SELF REGULATION THROUGH HEART COHERENCE
The second facet of our neuroplasticity work is brain pathway regulation via emotional restructuring techniques. Somatic Experiencing and HeartMath
Most of us were taught that the heart responds to messages sent by the brain. For example, stress happens, the brain lets the heart know and then the heart rate rises. But the heart actually sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. Moreover, these heart signals have a significant effect on brain function, influencing our emotions as well as our attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving ability. The heart is, in fact, its own powerful nervous system with 40,000 neurons that have body wide impact.
Heart Rate Variability
The pauses in between your heart beat when grouped together create a pattern. This is knows as heart rate variability (HRV). When we speak about HRV coherence, this word indicates that the heart pattern is sending out congruent signals to the nervous system and brain, to regulate the body, thoughts, and emotions effectively.
As a marker of our body’s resilience and emotional flexibility, a coherent HRV reflects our ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands. Low HRV can be observed in individuals with a wide range of diseases and emotional challenges.
Emotional stress — including emotions such as anger, frustration and anxiety — give rise to heart rhythm patterns that appear irregular and erratic (or incoherent). These can cause our body to operate inefficiently due to their impact on our brain and nervous system, deplete our energy, and produce extra wear and tear on our whole system.
Conversely, coherent HRV and positive emotions correlate with optimum health, well-being and the ability to adapt to stress.
Creating mind-body heart coherence
Research has shown that training a person to access coherent HRV patterns prompts a bodywide shift to a specific, scientifically measurable state. This state is called psychophysiological coherence, which involves increased order and harmony in both our psychological (mental and emotional) and physiological (bodily) processes. Research also shows that when we activate this state our body functions more efficiently, we experience greater emotional stability, and we have increased mental clarity.
Simply stated, if our body and brain work better, we feel and perform better. We do this through evidence based programs created by HeartMath™. The Heart Math Institute has over 20 years of peer reviewed research, demonstrating the power of training a wide cross section of people with tools and techniques to entrain physiological and emotions coherence and resilience.
Our mind, body and heart are meant to work together. This is what we successfully teach our clients to do for themselves.