It's a great honor to be here. I'm not going to stand here and try to tell you anything you haven't already heard or that you don't already know, but I am going to tell you the same thing in a different language, the language of science.
I have been a long-term meditator myself, and I learned about the heart. But if I'm really honest, it was more like a metaphor for emotions; for me it was all about the brain. I even got a degree in Consciousness Studies. Then I had the great fortune to meet the Founder of HeartMath, Doc Childre, and I was introduced to the real Heart, the deeper heart, which it is really all about.
I was fortunate to help him found The HeartMath Institute, and a few years later he invited me to found The HeartMath Research Center. He said we have to do rigorous scientific research. The language of science is the new language for many people in the world, and if we're going to introduce them to getting their hearts and brains in sync, we need that work.
So, over the last 30 years, we made a lot of scientific discoveries that validate what we already believed to be true. We started by looking at how emotions affect the body, the physiology. We were measuring brainwaves and hearts in the lab. And what we found back when we started this (at that time, nobody was looking at what happens in our bodies when we love, when we appreciate, it was all about stress, depression, and anxiety), was that when people had heartfelt feelings of love, compassion, kindness, something magical happened. Their heartbeats, the rhythms of the heart, dramatically changed.
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.
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This story is from the May 2024 edition of Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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TIME IS A PRECIOUS RESOURCE
SARA BUBBER tells a story about a king who set a challenge in order to find an assistant. The outcome teaches us the value of time. She also gives us a thoughtful heart activity, and tells us some fun facts about time.
WHEN A BIRD SINGS, DO YOU ANALYZE IT?
SIDDHARTH KAK is an Indian documentary maker, television producer, and presenter, best known as the producer and presenter of Surabhi. Here, he is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav about being stoic, and he shares two unique stories on how culture and language can transcend borders, time, and unexpected circumstances.
Become Your Own Influence
AARYAN ARORA is a young actor, musician, and composer. He was interviewed by PRAGYA MISHRA during the Global Spirituality Mahotsav on the impact of meditation on his creativity and sense of inner balance, and the advice he would give young people struggling to find their way.
Cultivating Peace: Water, Wetlands, and Biophilia for a Loving World
SRAVAN BANDA reminds us of the importance of water in a peaceful world. He especially focuses on wetlands, often referred to as the Earth's kidneys, and asks us to continue the work of World Water Day throughout the rest of the year.
It's Time for Love to Go Viral
DR. ROLLIN MCCRATY shares the science of the synchronicity between the heart and mind and, when they are in sync, how the love that is created can positively connect us to each other and everything in the world.
HUMAN FELLOWSHIP
NILAKSHI RAJKHOWA is the Director, Office of Public Affairs, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i Faith in India. During the Mahotsav, she challenged everyone to join together to overcome our current crises, by starting with the heart.
There Will Always Be PROBLEMS
GOUR GOPAL DAS is an Indian monk, lifestyle coach, motivational speaker, and former electrical engineer. He talks about the inevitability of problems and how developing a state of inner peace can help us to navigate those problems, and not allow them to hold us back from living a fulfilling and whole life.
An Honor Bestowed
On the final morning of the Mahotsav, the Right Honorable PATRICIA SCOTLAND, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, spoke about the role DAAJI has played in bringing spirituality to the world, unifying people of all faiths and cultures, and nurturing nature. In honor of his work, she bestowed upon him the title of Global Ambassador for Peacebuilding and Faith in the Commonwealth. Below is the speech she made while conferring the honor.
Love for the Sake of Love
On the second day of the Mahotsav, DAAJI spoke about the purpose of the gathering, why there are different religious practices in different faiths, how to nurture the soul, and how all people can come together for a better world.
RECONNECTING WITH YOUR INNER CHILD
DR. JOSEPH HOWELL is the founder of The Institute for Conscious Being in the US. During his keynote address at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, he guided the audience through an exercise to help them find spiritual connection by connecting to their inner child.