In this valentine’s day heart episode we explore the heart through traditional chinese medicine and ayurveda, linking shen and ojas to emotional resilience, clarity, and the way we “lead from the heart” in a world that rewards intellect and fear; we bridge that to modern neurocardiology with the heart’s intrinsic nervous system and hormones like oxytocin, share stories of grief, regret, and major heart procedures changing people, and then close with safer heart-tonic herbs and foods—arjuna, hawthorn, san qi/tenchi, and the classic trio of onion, garlic, and ginger—plus a reminder that serious heart conditions need individualized, practitioner-guided support.

🌿 Learn More About Our Work

Alicia's Clinic

📅 Book a session with Alicia here ---> http://l.bttr.to/xtlny 

📝 Take Alicia’s free mini wellness assessment

Lila’s Clinic

🌿 Clinical herbal and functional medicine for complex and chronic conditions.

📍 Free Mini Health Assessment

🌐 Website: https://TVNHC.com

📬 Contact the Show

00:00 Valentine’s Heart Special: What We’re Covering (East + West + Herbs)

01:20 Heart Disease Reality Check: Stats, Meds, and What’s Preventable

04:26 The Heart as More Than a Pump: Joy, Soul, and “Leading From the Heart”

06:28 TCM Deep Dive: The Heart as Monarch + Shen (Spirit) and Its Imbalances

12:30 Ayurveda’s Heart Wisdom: Ojas, Prana, and the Seed of Consciousness

15:38 Open vs Closed Heart: Posture, Protection, and What We Learned Growing Up

20:58 Dharma vs Fear: Trust, Surrender, and Living in Alignment

24:07 Modern Neurocardiology: The Heart-Brain, Oxytocin, and Emotions in the Heart

30:42 Heart Surgery & Emotional Release: When the Blockage Clears

32:36 Trauma, Rehab, and Losing Your “Spiritual Brilliance” After Cardiac Events

35:30 Shifting to Herbs (Safely): Practitioner Guidance & Risk Caveats

38:23 Arjuna Bark 101: The Ayurvedic Heart Tonic for Rhythm, BP & Cholesterol

39:51 Doshas & Heart Disease: Vata/Pitta/Kapha Patterns (and Tri-Doshic Severity)

41:33 Hawthorne Berries: The Western Counterpart to Arjuna + Sourcing Tips

44:17 Tenchi (San Qi) Ginseng: The “Intelligent” Blood Mover That Stops Bleeding

47:15 The Holy Trinity for Circulation: Onion, Garlic, Ginger (and Cayenne Talk)

50:33 Cholesterol Nuance: Too High, Too Low, and the Bigger Lifestyle Matrix

53:55 Valentine’s Day Wrap-Up: Protecting the Heart as an Act of Love