Heart disease is a serious medical condition. I recently read that heart disease is also an emotional condition in which a person's sense of security, love, and sense of purpose have perished and are very limited. Being mindful is a good way to practice getting your heart out of a diseased state.
You can do this by paying attention to your senses. Try the following exercises for 5 minutes, for 5 days for 5 weeks:
1) EYES - spend 5 minutes for 5 days seeing and honing your sense of sight. For instance - you can sit on a park bench and just take in the scenes around you and little by little, focus in on a particular sight. Or notice a tree in all it's glory. Notice the trunk, branches and leaves. Notice if there is a breeze moving the leaves. Little by little take that big "tree picture" and focus down to the veins in leaves.
2) EARS - the next week of 5 days you will spend 5 minutes hearing. Sitting at your desk - what do you hear - phones ringing, people talking, people typing, etc. Notice the big "sound picture" and then little by little whittle that down to one sound. Or listen to a song and take in all the instruments ... one by one whittle down the music sounds to one.
3) TOUCH - this 3rd week is all about touch. For 5 minutes for 5 days you will notice and hone your sense of touch. We often don't think of touch until it is painful or intimate. So just notice all the things you touch - computer keys, door handles, kitchen dishes and pans, a handshake, etc. Notice every time you touch something. Eventually - how does this feel? When there is a human touch such as a handshake - did you feel a slight vibration?
4) TASTE - this 4th week is all about the sense of taste. For one meal each day (5 days), take 5 savory, intentional bites. That means you are smelling, looking at the food and raising your fork deliberately. Notice the tastes and textures are you revel in delight at the 5 purposeful bites. This is a beautiful way to not overeat and to sure what you are eating is worth eating.
5) NOSE - this is the last week you will notice what you smell for 5 minutes per day for 5 days. Whenever you really think of it or when you can devote 5 full minutes - close your eyes and notice what you smell. Turn your head back and forth - are there different smells? Notice the smells around you.
Every time you can pay a little attention to yourself, you gain a sense of security. By honing your senses you gain purpose. As each week unfold and you pay attention to you and nurture something about you - you gain love for yourself. These practices will help you ease out of the depressed heart dis-eased place.