What I Would Do for Cardiovascular Support Beyond Exercise

When we think about supporting cardiovascular health, exercise is usually one of the first things that comes to mind.

And movement matters.

But if I were looking at cardiovascular support for myself, exercise would only be one piece of a much bigger conversation.

I’d want to look at the physical heart.

• The blood.

• Inflammation.

• Nourishment.

• Stress.

• The nervous system.

• Sleep.

And then I’d go deeper into the emotional and energetic patterns surrounding the heart.

Because within my work, I’m not only interested in what the heart is doing physically.

I’m interested in what the whole person may be carrying around the heart too.

First, I Wouldn’t Reduce Heart Health to Exercise

There are many factors that contribute to cardiovascular health.

Movement is one of them, but so are things like nutrition, blood pressure, cholesterol and other blood lipids, blood sugar, smoking status, sleep, stress, genetics, age, and underlying health conditions.

So if I were thinking about cardiovascular support, I wouldn’t ask only:

Am I exercising enough?

I’d also ask:

• How is my blood pressure?

• How is my bloodwork?

• How is my blood sugar regulation?

• Am I adequately nourished?

• Am I getting enough protein?

• How is my mineral status?

• Am I eating enough fiber and nutrient-dense foods?

• How much highly processed food am I eating?

• Am I hydrated?

• How am I sleeping?

• How much stress is my body carrying?

• How much am I recovering?

Are there symptoms or risk factors that deserve appropriate medical evaluation?

Because cardiovascular health is bigger than whether I went for a walk today.

Then I Think About Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the body’s normal immune and repair response.

But chronic inflammation is also associated with cardiovascular disease, which makes me interested in the overall environment the body is living within.

I might look at:

• What does my diet look like most days?

• Am I eating a variety of whole foods?

• Am I getting adequate omega-3 fatty acids?

• Am I eating fruits and vegetables?

• How is my blood sugar?

• How is my sleep?

• Am I chronically stressed?

• Am I smoking or regularly exposed to smoke?

• Are there underlying health conditions contributing to inflammation?

And rather than becoming afraid of inflammation, I want to understand what may be contributing to it and what I can realistically change.

I Look at the Blood Too

The heart doesn’t work independently of the blood moving through the cardiovascular system.

So I may also get curious about the nutritional resources my body has available.

• Am I getting adequate protein?

• How is my iron status?

• How are my B12 and folate levels?

• How is my mineral status?

• Am I adequately hydrated?

• Is there anything in my bloodwork that needs attention?

• What are my cholesterol and triglyceride levels?

• What is my blood pressure?

Depending on someone’s history and risk factors, appropriate cardiovascular evaluation may involve additional testing determined by their healthcare provider.

This is one of those places where objective information matters.

I can use body awareness and energetic assessment as part of my personal framework, but I don’t use either as a replacement for appropriate cardiovascular testing.

Then I Look at the Nervous System

This is a piece of cardiovascular wellness I think deserves much more attention.

Your nervous system and cardiovascular system continually communicate with one another.

Heart rate and blood pressure are influenced in part by the autonomic nervous system, which is one reason I care about what state the body is spending most of its time in.

• Is my body constantly preparing for something?

• Am I rushing from the moment I wake up?

• Do I feel like everything is urgent?

• Can I actually relax when nothing needs my attention?

• Can my body transition out of work mode?

• Am I getting restorative sleep?

• Do I have moments during my day when my system genuinely settles?

This doesn’t mean stress or emotional patterns are the cause of every cardiovascular problem.

It means nervous-system health belongs in a whole-person conversation about cardiovascular wellness.

I Pay Attention to What My Heart Is Doing Energetically

This is where my approach becomes very different from a conventional cardiovascular conversation.

When I assess the heart energetically, I may first check its positioning within my energetic framework.

I might ask:

• Is the heart lateral?

• Does it feel energetically centered?

• Has it shifted?

• Is there a clockwise torque?

• Is there a counterclockwise torque?

These are energetic assessment concepts I use in my work. They are not descriptions of an anatomical heart displacement or a substitute for cardiac imaging or examination.

If something comes forward energetically, I work with that pattern and then reassess.

I don’t assume that because someone has an energetic heart pattern, there is something structurally wrong with their physical heart.

Those are two separate conversations.

I Check the Heart Valves Too

I may also energetically assess the heart valves, but I don’t assess each valve in exactly the same way.

With muscle testing, I specifically check:

• The mitral valve.

• The tricuspid valve.

I may also ask whether the aortic or pulmonary valve needs energetic support or further assessment.

From there, I might ask:

• Does my mitral valve need energetic support?

• Does my tricuspid valve need energetic support?

• Does my aortic valve need energetic support?

• Does my pulmonary valve need energetic support?

• Is there stress associated with this area?

• Is there an emotional or energetic component coming forward?

• Is there something else the body wants me to address first?

Again, this is an energetic assessment, not a way to determine whether someone has structural valve disease or impaired valve function. If there is concern about the physical heart or actual heart-valve function, that requires appropriate medical evaluation.

Then I Look at the Heart Chakra

The heart chakra brings in an entirely different conversation.

Rather than asking only what the physical heart needs, I may explore someone’s relationship with love, connection, vulnerability, grief, forgiveness, and receiving.

One of the first things I may look at is:

How open or closed is my heart chakra?

Then I might ask:

• Is it safe for me to receive love?

• Do I know how to receive love?

• What is my definition of love?

• Where did I learn that definition?

• Does love feel safe to me?

• Do I believe love requires sacrifice?

• Do I associate love with disappointment?

• Do I associate love with being hurt?

• Can I let someone love me without immediately protecting myself?

• Can I allow myself to be seen?

• Can I let other people in?

• Can I receive without feeling like I immediately have to give something back?

Sometimes we spend so much time talking about whether someone loves us that we never ask whether we actually know how to receive the love being offered.

Have I Built a Wall Around My Heart?

Protection can be incredibly intelligent.

If we’ve been hurt, disappointed, betrayed, rejected, or abandoned, it makes sense that part of us might decide:

I’m not doing that again.

Within my energetic framework, I may explore whether someone has created what I think of as an energetic wall around the heart.

I might ask:

• Did I create a wall around my heart?

• What was I trying to protect myself from?

• How old was I when I decided I needed it?

• Is that protection still serving me?

• Can I maintain boundaries without completely closing my heart?

• Do I believe being open means being unprotected?

• Is it safe to soften?

• Is it safe to be vulnerable?

• Is it safe to let someone in?

The goal isn’t to rip down every boundary.

Healthy boundaries matter.

I’m interested in whether protection has become so complete that it also prevents connection, receiving, and intimacy.

Forgiveness May Come Forward Too

Forgiveness is another pattern I may explore around the heart.

But I don’t view forgiveness as pretending something didn’t happen.

I don’t think forgiveness requires allowing someone back into your life.

And I don’t think forgiveness means abandoning appropriate boundaries.

Sometimes I might simply ask:

• What am I still carrying?

• Who am I still energetically connected to through hurt?

• What resentment am I holding?

• What betrayal am I replaying?

• What am I afraid forgiveness would mean?

• Do I believe forgiving someone excuses what happened?

• Am I ready to release any part of what I’m carrying?

Sometimes the work isn’t about the other person at all.

It’s about whether I want to continue carrying the energetic weight of what happened.

The Metaphysical Layer I Might Explore

There are also metaphysical patterns I may assess around the heart and back.

Two of those are what I refer to as energetic knives in the back and an energetic target on the back.

These aren’t physical objects.

They’re terms I use within my energetic framework to explore patterns that may come forward around experiences such as betrayal, feeling attacked, feeling targeted, broken trust, or continuing to carry the energetic imprint of an experience.

If one of these patterns comes forward, I might become curious:

• Do I feel betrayed?

• Do I feel like someone turned against me?

• Am I still carrying the energetic imprint of something that happened?

• Do I feel like I have to watch my back?

• Do I feel targeted?

• Am I anticipating another betrayal?

• Is there an energetic connection that I’m ready to release?

• Is my heart protecting itself because of something I’m still carrying behind it?

For me, these aren’t explanations for cardiovascular disease.

They’re metaphysical patterns I may explore alongside the physical, nutritional, nervous-system, and emotional pieces of someone’s experience.

I May Muscle Test the Heart + Cardiovascular System Separately

When I’m working energetically, I don’t automatically assume that everything related to cardiovascular support needs the same thing.

I may muscle test:

• The Heart.

• The heart valves (mitral and tricuspid)

• The cardiovascular system.

• The blood.

• The nervous system.

• The heart chakra.

• I may also ask about the aortic and pulmonary valves or other areas depending on what comes forward.

Then I might ask:

• Where is the priority?

• Does my body need physical support?

• Nutritional support?

• Nervous-system support?

• Emotional support?

• Energetic support?

• Does something need to be cleared?

• Does something need to be restored?

• Is there something that requires appropriate medical evaluation instead?

I want to understand what the body is asking me to address rather than throwing every possible form of “heart support” at it.

What Cardiovascular Support Might Look Like for Me

If I were thinking about supporting my cardiovascular system beyond exercise, I’d look at the whole picture.

• How is my blood pressure?

• How is my bloodwork?

• How is my blood sugar?

• Am I adequately nourished?

• Am I getting enough protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals?

• Am I hydrated?

• How is my sleep?

• How much stress am I carrying?

• Does my nervous system know how to settle?

• Am I allowing myself adequate recovery?

• How is my relationship with receiving?

• Does love feel safe?

• Have I created protection around my heart that I no longer need?

• Is there something I’m ready to forgive or release?

• Am I carrying an old betrayal?

• Does my heart need energetic support?

• And is there anything happening physically that deserves appropriate medical evaluation?

I don’t need every answer to come from the same framework.

Sometimes I need bloodwork.
Sometimes I need better nourishment.
Sometimes I need more sleep.
Sometimes I need to regulate my nervous system.
Sometimes I need emotional work.
Sometimes something comes forward energetically.

And sometimes I need a medical provider to evaluate something that isn’t appropriate to answer through energetic work.

Sometimes Heart Support Looks Surprisingly Ordinary

Heart support doesn’t always have to look like an elaborate wellness protocol.

Sometimes it looks like:

• Going for a walk.

• Eating a nourishing meal.

• Getting enough sleep.

• Checking your blood pressure.

• Keeping an appointment you’ve been putting off.

• Taking a few slow breaths.

• Sitting outside.

• Laughing.

• Allowing someone to help you.

• Letting yourself receive affection.

• Saying no when something isn’t right for you.

• Creating a boundary without closing your heart.

• Having the conversation you’ve been avoiding.

• Putting down resentment you no longer want to carry.

• Allowing yourself to experience joy.

Those ordinary choices become part of the environment your heart lives within every day.

Cardiovascular Support Is Bigger Than Exercise

Exercise matters.

But I don’t think cardiovascular wellness begins and ends with how many minutes of cardio we completed this week.

The heart exists within an entire person.

• A person who eats.

• Sleeps.

• Thinks.

• Feels.

• Experiences stress.

• Forms relationships.

• Gets hurt.

• Loves.

• Grieves.

• Forgives.

• Protects.

• Receives.

• And heals.

So when I think about supporting the heart, I’m interested in more than how hard it can work.

I’m also interested in:

• How well is it being nourished?

• How much stress is the body carrying?

• Does the nervous system know how to settle?

• Does it feel safe to receive love?

• And what might the heart finally be ready to let go of?

Because sometimes supporting the heart isn’t about asking it to work harder.

It’s about creating an environment where it doesn’t have to protect itself quite so much.

XOXO,

Dr. Elizabeth + Luna

Gentle Disclaimer

The products and practices shared here are examples from my personal wellness approach and are provided for educational purposes only.

They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent illness.

Seek appropriate medical care for severe, concerning, persistent, or worsening symptoms, and consult an appropriate healthcare professional before using products for children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with medications, or with existing health conditions.

The energetic assessments and metaphysical concepts discussed in this post are part of my personal energetic framework and are not methods of diagnosing cardiovascular disease or determining the physical structure or function of the heart. Energetic assessment and muscle testing are not substitutes for appropriate cardiovascular examination, diagnostic testing, or medical care.

Where to Find Additional Support

If you’re looking for remedies to support overall wellness or the emotional and energetic patterns you may be exploring around the heart, you can explore the flower essences I use through my LotusWei affiliate link.  I receive a small commission when you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.

You can also create an account through my Fullscript or Doctor Supplement Store (Registration Code: EA4258) dispensaries to explore the other remedies and nutritional support I use in my practice.

As always, what is appropriate for one person may not be appropriate for another. I personally use body awareness and muscle testing to help determine what support may be appropriate for me rather than assuming everyone needs the same cardiovascular wellness protocol.