Inside Out
Things you can do for your heart’s sake
By Cory QuirinoPhilippine Daily Inquirer
Love works both ways, outwardly and inwardly.
And it takes more than an open heart to love. It takes intention. And that involves the mind.
Let’s expand the application of love by going back to its very foundation—the self.
Here’s a practical formula for doing just that.
Loving yourself
1.) Ask yourself why. You are where you are; when you do the things you do, you are with your chosen mate and circumstance. The reason is because it is an attempt to go deeper within your consciousness.
2.) Can you do better? This is a question you need to understand and come to terms with. If the answer is “no,” then there are no major changes you need to make. If the answer is yes, then get ready for adjustments.
3.) What is your intention? It’s a matter of direction of attention; from the frantic business of living focused on the external, we redirect our thoughts to the internal.
4.) Do you want to love yourself better? Of course, the answer is yes.
Better is best
1.) Make a list of the changes you want in yourself. Example:
–A better control of my temper
–Removal of resentment toward an individual
–Forgiving someone who has betrayed you
2.) When you are fully engaged in the present moment, you are harnessing your inner power. In short, you are not “all over the place,” but in the “here and now.”
3.) Take control of your:
–Body
–Thoughts
–Feelings
–Cravings
–Obsessions
When you do, you become your own boss, with no one else to answer to but yourself.
To do today
Message in the emotion. Understand that every emotion you feel—whether anger, jealousy, happiness—has a message. It tells you that there is a need to understand the feeling without judgment.
When you recognize destructive or constructive emotions, they will be better managed and channeled by you.
In this way, especially with negative thoughts, it will not affect you physically.
Sensation in the feeling. Because emotions can be felt in the physical realm, they bring either a positive or negative effect on every organ of your body. Try being more aware of this scientific truth.
This way, you won’t need to reach out for your hypertension pills every time you meet the person who causes you aggravation.
Once you are more empowered, you can tell yourself that this person will no longer affect you. You have raised your energy level and transcended the situation.
What happened here? You didn’t change the person. All you did was change your attitude. And this applies to every significant person in your life—wife/husband, lover, employer, siblings, children, grandparents, friends, enemies.
Open your eyes
Get physical. Open your eyes. It’s a great big beautiful world out there. Stop brooding, being a couch potato or being too busy to exercise.
Begin your health regimen now. All you need is to take the first step. A daily low-intensity exercise program of about 30-45 minutes ensures heart health.
Go healthy. The heart is the most overworked organ of the body. It pumps unceasingly to get your blood flowing and your organ nourished.
Eat a balanced diet. Vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, protein.
Consider heart-friendly foods like fish, which can replace the saturated fat (red meat, pork) in your diet, herbal teas (which can reduce your caffeine addiction, if any) and fresh natural juices (unsweetened) to replace hard alcohol for those who are heavy drinkers.
Note: An occasional glass of red wine, because of its resveratrol content, is good for the heart.
Maybe you’re not taking any supplements. Try adding a few:
–Magnesium—Do you know that most heart patients are deficient in this mineral?
–Natural sources: legumes, nuts, bananas, green vegetables. Daily requirement: 207 mg for women, 329 mg men.
–Potassium—Just as important as magnesium to ensure a regular heartbeat, confusion and muscle weakness are symptoms of potassium deficiency.
–Natural sources: bananas, cantaloupe, cooked cabbage, lean meat. Daily amount as a supplement: 1,000-3,400 mg
–Eat garlic—when taken daily, ½-1 clove of garlic can significantly lower total cholesterol.
–Take the big 3—vitamin E, C and beta-carotene. At Harvard Medical School and Bugham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, ongoing studies reveal that a diet rich in these three nutrients reduced the risk of heart attack in the ongoing Nurses Health Study of 73,000 nurses.
Kindness heals
Today, start practicing kindness toward yourself. You can start by: not scolding yourself when you feel that you have let yourself down.
Stop feeling that you are not good enough.
Stop pushing yourself too hard.
Take a break from the rat race by declaring a holiday.
Affirm today: “My heart is a limitless source of love.”
Love and light!
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Tags: Health and wellness , Love , Mind and Body , personal development
