The heart is the king of all organs in the body.
The heart plays a central role in our body's overall health and well being, and other organs often act in support of the heart.
The heart is also associated with the element of Fire and is believed to also house the Shen Spirit and connect people to the divine or unconditional love.
The heart is also a sensory organ and a processing center that is capable of learning, making independent decisions and remembering.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart governs thoughts, mental activity, consciousness, feelings, memories and sleep.
The heart is also seen as the seat of the Spirit of Shen and allows for a connection to the Tao or the universal source of love and wisdom.
According to Traditional Chinese medicine, if the heart is imbalanced, it can negatively affect the functioning of other organs in the body.
The heart's health is also closely related to the health of other organs, like the stomach and the liver, which are also considered "children", and mothers of the heart in the system.
And modern research is also exploring the influence of the heart on cognitive and emotional processes and suggests a more complex role than simply pumping of blood.