If you ever had any doubt as to whether emotions affect the heart, just talk to anyone who has lost a loved one or had a painful breakup and they will tell you that their heart literally hurts in their chest. Our emotions can raise blood pressure or drop it precipitously. It can break us out in a sweat, or cause our feet and hands to go cold and numb. Our emotions can show on our face and they can certainly break our hearts and bring us to our knees. Emotions are powerful and can affect not only our hearts but also every system in the body including the immune system.
Research from HeartMath shows that refocusing the emotions shifts information that helps us to reconnect with our genuine intuition, and releases stress. This is what helps bring emotional, mental, and physical balance. Increased emotional awareness is important to maintaining a healthy emotional state and a healthy heart. So how can essential oils help us come into emotional balance when we are dealing with loss and grief? What we are dealing with here is something called “Broken Heart Syndrome”, now a recognized medical diagnosis.
Experts agree that it is when emotional stress is a contributing factor that essential oils are particularly helpful for the cardiovascular system. There are oils that support normal blood pressure like lavender, sandalwood and ylang ylang. There are oils that support normal blood clotting for people who are at risk for blood clots—helichrysum, clove, cinnamon, and lavender. There are oils that relax the nervous system and thus reduce nervous disorders—angelica, German and Roman chamomile, frankincense, and lavender. There are oils that strengthen capillary walls and thus increase circulation—cypress, geranium, hyssop and Roman chamomile. And then there are oils considered cardiotonic for the heart—they calm cardiac spasms. Here you will find oils like orange, valerian, thyme, goldenrod, helichrysum, marjoram, palmarosa, sandalwood and ylang ylang.
Rose, jasmine, neroli, rosewood, and lavender are oils that are widely used to restore the heart. Grief is very hard on the heart with lots of ups and downs. Women are more likely than men to suffer from broken heart syndrome. Technically this condition is called stress-induced cardiomyopathy and can strike even the very healthy. When the heart is broken, there is a whole spectrum of feelings that may manifest—hurt, pain, anger, sadness, relief, and forgiveness. Let the healing ability of essential oils help you through it. For more information—I just wrote a new book called “Don’t Let Emotional Stress Ruin your Heart”. Its available now on my website or call me for a consultation. 720-201-9377.