The Art of Heartful Living

Cynthia Thaik, MD, is a Harvard-trained holistic cardiologist, author of Your Vibrant Heart: Restoring Health, Strength & Spirit from the Body’s Core, and owner of Holistic Healing Heart Center in North Hollywood, California.

Blending Western and Eastern medicine, Thaik leads with the heart to care for the individual as a whole. “I take into consideration the entire person, including their emotional, mental, spiritual, and social aspects and try to see how these intertwine with their physical symptoms,” Thaik says.

Mind over matter

“Our thoughts and beliefs manifest in the body,” says Thaik. Research has shown that optimism, positive affect, and a sense of purpose are associated with lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality. By contrast, negative repetitive thoughts, such as rumination and worry, are associated with higher inflammatory markers.

In her holistic cardiology practice, Thaik has observed that many of her patients live in a state of fear and anxiety as opposed to peace and calm.

While not everyone’s a natural optimist, we can all choose which thoughts we allow ourselves to recognize. “Choose to guard your thoughts, every moment of every day, only imagining positive things in the future,” says Thaik.

For supportive tools, Thaik recommends limbic system-retraining practices such as emotional freedom technique (also known as tapping), mindfulness, and biofeedback from technologies such as HeartMath.

Nourish the spiritual heart

“From a mind-body-spirit standpoint, the necessary ingredient for healing is surrender—to let go of the need to control,” says Thaik. She encourages her patients to lean into faith, which is the flip side of fear. “Neither faith nor fear are based in reality,” she says. “Both require our imagination.”

For those that choose to nourish the heart in this way, science has shown that there are positive biochemical changes faith, prayer, and religious-service attendance exert in the body, including reduced inflammation and lower all-cause mortality, according to one recent study.

Nourish the mental-emotional heart

Manage stress

The bad news is that psychosocial stress is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The good news is that lifestyle modifications geared toward stress management are effective for reducing cardiovascular risk factors.

Evidence-based stress-management techniques include mindfulness, meditation, cognitive behavioural therapy, breathwork, time in nature, social connection, and gratitude.

Stay social

Loneliness and social isolation are independent risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. Seek new connections by joining a club, volunteering for a cause you hold dear, or slowing down to chat with your neighbour.

You can also honour the relationships you already have: keep up with old friends, try a new activity with your spouse to deepen your connection, or share more screen-free time with your kids.

Spend time in nature

Brief exposure to greenspace—and especially living in an area of high greenery—is associated with better cardiovascular health, as demonstrated by lower rates of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids in the bloodstream) . Spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is also associated with improved subjective well-being.

Practise gratitude

Gratitude therapy has been associated with preventing the occurrence and development of cardiovascular disease, as well as lower inflammatory markers and lower heart-rate responses to stress. Feeling grateful in the moment is also associated with lower cardiovascular reactivity to stress.

To adopt this, cultivate gratitude rituals throughout your day, such as at mealtimes or during bedtime reflection. This can include sharing your gratitude with a loved one by thanking them for their positive impact on your day or on your life as a whole.

Listen to music

Music can have a profound effect on stress, a benefit recognized by cardiologists, some of whom even prescribe music therapy to their patients. Studies have demonstrated music therapy can reduce physiological stress markers—including heart rate and blood pressure—among cardiac rehabilitation patients.

Play pleasant, soft, relaxing music for the greatest improvement in heart rate variability.

Nourish the physical heart

Grasp the gut-heart axis

The connection between the digestive and cardiovascular systems has been explored in recent years, and we’ve learned that the gut has an impact on the heart. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced when gut bacteria breaks down dietary fibres. These SCFAs assist in regulating blood pressure and reducing inflammation.

An overgrowth or imbalance of bacteria in the gut, called gut dysbiosis, can release endotoxins into the blood, triggering systemic inflammation and vascular injury.

Eat “heart”ily

Adherence to a heart-healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean or DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, is associated with a reduced 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Feast on fish, lean meats, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, legumes, and healthy fats like olive oil. Reduce red meats, added sugars, and processed foods.

Move

Achieving 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week has been associated, through large national cohort studies, with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality.

A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that the “weekend warrior” approach of doing your week’s worth of exercise over one or two days is nearly as beneficial as spreading out your exercise in smaller increments throughout the week.

Sleep

Too little or poor-quality sleep can have real consequences to your health, including cognitive, behavioural, and physical impairment that can lead to a higher risk of metabolic disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Prioritize your sleep hygiene by including eating dinner a few hours before bedtime, avoiding screens within at least an hour before bed, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and cultivating a relaxation ritual.

A blessing in disguise

“Life is fleeting and could be gone in a moment,” says Thaik. “Appreciate your body’s vitality, stamina, and strength now.” Peter Tedesco’s personal story beautifully illustrates this concept.

The 53-year-old Guelph, Ontario, resident has always led an active lifestyle, including regularly jogging, biking, and playing squash. He set his sights high with the goal to climb Mount Everest in the spring of 2025.

“The trip was booked, and most of my supplies for the two-week trek had been purchased,” Tedesco says. But after nine months of training for the climb in Nepal, a CT scan of his heart showed an enlarged aorta that could rupture at any moment―and could prove fatal.

“This put an immediate stop to my Everest climb,” Tedesco says. “I then started training for a new objective: heart surgery.” He’s recovered well thanks to excellent care during and after his operation in July 2025.

“I count my blessings,” says Tedesco. “Although I was disappointed about not being able to do the climb, if we did not make this discovery, it might have meant an early death.”

Tedesco hopes his story inspires others to listen to their body and to seek medical help if something doesn’t feel right. Or better yet, take a proactive approach to medical testing. “I was doing everything right and still had an issue,” he says. “Do not take your health for granted.’

Tedesco still has his sights set on Everest.

This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of alive magazine.