No Fear in Love: Heart Coherence and The Magic of Hawthorn
“There is no fear in love.”
I was 38 weeks pregnant, weary-hearted from a stressful few days. My normally perfect blood pressure had suddenly skyrocketed and had my midwife concerned about potential preeclampsia. As I was poked and prodded for blood tests that were suggesting possible liver distress, my blood pressure monitored twice a day, I was uncertain if the blissful home birth I dreamed about would be thwarted by the possibility of a hospital induction.
I felt utterly helpless, thrust into the unknown, frustrated that my body would turn on me when we were so close to the finish line. Divine timing found me at the park on a crisp fall morning plucking Hawthorn berries for heart medicine. It was the exact medicine I needed, both physically and spiritually, with a message I didn’t know I needed to hear: there is no fear in love. Everything would work out exactly as it should.
Inspired by my connection with this magical plant and my knowledge of its benefits for high blood pressure, I started to take a Hawthorn elixir three times a day. With every dose I thanked her for her ancestral wisdom while meditating on the love I was so richly blessed with in my life – and I watched my blood pressure stabilize. My midwife marveled at how well my body was responding to the herb, indications backed by a blood test showing normal hepatic function and a week’s worth of blood pressure readings in the “safe” range.
Hawthorn carried me through to the end; four weeks later I had my perfect home birth, laboring for six hours to welcome my beautiful girl, Lucia Rose, earthside.
I don’t claim that I’ve found the magic formula to cure an ill heart, but I have learned a few things by partnering with the plants – gentle reminders that often get overlooked in a culture of reductionist Western medicine. This is more than just a story of an herb. It’s a story of the heart. Recently Hawthorn has urged me to pay attention to the heart, especially for this moment in time.
The heart health epidemic
For over one hundred years now, heart disease has been the leading cause of death in the United States. The statistics are sobering: One person dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease. 1 in 4 men will die of heart disease, often at a younger age than women, and 1 in 5 women will die from it. Some of the reasons for this epidemic are quite obvious: we generally live more sedentary lives, and U.S. industrialized farming practices and processed foods tax our organ systems in invisible, deadly ways.
But what if there was more to the story? What if instead of pointing fingers at people for their sedentary lives and dispensation to consume processed foods, we looked more holistically at the bigger picture? What if we could shift beyond blaming Big Pharma and Big Agro? (Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a deserved place for that too in this story.) Perhaps we don’t have to lay down as victims of broken, predatory systems. Perhaps we have more agency in this story than we’ve been led to believe.
The heart: more than just an organ
There is a growing field of research supporting what ancient cultures have known all along, that the heart is more than just an organ – it is a center of intelligence. A heart in coherence positively affects our entire physiological well-being.
There is an invisible, electromagnetic field around the heart that is the strongest in the entire body, surpassing that of the brain by a long-shot. The heart’s field is about 60 times greater than the brain’s electrical activity, and the magnetic component is about 5,000 times stronger. This field extends several feet beyond the body, affecting not only our own physiological states but also our relationships and interactions. Have you ever felt a particular way about someone, good or bad, but you just couldn’t put your finger on it? That’s your electromagnetic fields interacting - that person’s heart signal is affecting your brainwaves and emotional state as well as those in their nearby vicinity. One can affect an entire room with their vibrational state.
Heart coherence is a term that describes when the heart’s rhythm becomes more orderly and synchronized with other systems in the body like the brain, which can often be associated with higher emotions like love and compassion. When in coherence, the heart’s electromagnetic field is more harmonious and lends to improved physical and emotional health. This coherence can be enhanced by practices that promote well-being, such as meditation, prayer and deep breathing.
Consider the following from Dr. Joe Dispenza, describing the power of the heart-brain connection:
Among Heart Math Institute's most significant findings is that what we feel on a minute-to-minute, second-to-second basis influences the heart and that our feelings and emotions are a key aspect of unlocking "heart intelligence." When you place your finger on your wrist, you feel your pulse. That pulse is a wave of energy called the blood pressure wave, and it travels through your entire body, influencing everything, including brain function. Not only does the heart's magnetic pulse reverberate through every cell of the body, but it also produces a field around your body that can be measured up to 8 to 10 feet away using a sensitive detector called a magnetometer.
When you activate the heart by calling up elevated emotions, you are not only broadcasting that energy to every cell; you are also radiating those feelings out into space. This is where the heart moves beyond biology and into physics. Using electroencephalograms, scientists at the HMI laboratory discovered that when the heart goes into coherence, the brain waves entrain with the heart's rhythm at a frequency of 0.10 Hz and also that the synchronization between heart and brain is increased when the subject is in a heart-coherent state. The coherent frequency of 0.10 Hz has been shown to be a state of optimum performance associated with increased access to our deeper intuition and internal guidance. Once the analytical mind is out of the way, the individual can move down the ladder of consciousness from alpha to theta to delta brain waves—the state in which restorative functions in the body take place.
Living in fear vs. living in love
If I could die on a metaphorical hill over anything, it’s this: life is forever changed when we move from living in a place of fear to living from a place of love. It is a subtle, invisible choice that manifests in very visible ways reflected in our quality of life and our health itself.
Living in fear activates the body’s “fight or flight” response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. When we spend prolonged time in this state we experience chronic stress, which accelerates aging, weakens the immune system, disrupts sleep, heightens anxiety, and leads to conditions like hypertension and heart disease. Over time, the cardiovascular system suffers from inflammation, high blood pressure and increased heart rate – all heightening the risk of heart disease and other health ailments.
Love, on the other hand, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the body’s “rest and digest” response. Here we see reduced stress hormones, lowered heart rate and increased relaxation, leading to better sleep, digestion and immunity. Love also has cardio-protective effects by reducing blood pressure and lending toward healthy circulation. Those in loving relationships see lower rates of heart disease and overall better cardiovascular health.
All said, living in love is one of the most powerful ways we can support our long-term health and happiness.
Easier said than done, you might be thinking. Living with an open heart is not easy in these times. But it’s a challenge worth taking if we want to experience a life rich in health, vitality and love.
There are, of course, practical ways we can shift out of the fear state and into heart-centeredness.
We can start by practicing mindfulness and deep breathing, which calms the nervous system and ushers us into the present moment.
We can embrace a gratitude practice by focusing on things we’re thankful for daily, and in the process, rewiring the brain toward positivity.
We can engage in self-compassion, replacing self-criticism with kindness. We can nurture loving connections by reaching out to friends or loved ones and joining groups that foster community and inclusion.
We can practice meditation, particularly heart-centered techniques, helping us to connect with feelings of love, compassion, and higher wisdom.
We can turn off the news, resist doom-scrolling, and turn toward higher vibrational content.
We can consciously reframe fearful thoughts by focusing on trust and possibility rather than worst-case scenarios.
We can practice acts of kindness that foster a sense of love and connection with others.
And of course, we can call upon the assistance of our plant allies who have always been there for us.
The magic of Hawthorn
I have found Hawthorn to be a wonderful herbal ally in helping me to live from the heart. The Hawthorn elixir I took during the scary moments of my pregnancy not only stabilized my blood pressure – it eased the fear I carried in my heart and guided me back to a place of higher trust and love. I truly believe I wouldn’t have experienced my dream birth without it.
The spirit of Hawthorn works on moving grief, and it is a wonderful aid for caretakers and those whose lives and work require maintaining an open heart. It is potent medicine for any ailment of the heart. Among its many benefits:
Improving blood flow/circulation
Strengthening the heart muscle
Regulating blood pressure
Protecting the heart against oxidative stress and damage
Reducing chest pain associated with angina
Stabilizing arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
Lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol
Reducing inflammation by neutralizing free radicals
Hawthorn is also a powerful conduit for connecting the physical and spiritual world. Many traditions throughout history revered the sacred tree as a gateway for communion with the ancestral realm, often using it in rituals and offerings, and as a protective symbol to honor and communicate with ancestors.
To experience the medicine of Hawthorn for yourself, collect the flowers and leaves in the spring when they are fresh and vibrant; harvest the berries in early fall when they are bright red and slightly soft. Spend some time sitting with the tree and meditating with her gentle yet powerful presence. Warning: be prepared to cry!
Some ways you can prepare her medicine:
Tea or Infusion: Use dried flowers, leaves, or berries to make a heart-nourishing tea. Steep for 10–15 minutes. Try out the recipe below!
Tincture: Macerate fresh or dried berries in alcohol (vodka or brandy) for 4–6 weeks, then strain and store in a dark, cool space.
Syrup: Simmer berries with water and honey to create a delicious medicinal syrup.
Vinegar: Infuse berries in apple cider vinegar for a tangy extract.
Hawthorn & Rose Heart Tea Recipe
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried hawthorn berries (or 1 tablespoon if using fresh)
1 teaspoon dried rose petals (organic and culinary grade)
½ teaspoon dried hibiscus flowers (optional, for a tart flavor and added color, as well as extra heart benefits)
1 small cinnamon stick (optional, for warmth and sweetness)
1 teaspoon honey or sweetener of choice (optional)
2 cups water
Instructions:
In a small saucepan or tea kettle, bring 2 cups of water to a gentle boil.
Add the dried hawthorn berries, rose petals, and hibiscus (if using) to the water.
If you'd like a warming spice, add the cinnamon stick to the mixture.
Reduce the heat and let the tea simmer on low for about 10 minutes, allowing the herbs to release their flavors and beneficial compounds.
Remove from heat and let it steep for an additional 5 minutes for a stronger brew.
Strain the tea into your favorite mug or teapot.
Sweeten with honey or your preferred sweetener, if desired.
