Preservation of the Heart

Hello Positive Eaters,

This week my first article for ChiLiving appeared in their monthly newsletter. ChiLiving Inc., are responsible for bringing you the practices of ChiRunning and ChiWalking, an energy efficient and injury free way to run and walk. The article they asked me to write was to center around heart health. This is quite a popular topic considering the high rates of heart disease and related maladies. These are best avoided by cardiovascular exercise and healthy nourishment.

ChiRunning and ChiWalking made exercise more enjoyable for people by teaching them to focus on their center and begin all of our movements from that place. I hope to make eating healthy enjoyable for you by showing you how fun and stimulating it can be. This alone cannot protect our heart.

The heart truly is the beat to which we keep the dance of life to. Every single stroke of its valves sends life throughout our body. Whether we move or stand still this internal band plays on. This is why heartbreak is so difficult for so many of us. Our hearts join in harmony with anothers and now we suddenly have a partner in the dance of life. When we disengage from this person the band plays on. How confusing?

Maybe the seeds of heart "dis ease" begin here. We know longer become comfortable with our own heart beat. We try and stuff it away like Poe's character in the Tell Tale Heart. We drown it in foods that put up blockages in our arteries in an attempt to choke it off. We become sedentary out of fear of feeling our heart beat within our chest. We run from our heart rather than run with it until it finally stops flowing life through our veins.

I spend at least an hour a day with my heart. Running through the streets, on the treadmill or in the woods. I need to listen to it so I know if I am pushing my body too hard. Often this spills over into my day. There is sometimes pain in my heart and sometimes joy. I notice that my heart only feels pain if I am blocking myself from an experience. I am by no means an expert on matters of the heart. I do know that the heart beats on its own accord, therefore we can never be its master. Our hearts will always keep us safe if we let them experience life. Give your heart a healthy body and a full and wonderful life and you will be dancing for many years that I can be sure of.

Stay Positive,

Matthew

view my heart health article by following the link below

http://www.chirunning.com/newsletters/latest.htm