when we’ve lost someone, our thoughts continuously take us outside ourselves, reliving the past. The root reminds us to be present within that home which is ourselves. It gives the heart a solid foundation upon which to anchor.
To sooth and ease the heart, calming and opening the heart so that it can release what no longer serves the person, is key in healing. One of my favorite things to use for gently coaxing the heart to open are essential oils. Simply shake two or three drops into your palms, rub both hands together, warming the oil, then rub over the heart area. Finish by placing both palms up by your nose and breathing in deeply.
We generally tell folks that the oil that you are drawn to is always the right choice because our bodies tell us what will be helpful. One of the oils I use the most in my day to day practice is Release by Young Living. It is a blend of ylang ylang, lavandin, geranium, sandalwood and blue tansy and is a gentle, relaxing, and healing oil.
If the person has been undergoing a lot of challenges in life, we often suggest Young Living Valor essential oil. I like this oil because it is a good reminder to the heart that it is strong and has already met adversity with courage and determination. Valor is a good oil for sparkling our self esteem.
One of the most vibrant oil blends I use is Joy by Young Living. This oil is wonderful rubbed over the heart, on the crown of the head, and the soles of the feet. It clears and balances the heart chakra making space. It is a comforting oil, one that opens the doorways of possibility.
And don’t forget Lavender and Rose essential oils. These are among the best oils to keep on hand because they are supportive, calming and restorative. Essential oils raise frequencies and Rose, with the highest frequency rating of all the oils, is a particularly powerful helper.
We have known for years that meditation helps us heal, helps us deal with stress and trauma, and supports our major organs like the heart. But some people have trouble meditating for a variety of reasons such as having a very active mind, being overwhelmed by events, or because of anxiety or deep emotions. Guided imagery is a potent form of directed daydreaming. The CDs guide the person on a journey using relaxing music, rich symbols and story to create a sense of deep relaxation leading to healing.
When working on healing the heart, the guided imagery CDs invite us to experience health and vitality. It is a journey within ourselves, reminding us that we can navigate the challenges in front of us, helping us access our sense of confidence and strength.
When healing the emotional heart, we often suggest the Anger and Forgiveness guided imagery. In our healing practice, we keep the guided imagery CDs as loaners. Most people, by far, ask to borrow Anger and Forgiveness. So many times our broken hearts are dealing with anger not only at others, but also at ourselves. And forgiving ourselves is one of the hardest, and most important heart healing milestones.
Many blessings and may your heart journey be filled with light.