February was heart health month and Valentine Day. You might have seen hearts everywhere. We did a special heart opening sequence in Rec Center yoga. I was going to create a play list for my other classes with the word heart in every title. I did not have enough songs, so I chose songs with the word love in every title. I believe our world needs a lot more love right now.

First some technical stuff about your heart from the Cleveland clinic. This organization is a multi-specialty academic hospital.

• Your heart beats 10,000 times a day.
• A normal heart valve is about the size of a half dollar.
• Heart disease though increasing is not new, it has been found in 3,000 year old mummies.
• Exercise is the best way to help prevent heart disease.
• Happiness and a sense of emotional vitality also help lower your risk of heart disease.

I took a seminar from the late poet and philosopher John O’Donaghue. He spoke about all the words and sayings that use the word heart. Some that come to mind include heartache, heartbreak, heartfelt, fool-hearted, heavy-hearted, light-hearted. I knew in my heart. He has a heart of stone. She has a big heart. I am sure you can think of a few others.

Over our lunch break he suggested we write a letter to our hearts. It was a powerful exercise. Many people cried as they spoke of the experience. I realized I had been so busy I was ignoring my heart. If you don’t feel called to write a letter to your heart, are you feeling the need to spend some time and listen to your heart? What is your heart telling you right now?

In my first meditation class many, many years ago our teacher said the longest distance is sometimes the distance between our head and our heart. Often now when I meditate I spend a few minutes connecting and listening to my heart. February is over but as Celine Dion sings our hearts must go on……. I try to do something good for my physical and emotional heart all year long.