By VICTOR S. SIERPINA
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
The theme for February is the heart. At Valentine’s Day we are surrounded by bright red hearts, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, cards and candies. So why is the heart considered the organ of love?
The heart is more than just a pump that keeps circulating blood ceaselessly throughout our lives. This is its essential physiological function and when it does not do this well, we develop serious and life-threatening problems. There include angina, rhythm abnormalities, strokes, heart attacks and heart failure.
For now, I will address the more subtle yet equally primary functions of the heart. It is an organ of reception, perception, projection and connection. The heart is as surely a sensory organ as are the eyes, ears, nose or tongue. Listening to the messages it gives opens us to deeply personalized information about our interactions with the world.
Physician sage Rachel Naomi Remen said, “Meaning is a function of the heart.”
The heart reminds us and draws us to what we most value. This means somehow moving our consciousness from our head into the heart center. We then have a chance to listen to the feelings there that coalesce and interpret our beliefs, values and experiences.
This does not mean we mindlessly follow our heart based solely on vague or evanescent feelings. Rather we acknowledge that the intuitive kind of information available from the heart is different from and complementary to what our rational brains tell us. There is clearly a difference from being a “bleeding heart” and having a “heart of stone.” Being overly sensitive to heart-based feelings may make us vulnerable to being overwhelmed by life’s experiences and traumas. On the other end of the spectrum, having hardness of heart results in our being cold and insensitive to the needs and feelings of those around us.
A good physician will be somewhere in between. He or she might become burned out and depressed from experiencing all the life challenges, suffering and deaths of patients too intimately. This can result in loss of empathy and compassion and a physician like the cold, callous, yet brilliant Dr. House who said, “Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?”
Medical science has long identified the benefits of strong relationships to health, happiness and longevity. Like gardeners, we must invest time and effort, along with mindful willingness to make the garden of our relationships grow. What we pay attention to grows.
Opening our hearts also allows us to serve mankind, to make our world a better place. Without this essential altruism, we are disconnected from the greater circle of humanity. This helps us to step beyond our own personal concerns and identify with the needs of others, bringing joy to them and to us.
So for this month, remember how to listen to your heart. This requires time in silence and mindful attention. I predict you will love it.
Dr. Victor S. Sierpina is the WD and Laura Nell Nicholson Family Professor of Integrative Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at UTMB.