In our deep release work, we sometimes help clients release heart walls. But what is a “heart wall”? And how is it silently impacting your life, relationships, and work?

Let’s get into it.

What is a “heart wall”?

This specific term was coined by Dr. Bradley Nelson, creator of The Emotion Code, our primary modality at Energetic Harmony. Essentially, it simply means:

An emotional/energetic barrier formed around your heart for protection from life’s “hard stuff.”

Things like job losses, traumatic events, serious illnesses, social isolation, abandonment, abuse, and more could all trigger a heart wall. Actually, that’s exactly what’s described in the example inside, “Trauma’s Effects on Career: Are Tough Past Events Slowing Your Present-Day Growth?“

The heart is more important than you’ve realized.

I mean… we know our heart is important for life. How much more vital could it get?

Well, did you also realize that 40,000 of its cells are similar to brain cells — so the heart has its own intelligence and memory?

We see evidence of this in heart transplant cases, for example.

Ever heard stories where heart transplant recipients start having completely new food cravings, interests, or hobbies?

And some even have memories of things that never happened … which they later discover belonged to their heart donor?

It’s fascinating.

So you might be a little less surprised now to learn that our hearts are also smart enough to build emotional barriers to protect you when life feels overwhelming.

Let’s talk about it.

How Heart Walls Form and Why They Persist

Heart walls can have emotional causes.

When life and work become “too much,” your heart reflexively protects itself similar to how you might shield other sensitive organs.

Super-loud ambulance? Maybe you cover your ears.

Just stepped into the sun from the office? Out come the sunglasses.

Protecting yourself in these ways makes sense during that stressful event.

But if you walked around all day with your ears covered, or drove around at night in sunglasses… obviously, you’d miss important data designed to help you grow, or keep you safe.

Similarly, a long-term heart wall can lead to trouble with work, relationships, and your health.

Heart walls can have physical causes, too.

For instance, the HeartMath Institute also studied Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Basically, healthy hearts don’t actually beat, beat, beat in perfectly spaced patterns. Rather, having variability between beats means your body handles stress better.

Think of it like this:

If you’re sitting, working peacefully, you might have a more measured beat.

If a stressful email comes across your desk, obviously your heart rate would quickly increase.

But it should start decreasing just as quickly once that stressor is over.

I’m oversimplifying, but you get the point.

Lower HRV suggests that your body is over-stressed. This physical stress can cause your heart to form barriers for protection.

Signs You May Have a Heart Wall

Just like this protective barrier can have either physical or emotional causes, you might also see physical or emotional signs.

Physical Signs:

  • you get sick often
  • you always feel tired, even after getting rest
  • breathing feels “cottony” or unable to take deep breaths
  • chronic tension, especially in the area around your heart (neck, shoulders, chest, mid-back)

Career, Life, & Relationship Signs:

  • you’ve lost the spark for what you do
  • feel unable to find or determine your passion
  • you have a hard time connecting with people
  • you have regular creative blocks (writing, music, etc.)
  • you’re fighting some pretty intense self-sabotage
  • you feel stuck in survival mode / complacency
  • you don’t feel empathetic toward others
  • you have a hard time recognizing your intuition
  • you over-rely on logic and “figuring everything out”

Recognizing and Releasing Heart Walls

Please know that, sometimes, your body may NOT be ready to release a heart wall. Your subconscious mind knows what’s best for you and is always in control. Your body will let both you and your practitioner know if it’s safe.

Some signs a wall may be ready for release:

  • you’re not currently in active trauma or a crisis
  • you generally feel able to process your emotions
  • you have a reasonably “stable” life
  • you’re open to being a bit vulnerable

Some signs a wall may not quite be ready:

  • you’re facing major life stressors (wedding, cross-country move, divorce, funeral, etc.)
  • you need other healing work first (like reiki, talk therapy, somatic therapy, etc.)
  • you’re in an unsafe or unstable environment

Either way, a good way to know is simple — just ask.

Your Emotion Code practitioner can check to see if you have a heart wall, and if it’s ready to release.

What does it take to remove a heart wall?

According to the Emotion Code, heart walls usually contain between 5 and 25 layers (of emotions). Can you imagine? No matter how cold it is, even 5+ layers of clothes is a good amount.

And just like sweaters, coats, and vests don’t just fall off when we come in from a snowstorm… those emotional layers don’t dissolve on their own without some intentional work.

Remember that we only release between 5 and 10 trapped emotions per Emotion Code session. And on average, it can take between 1 and 4 heart wall sessions to remove your wall.

I will always let you know during your session (or in your session notes) if your heart wall is dissolved. Otherwise, please know that more work is needed.

What to Expect After Releasing a Heart Wall

After starting to dismantle your wall — sometimes from the very first session — some people start to see benefits. Some report feeling more connected in their relationships, have a resurgence of creativity, or feel like a physical weight has been lifted. Others feel more focused, driven, compassionate, loving, patient, kind, or adventurous. Or handling everyday emotions becomes easier.

Even so, remember to treat your body kindly. Just like any “detox,” it’s crucial to release heart walls gradually and with support.

Will a heart wall come back?

Not in the way that you think. The same heart wall will never return. It has been released.

But it’s possible to develop another one during intense stress or trauma. You may want to have your Emotion Code practitioner do occasional checks. But you should definitely prioritize regular, intentional mental and emotional self-care to reduce the likelihood of another one forming.

Regardless, it’s important to remember that your heart builds these walls for your protection. Just like you wouldn’t want your body to stop forming scars over new wounds, you don’t want your heart to stop protecting itself either.

Just know that the more you work on your emotional intelligence, resilience, and supporting your mental-emotional health, the less walls you’ll form. And the better you’ll feel.

Ready to find or release a heart wall?

I’m ready to help. To discover whether you have a heart wall (and if it’s a good time to dismantle it), please book an Emotion Code session with me. I can check and–potentially–help your wall start dissolving in your very first session.

(If it isn’t ready, we can release other trapped emotions instead.)

Hope to help you soon.