The many research studies mentioned in the preceding articles and others, coupled with my experience practicing medicine, have prompted me to advise my patients of the important role their emotional and spiritual health in maintaining and enhancing health of this vital organ, preventing and healing heart disease. In addition to advising patients to exercise, eat properly, take nutritional supplements, and discover enjoyable relaxation techniques, here are a few other tips I often  share:

 1. Live in the here and now.  Let the past go.  You are still here, regardless of what happened, it didn’t defeat you.  Place it in its proper context and look at what you’ve survived. We are not life’s victims. It is imperative to move from the victim mode to actually thriving. Life is a gift that was meant to enjoy and we can do that only when we thrive.

 2. Forgive yourself and others. Perhaps the most important part of letting go of the past is forgiving. Carrying around toxic memories from our past is very similar to transporting old, rotting garbage in our cars. Let it go.

 3. Develop life-sustaining relationship with yourself and others.  Our relationships are so important to our health and well-being.  Unhappy and unhealthy relationships indicate that something within is not in alignment with our highest good. It is healthy to end or minimize the relationships that are not supportive or reflective of who we truly are.

4. Have faith in yourself as a part of a higher power. Regardless of what we may call the Supreme Being, God, Yahweh, Allah, Great Spirit, Jehovah, or any other divine name, that state of awareness brings forth healing in every area of our lives, if we allow it to act on our behalf.

5. Pray in accordance with the pure intents of your heart. The true heart we all possess is a life-giving organ always accessible to our innermost thoughts and desires. Live in that truth.

 6. Take time to hear your inner voice and heed its call.  Become internally focused rather than externally aware. The fact remains that we only need to let go of our negative thoughts and allow our soft whispering inner voice a space to be heard.

Source: Beyond Cholesterol by Elaine Ferguson, MD