When in Doubt, Follow the Heart

When in Doubt,
Follow the Heart

by
Dr. John and Vicki Peterson

     The heart is more than just a mechanical pump for the circulatory system. It is also the seat of the emotions. Heart disease is the number-one killer in this country. Our lifestyle is squeezing our hearts and killing us. We would do well to live a life that comforts the heart.
     When you were a kid did you ever lie down on the grass at night, look up at the stars and wonder how big the universe is? We contain the universe - like a seed contains the whole tree. The Sanskrit scriptures say that the whole universe is contained within our heart, in a space no bigger than the end of our thumb. We are cosmic beings stuffed into mundane routines. No wonder the heart gets cramped and shrouded. It needs to expand.
     Ayruveda, one of the oldest comprehensive systems of natural medicine on the planet, speaks the language of experience and nature. It doesn't separate mind, body, emotions and spirit, but sees them all as expressions of one underlying field of unified consciousness.
     In the Ayruvedic creation story, all that exists in the beginning is Consciousness (or as physicists would call it, The Unified Field). But then that One, being conscious, becomes aware of itself and creates Three: consciousness as the knower, consciousness as the known and consciousness as the process of knowing. These three, relating with each other, give rise to material creation.
     The intellect is enchanted with the field of differences and is drawn into the material creation until it loses its connection with the underlying wholeness. In Ayruvedic terms this is called Pragya aparadh; the mistake of the intellect. The mistake is not that creation exists or that we are drawn into it, but that we've lost the underlying connection with our source in Wholeness.
     If we are established in pure consciousness then we experience the underlying unity

of all things. If we are not established in pure consciousness then we experience irreconcilable differences which give rise to the three seeds of disease in Ayurveda - doubt, disappointment and rejection. Disease is only possible when we are alienated from our unified cosmic nature.
     Once heart disease exists, from the Ayurvedic perspective, there are three subdoshas that need attention. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata governs movement, transportation and communication. Pitta governs digestion, metabolism, transformation and heat. Kapha governs structure and fluid balance.
     Ayurveda describes five subdoshas for each of the doshas, each with its own location and function. Three subdoshas are involved with the heart: Vyana Vata, Sadaka Pitta and Avalamba-ka Kapha. All three of these need to be working harmoniously for the heart to be happy.
     Vyana Vata is located all over the body and governs movement in the nervous system and the circulatory system. When it is out of balance there is internal pressure from too much movement inside. This can manifest as anxiety, obsessive thinking, feeling movement inside as in under the skin, dizziness or hypertension. Aggravated Vyana blows the whole system off balance, sometimes literally, as one can have the subjective experience of moving or tilting even when at rest. Aggravated Vyana Vata can dry out the arteries and make them stiff, contributing to hypertension. Vyana Vata can also effect the heart's nervous system.
     Aggravated Vyana needs to be pacified. Vata is cold, dry, light, moving, rough, quick, subtle, irregular. Pacifying Vata requires bringing in the opposite qualities through any of the senses: warm,

unctuous, heavy, calm, smooth, slow, gross, regular. This means having a regular daily routine that includes abhyanga (warm sesame oil massage) and meditation. If appropriate for the constitution, season, and other imbalances, Vata pacifying diet, aroma, teas and herbs may also be taken.
     Sadaka Pitta is located in the heart itself. It governs the fulfillment of desires and connects the heart and mind. Sadaka Pitta helps metabolize our experiences to create fulfillment. When there is an imbalance in Sadaka Pitta then there is a pinch in relationships or profession. Happiness is elusive and decisions are often difficult. We don't feel like we are on our evolutionary life path, which in Sanskrit is called dharma. We have unrealistic expectations and a harsh attitude towards ourselves.
     The heart guides our spiritual growth. It speaks with a quiet voice and when our lives are noisy, we don't hear it. The heart doesn't talk like the stomach or the spleen or the gonads or the intellect. Pay attention to the heart. Close your eyes, place your crossed hands over your sternum, feel the warmth radiating in a feedback loop between the hands and the heart, and ask yourself: "What do I need?" Then wait for a response, a quiet impulse that brings you closer to yourself. As you give attention to the heart, it begins to expand. Often this brings tears. When the heart expands, it shrugs off the shell that's been keeping it small, and the little pieces of that shell are an impurity that needs to be washed away. After those tears, you will feel more space in your chest and lightness in your shoulders.
     The heart also expands when we look at the stars at night and keep track of the moon in her cycles. An ancient Ayurvedic prescription for balancing Sadaka Pitta says, "When in doubt, follow the heart and be with the stars."

     Avalambaka Kapha is located in the spine, the upper back and chest and the shoulders. The word Avalambaka in Sanskrit literally means "the supporter." It provides support and protection for the vital functions of the heart and lungs. This is also where we carry the weight of the world. An imbalance in Avalambaka may indicate a long-term habit of taking care of others, without feeling nurtured ourselves. We feel alone, without support. The need here is to turn nurturing attention back to the self. Those of us who have been caretakers for a long time often know how to love everyone but ourselves. No one loses when we begin to love ourselves. That love naturally spills over into the surroundings. Everyone will benefit and we'll have a healthier foundation for giving to others.
     We need a nourishing routine that feeds us daily and includes regular contact with pure consciousness. During massage we can pay special attention to any stiffness in the shoulders, spine and chest. Yoga postures can help open up the chest and increase blood flow.
     The subtle function of the heart is to unify opposites, to bring ourselves and all of creation back into Wholeness. A perfectly healthy heart has led us back to our own nature so that we can say, along with the ancient Vedic sages, "Aham Brahm Asmi": "I am Totality."

Dr. John has been a board certified family practice physician since 1977. Vicki has taught the Transcendental Meditation technique since 1973. Together they offer an Ayurvedic consultation service in Muncie. For more information call 765/286-5087, or visit www.mugjoint.com/ayurveda/

Branches March/April 2000