Heart Coherence
The HeartMath Institute has been researching the heart-brain connection for more than 25 years. Essentially the research centers around studying how the heart influences our perceptions, emotions, intuition and health.
They research and develop scientifically based, practical tools to bridge the gap between the heart and mind and deepen people’s connection with the hearts of others. This helps lower stress, revitalize energy and resilience and restore mental, emotional and physical balance.
Heart Coherence
Heart coherence can be described as a state that brings out the very best of us - resulting in high performance and health, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It is achieved when the heart, mind and emotions are synchronized and balanced. The term coherence refers to harmonous order, connectedness, stability and efficient use of energy.
Coherence can be experienced as flow - we feel good, composed and clear, and are able to adapt quickly to whatever comes our way with balance and poise.
Hearth Math Institute researchers identified a physiological state called heart coherence that occurs when our body’s systems, our breathing, heart rhythms, brain rhythms and hormonal response are in sync with each other.
They further discovered that heart coherence not only affects physical processes, but also our mental and emotional balance and composure. What is fascinated is that the research showed that heart coherence can be self-generated leading to less mental and emotional stress and more inner security and stability.
This state is associated with feelings of well-being, relaxation and improved cognitive function. To understand heart and brain coherence, we need to look at the autonomic nervous system. Physiologically, heart-brain coherence is characterised by an increased ratio of the heart’s rhythm variability in the higher frequency band (associated with parasympathetic nervous system activation) compared to the lower frequency band (associated with sympathetic nervous system activation).
Research has shown that techniques such as mindfulness meditation and deep breathing can increase heart coherence. The practice of these techniques activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes calmness in both the mind and body.
By self-regulating our emotions and behaviours we can reduce stress, increase resilience and unlock natural intuitive guidance to make more effective choices. The result? Greater levels of personal balance, creativity, insight and health - we become the best version of ourselves. A way of empowering ourselves to handle lifes challenges with more ease.
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