Creating More Calm in Your Family Life With The Science Of Heart Coherence

My mother was an immigrant from the Philippines. She landed an academic scholarship that allowed her to come to the U.S. and live with a family that sponsored her in the Bronx. She was incredibly mentally strong and perhaps the hardest worker I have ever met. 

Her mantra was "Do better for the next generation." She and my dad hustled to provide us with more than either of them had growing up. On the outside I was given plenty—a great education (one of the prides of my family was that I got to attend Georgetown University free from any school debts), good food, and nice clothes. 

Internally, however, was a different story: As a child, I didn't fully understand or know how to navigate the overwhelming feelings coursing through me—feelings I now recognize as intense emotions.

My well-meaning parents were also unaware, leaving them completely unequipped to guide me in managing these feelings.

Growing up, I was the quintessential "good" girl—top of my class, captain of the track team, and high school president. A hard-core overachiever.

Yet beneath the carefully crafted façade of perfection, I battled debilitating anxiety, insomnia, and, ultimately, eating disorders.

My inability to process my emotions and life's challenges led me to develop bulimia as a way to cope. I simply couldn't "digest" life. 

As an adult, I've come to appreciate my journey, recognizing that each experience was an integral part of self-discovery and cultivating compassion. 

My professional life as an author and researcher in the wellness space has been profoundly influenced by my personal struggles.

From sharing the widely drunk Glowing Green Smoothie to advocating yoga and meditation, my work has always been passionately motivated to also help support others—with tools I found critically helpful in reconnecting with my heart and my True Self.

Now a mother of two boys, aged 8 and nearly 4, I am acutely aware of the disconnection many children experience today, which is exacerbated by technology use and exposure to media and social media. 

This prompted me to write a children's book, blending fun stories with deep messages about emotional connection. 

My newly published work, Chilla Gorilla and Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart, tells the story of two friends (the huge gorilla is inspired by my husband, Jon, and the adorable, super-energetic lemur inspired by our older son, Emerson) and their adventures in a jungle. 

Spiritual traditions from around the world and ancient cultures converge in the heart, and have always taught us that the heart is the center of our being, a gateway where our humanness and Spirit merge. 

Science also backs up the importance of the heart. My research has delved into the remarkable intelligence of the heart, which contains over 40,000 neurons1, essentially functioning as a second brain.

This fascinating topic is the focus of my upcoming adult book (called The Hidden Power of the Five Hearts), set to release this fall. 

Through heart coherence or the communication between the heart and brain, we can harness this intelligence. Scientific studies confirm that simple tools can enhance heart coherence2, which in turn alters our perceptions, creates calmness, boosts our health, and increases energy levels.

While many aspects of our children's environments are beyond our control—such as the language or behavior they encounter at school, the images they see on billboards, or the content they are exposed to through media and social media—there are things we can influence. 

By introducing them to evidence-based tools for heart coherence, such as those featured in this children's book, Chilla Gorilla and Lanky Lemur Journey to the Heart, we can profoundly impact their well-being. Reading these stories at bedtime allows families to connect deeply, fostering a moment to rewire and reset the nervous system.

Research published in the American Journal of Cardiology, among other sources, demonstrates that simply focusing awareness on the heart3 enhances its communication with the brain, balances the nervous system, improves cardiovascular efficiency, and stabilizes emotions and mental states. 

This body of research supports the HeartAlign Meditation, a kid-friendly version of which appears in the Chilla book. My team at Solluna collaborated with the HeartMath Institute to study this meditation's effects.

Over four weeks, with sessions four to five times a week, participants saw a 29% increase in their ability to achieve and sustain heart coherence and a 10% increase in their resting coherence levels, indicating a reprogramming of their nervous systems to a more optimal state.

We have the opportunity to give our children gifts that go beyond material comforts, offering them a deeper sense of security and peace from within their own hearts. I may not have had these tools growing up, but I learned that it's never too late to reconnect to your own heart and to give these gifts to a child of any age.