It was often thought and taught, that the heart was always responding to the brain in the form of neural signals.
However did you know that the heart sends more signals to the brain, than the brain to the heart?
Research shows that communication between the heart and brain is actually dynamic, ongoing and a two way dialogue.
Heart signals have a significant effect on brain function. It can influence emotional processing as well as higher cognitive abilities such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving.
The heart responds to the brain, and the brain continuously responds to the heart.
When we are stressed and experience negative emotions, this creates a heart rhythm pattern which is erratic and disordered.
This sends a pattern of neural signals from the heart to the brain which limits higher brain function.
Meaning, when this happens, we are limited in our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason and make effective decisions.
The heart’s input to the brain during those stressful times, or times of negative emotions also impacts on the brain’s emotional processing which can then serve to reinforce the emotional experience of stress.
And so the opposite is also true.
When the heart pattern is more ordered and stable during positive emotional states it helps with our brain function and reinforces positive feelings.
Spending time in relaxation, allowing our heart rhythm to be more stable has the capacity to benefit the entire body alongside with how we perceive, think, feel and perform.
