A few days ago, a colleague of mine shared this beautiful photo with a very important story to go with it. Here is what they had to say:
"The woman in red sitting in the wheelchair has cerebral palsy. This condition is a group of disorders that impair movement, coordination and posture. The group of horses sensed her erratic muscular movement and one by one lied down near her. In doing so, their heart rate slowed down, so did their respiratory rate and this had an overall effect on this woman’s nervous system. We refer to this as coherence as her nervous system “entrained“ or synchronized to the horses and the field of energy they created as a group. This individual reported a dramatic calming of her erratic muscular movement. Such is the power of group energy. We have a lot to learn from this."
Thank you Dr. Ken Harris, and Dr. Jay Komarek for sharing this profound moment. What this photo tells us is so much bigger than the simple interface of human and animal dynamics. This photo expresses a deep rooted truth about what it means to live, love, and heal in community with each other.
We experience so much of our lives through the lens of group dynamics. This plays out in our family units, in school settings, in the cities and towns we live in, even in the act of simply walking past another person or animal on the sidewalk or hiking trail. We are designed to interact. Our bodies, our neurology, and even our hearts are influenced by others in our immediate environment.
The first biomagnetic signal was demonstrated in 1863 by Gerhard Baule and Richard McFee in a magnetocardiogram (MCG) that used magnetic induction coils to detect fields generated by the human heart. Current research demonstrates that these signals can be measured up to 6 feet away. Not only that but these magnetic waves generated by the human heart have the capacity to affect the individuals around us. With the current suggested distance of six feet, how beautiful that even with lack of physical contact, we are still able to communicate, heart-to-heart...even if we may not always know it.
At Sweeney Family Chiropractic we have open adjusting as a means to cultivate the phenomenon of coherent healing. While following recommended guidelines, we continue to offer an opportunity to experience human connection and community. The music, the colors, and even the light - have all been selected as a part of this. Next time you are in the office, pay attention to your heart rate and your breath as soon as you come through the door. If there are others in the office when you arrive, take a moment to acknowledge that you are connecting with them on neurological and heart-centric level. Allow this to bring a little more joy to your day, and perhaps a deeper sense of connection even if you are keeping your six feet of distance.
If you want to learn more about the magnetism of the human heart, you can do so by going to Heartmath.org and reading more about it.