Happy Mindful Monday everyone! This week we are looking to mind our heart health and in the process, be as optimally and holistically well as possible. Most of my professional work has been in the care of the Heart and what used to be a mostly physical connection.  However, in my years of mind/body/spirit study, I started teaching relaxation techniques and educating cardiac patients of the connections to their hearts otherwise ignored in the past.  “Meditation” was  a no-no back then so other words were substituted while I guided them in imagery exercises to quiet their bodies, minds and stir their imaginations.  Music and imagery were their favorites and soon I took it from the Community Centers to the Hospital where each session of rehab today always ends in relaxation, meditation and imagery exercises. Since then, many mind/body  links to cardiac health have been documented in  studies and implemented in programs across the country where diet, exercise, yoga, meditation, group therapy and spiritual mindfulness have become the new model for treating and preventing heart disease.  I have just finished a new book titled, The Whole Heart Solution by Joel Kahn, MD,  preventive Cardiologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine.  His philosophy parallels the idea of “it takes a village” and uses is as it takes a whole body to beat a heart. We have fragmented medicine into so many specialties, most doctors look at their specific organ of expertise and ignore the rest of the picture. For a heart to be and beat healthy, it takes a healthy gut,  healthy adrenals, non-inflammed blood vessels, good levels of sex hormones, a strong immune system unencumbered by antibiotic use, less toxins in our food and environment and that’s just the physical!  We are responsible for helping our bodies stay in the healthy continuum of homeostasis or balance to optimize our health.  DNA is not a death sentence either.  Having heart disease in your family may make you more prone but now we know with epigenetics, we have the ability to choose a lifestyle that will turn those genes on or off.  This book looks at the medications used in heart disease, important dietary supplements to use in conjunction with those meds or at times, for prevention.  From decreasing toxins in our food, environment, products we use for our hair, teeth and bodies to mindfulness meditation, yoga, pet therapy and cultivating social and spiritual connections are all part of not only a healthy heart but a healthy body that will help defend against other diseases and cancers. I highly recommend this book to you which can be found on Amazon, The Whole Heart Solution,. Despite it’s title, it is filled with good advice for a great Wellness Prescription and gives you the option to write your own. Mind your WHOLE body and heart this week and set the intention to write your own Rx for Health.  See you on Aloha Friday!