“… a hollow muscular organ in your chest.”
“…a chambered organ that pumps blood through your arteries and veins.”
Your heart is… more than hollow.
more than a pump.
KOKORO
The Japanese word “Kokoro” provides the best definition and meaning of the heart… as in… “Starts with Heart.”
Yoshikawa Sakko, director of Kyoto University’s Research Center, discusses the challenges of conveying Kokoro’s true essence in English…
“Conceptually, it unites the notions of heart, soul, spirit, and mind. Kokoro represents these elements as indivisible. One problem with discussing kokoro in English is that linking words such as ‘and’ imply divisions that simply don’t exist in Japanese. They aren’t intrinsically linked as one: they are ‘ONE.’ That person has good kokoro, which means: heart-soul-spirit-mind.”
Love (True Love)
When conditions are favorable (such as when you love what you do), your open heart will release three hormones simultaneously:
Atrial Peptide | Brain Natriuretic Peptide | Oxytocin-GLA
These three hormones work together to support blood flow, volume, and pressure and to activate the anti-inflammatory response, thereby reducing cardiac burden. Once released into the bloodstream, these hormones enhance mitochondrial function in muscles and stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis in white adipose tissue, thereby increasing energy expenditure for athletic performance.
While the first two are crucial, the third, a rare hormone released by your heart, influences the depth of your Kokoro, boosting the vitality of your soul (far beyond holistic).
Oxytocin-GLA
The traditional view holds that oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, acts alongside serotonin and dopamine, collectively known as the "happy” or “love” hormones. Oxytocin's empathetic response is characterized by a "love of others," promoting trust, empathy, and kind behavior, thereby strengthening social bonds.
Meanwhile, “Oxytocin is a Cardiovascular Hormone” (Journal of Medical & Biological Research) has found that (as a cardiovascular hormone) oxytocin is released from the heart. Oxytocin-GLA (a three-amino-acid extended form of oxytocin) forms a protective layer for the "love of self.” This kokoro effect encourages a wide range of athletic (and social) benefits…
Cardiac protection | Cognition | Pain reduction | Fatigue reduction | Adaptation
Energy efficiency | Hunger reduction | Impulse control
Functionality boost | Better sleep | Cortisol efficiency
Oxytocin-GLA is an evolutionary feedforward hormone (especially in athletics)…