What is Heart Math?

We have some new members and at a couple of our recent discussions the topic of Heart Math came up briefly. I thought some brief explanation of this technique might be in order for our new members and to re-enforce its theory for old members. If you want to learn more on Heart Math, click on Read More below.

     In 1991, Doc Childre and Howard Martin wrote a book entitled The Heart Math Solution: From Chaos to Coherence. Doc Childre founded the Institute of Heart Math in that same year, designed to research ways to reduce stress using the heart's electromagnetic energy and its effects on the rest of the human body. Childre then founded a company that makes gadgets to help people utilize his techniques for stress reduction. Since then more and more gadgets have been developed, more books have been written, more research has been done and HeartMath techniques have been taught all over the world to business companies, industry,  at schools, healthcare facilities, and  to patients, self help groups and even children.

     The theory behind Heart Math is briefly as follows. We know that the heart creates more electromagnetic forces than the brain or any other organ in the body. That force is normally measured with an electrocardiogram which records the electrical forces of each heart beat and also shows the rate and rhythm of the heart beats. That force can even be measured outside the human body, across the room at a short distance.  The sympathetic nervous system with its connection to epinephrine hormones from the adrenal glands are responsible for speeding the heart rate in response to physical demand and to stress. The parasympathetic nervous system slows the heart rate. We know that meditation techniques slow the heart rate, reduce the blood pressure and produce calm. But these techniques are somewhat slow to act. Childre proposed in his first book and researched at the Institute that he founded that another technique might work faster to provide calming effects. He also developed a way to measure the effects of this technique on the body and to provide immediate biofeedback information to a person whether these effects are achieving their desired results. The software in the HeartMath computer program and in the hand held EM device measures the heart rate variability. When in a desirable calm state, with parasympathetic nervous system predominance, this heart rate variability becomes a sine wave. When the subject views this sine wave, or colors, or calming graphics  that represent this sine wave heart rate variability graph, he/she can immediately alter her thought processes to improve what is called coherence of this heart rate variability.

     The technique that is used to achieve this coherence is called the Freeze Frame Technique.

This is the simplest of the HeartMath tools. It is basicly a one minute technique that allows a major shift in perception. More than positive thinking, it creates a definitive, heartfelt shift in how we view a situation, an individual or ourselves. When under stress or when just practicing this technique:

     1.  Shift out of the head, and focus on the area around your heart. Keep yhour attention there for at least 10 seconds. Continue to breath normally.

     2.  Recall a positive time or feeling you had in your life, and attempt to re-experience it. Remember, try not simply to visualize it, but rather to feel it fully. At first when you are learning the technique, you should develop a number of such moments of appreciation. These moments need to be fairly intense at first when you are first learning. I always use a time I remember in the middle of the night holding and rocking my very young infant and gazing into his eyes and appreciating the miracle that he is. This was always a very intense feeling and allowed me to immediately achieve coherence.

     3. Then Ask a question from the heart: "What can I do in this situation to make it different?" or "What can I do to minimize stress?"

     4. Listen to the response of your heart.

     You may not hear anything, but you will perhaps feel calmer. You may feel verification of something you already know, or you may experience a complete perspective shift, seeing the crisis in a more balanced way. Although we may not have control over the event, we do have control over our perception of it.

     Another way to practice HeartMath is to practice this focus on the area of your heart and feel a moment of appreciation, but fill your heart with this moment, expand it and continue it for 10 to 15 minutes. A good way to do this is to remember the feeling of love or care you have for someone whom it's easy for you to love. Gently send that feeling of love or appreciation to yourself and others.  If you have one of the gadgets produced by HeartMath you would see those sine waves of your heart rate variability and you would get re-enforcement that you are in coherence. With practice, it usually becomes easier and easier to get into this state of heart. You could also practice this when there is no stress, but when you have a few moments, waiting in line at the grocery store, or waiting for the water to boil, whatever. With practice you will become more adept at achieving this state of coherence. Our leader, Todd, always says he can get into coherence just by looking at a blank white wall. Bruce Wilson, a local cardiologist and a member of our group, can teach heart math to a group and demonstrate its coherence on himself while he is doing his public speaking about the topic.

     When your heart is in coherence, it is theorized that it will have an effect on your brain waves, on your blood pressure, on your respirations and the whole body becomes in a state of relaxation. Carrying this whole idea one step further, the Institute of HeartMath has recently been doing research to determine what having a large group of people practice coherence at the same time would do to everyone else and to our planet. Is there an even more profound effect of this technique? But as far as I am concerned, I don't need anything bigger. Just having the appreciation technique available to each of us is enough. Regular practice of these tools can provide physical, mental and spiritual regeneration.

     Some of us in the group have some of these gadgets to measure the heart rate variability and to give immediate feedback usually in the form of colors. If anyone is interested in practicing these techniques with the gadgets at one of our meetings, bring it up at one of our Thursday morning gatherings and we can arrange this.

Written by Ann S.