How Stress Affects the Body

Posted on | by HeartMath
How Stress Affects the Body

Stress Facts

Understanding the mechanics of stress gives you the advantage of being more aware of and sensitive to your own level of stress and knowing when and how to take proactive steps. This increased awareness also helps you to better care for your family, friends and colleagues. Here are a few stress facts that many people are unaware of:

Fact #1: Your body doesn’t care if it’s a big stress or a little one.

The human body doesn’t discriminate between a BIG stress or a little one. Regardless of the significance, stress affects the body in predictable ways. A typical stress reaction, which most of us experience dozens of times each day, begins with a cascade of 1,400 biochemical events in your body. If these reactions are left unchecked we age prematurely, our cognitive function is impaired, our energy is drained, and we are robbed of our effectiveness and clarity.

Fact #2: Stress can make smart people do stupid things.

Stress causes what brain researchers call “cortical inhibition.” The phenomenon of cortical inhibition helps to explain why smart people do dumb things. Simply said, stress inhibits a small part of your brain and you can’t function at your best. When we are in coherence – a state where we are cognitively sharp, emotionally calm, and we feel and think with enhanced clarity – the brain, heart and nervous system are working in harmony. This state of coherence facilitates our cognitive functioning – we are actually operating at peak performance mentally, emotionally and physically.

Fact #3: People can become numb to their stress.

We can be physiologically experiencing stress yet mentally numb to it because we’ve become so accustomed to it. Some have become so adapted to the daily pressures, irritations and annoyances of life that it starts to seem normal. Yet the small stresses accumulate quickly and we may not realize how much they’re impairing our mental and emotional clarity and our overall health until it shows up as a bad decision, an overreaction or an unwanted diagnosis at the doctor’s office.

Fact #4: We can control how we respond to stress.

We don’t need to be victims to our own emotions, thoughts and attitudes. We can control how we respond to stress and we can become more sensitive to stressful situations and how they are affecting us before it manifests as a physical, mental or emotional complaint. There are simple, scientifically validated solutions to stress that empower people to rewire their own stress response.

Fact #5: The best strategy is to handle stress in the moment.

The best way to manage stress is to deal with it the very moment you feel it come up. Millions of Americans unsuccessfully use the binge-and-purge approach when it comes to stress. They stress out all day, believing that they can wait until later to recover when they go to an evening yoga class, go to the gym or chill out when they take the weekend off. Unfortunately, when we put off going for our own inner balance our bodies have already activated the stress response and it’s our health that suffers.

HeartMath’s research shows how emotions change our heart rhythm patterns. Positive emotions create coherent heart rhythms, which look like rolling hills – it’s a smooth and ordered pattern. In contrast, negative emotions create chaotic, erratic patterns. Using a heart rhythm monitor, you can actually see your heart rhythms change in real time as you shift from stressful emotions like anger or anxiety to positive feelings like care or appreciation. Coherent heart rhythm patterns facilitate higher brain function, whereas negative emotions inhibit a person’s ability to think clearly. Coherent heart rhythms also create a feeling of solidity and security.

Compassionate Latitude: A Powerful Heart Quality for Healing Separation

Posted on | by HeartMath

Compassionate latitude is a powerful combination of important heart qualities. Compassion involves caring for others amidst their challenges, while latitude gives allowance for those “human” moments when people may not be at their best. When we apply compassionate latitude especially in times of busyness and tension, it creates a warm-hearted connection where we all feel more at ease, accepted and cared for. We invite you to watch our video for a deeper understanding of compassionate latitude and how to apply it in your life for maximum benefit.

Activating the Intelligence of Love

Posted on | by HeartMath

Life seems to be calling for humanity to understand the intelligence of love — what we call heart intelligence. Everyone talks about love and wants love, but understanding love and the heart has remained a mystery for most people.

Love as intelligence is a synergy of heart and mind, expanding perception and higher cognitive faculties. It’s not just about feeling love but about practicing love in ways that are beneficial both for ourselves and others. It’s understanding that practicing love in the form of heart qualities, such as patience, kindness, forgiveness, compassion, gratitude, and more, is highly intelligent.

Practicing heart qualities moves love through our system, which facilitates emotional balance, clear intuitive thinking, and, importantly, reduces feelings of separation.

With all the intensities and stressors happening in the world, more people are feeling separate from family and friends who support different religious or political beliefs or policies. It’s now estimated that about 1 in 4 adults have a family estrangement, and an increasing number of young adults are choosing to go “no contact” with their parents. For most, family rifts are a source of chronic stress.

We are all energetically connected, and the experience of separation from family or friends can create health problems and brain fog, making it harder to think clearly. It’s hard enough to make decisions with effective outcomes in uncertain times, but it’s even harder when we’re processing separation, hurt, or guilt. It can destroy our capacity to discern with balance.

Love as intelligence is recognizing our shared humanity. It’s time to get more heart and love moving through our system. More heart is needed to renew relationships or get along with each other without feeling awkward or separate when we disagree. Here are some key heart qualities that are important to practice during this time. They will contribute to more effective communication, conflict resolution, and building stronger relationships. Increasing our heart qualities is how we can begin to heal separation and solve problems that seem to have no solutions.

Patience

Love in the form of patience supports our ability to manage our energies from a place of ease in the heart, especially when people say things we don’t agree with or we’re in situations we don’t like. We often forget to practice patience when we need it the most in relationships.  

Kindness

Love is being kind to people, even when we disagree. Kindness feels good to our heart and to those who receive our kindness. Practicing kindness helps to ease separative thoughts and feelings and often makes situations better.

Compassionate Latitude

Compassionate latitude understands that most people (including us) are doing the best they can based on their upbringing, stress overload, and the clouded thinking many are experiencing during these unpredictable times. Practicing compassionate latitude can quickly begin to reduce reactivity and prevent stress build-up. Having compassionate latitude can help us get over communication challenges more easily and manage disagreements without cutting off our love or holding others accountable for our stress.

Forgiveness

Many people separate from a family member or friend because they felt hurt by them and, therefore, won’t forgive them. It’s understandable why we can feel it’s appropriate to hold onto bitterness and anger. But as we practice forgiveness and get more heart energy moving in our system, we release pent-up hurt or animosity and its negative effects on our mental, emotional, and physical health.

Unforgiven feelings can quietly drain our energy, creating shades of flatness in our joy and happiness. The genuine practice of forgiveness increases the love flowing through our system and releases neurochemicals and hormones that soothe and improve well-being. Forgiveness often happens in stages.

Gratitude

Many books recommend practicing gratitude daily for mental, emotional, and physical health. They suggest practicing gratitude first thing in the morning to set a positive tone for your day or before bed to reflect on people and events you feel grateful for and enjoy the heart-opening it gives you. Sincere gratitude is one of the quickest ways to heal feelings of separation. Tuning our heart to gratitude provides an uplift or warmth that soothes the nervous system. It’s like a tonic for our soul, just as expressing gratitude to another uplifts their spirit.

Moving love through our system with acts of kindness, compassionate latitude for different beliefs, forgiveness, patience, and gratitude is activating the intelligence of love. As more of us practice these heart qualities, it puts more love into the energetic field, making it easier for others to do the same and eventually nations. We’re all connected energetically. This is how love can go viral. Love activated is the only thing that will change the world.

Meditation: Moving More Love Through Our System

  1. Breathe in love and get still in your heart. As you breathe out, radiate love into your mental, emotional, and physical system. See your heart, brain, and nervous system aligning in harmony and coherence.
  2. Now, envision yourself moving more love through your system by practicing heart qualities to reduce separation or improve a relationship. Ask your heart’s intuitive guidance for which heart qualities are most important for you to practice now, e.g., patience, kindness, compassionate latitude, forgiveness, gratitude, or another heart quality to increase love and heal separation.
  3. Next, breathe in the quality of love that your heart is guiding you to practice. As you breathe out, radiate that heart quality into the energetic field or to a relationship or situation to help heal separation.

It’s beneficial for each of us to take a week to practice a few of these heart qualities in different situations. Being genuine in your approach often brings a lift in spirit that can help you move through challenges that may arise. The main benefit of this exercise is that it helps to integrate more love into your system, which increases the connection with your heart’s intuitive guidance and direction.

Out With the Old, In With the New

Posted on | by HeartMath

“Out with the old, in with the new” is not just for the new year. It’s how we can create a new and better life. Within the process of moving from old to new, many of us are experiencing old issues we thought were healed or cleared coming up again. This is natural, especially during times of accelerated change in society. Rather than feeling discouraged, there is a more hopeful view. We can see these as traces of old patterns we no longer need coming up for more complete clearing. And here’s the best news: As old issues get cleared, this creates room for new heart-based perspectives and guidance to come in, which we all need in today’s times of intensity and change.

So How Do We Release Old Patterns as They Come Back Up?

First, it’s important to know that you are not alone, or wonder if you’ve done something wrong, or think that change is impossible when an old pattern resurfaces. Know that the shift energies on the planet are bringing up old programs for most people. No matter how real it feels, see whatever is coming up as not bad but simply as remnants of old stuff ready to release. 

The key to releasing old programs is self-acceptance and self-compassion, rather than resistance, self-criticism, or self-doubt. The power to release unproductive thoughts and emotions comes from your heart. Draw on your heart energy with meaningful intent, and the same old perceptions and programs will ease out. The heart is stronger than negative patterns or stuck energies; it just takes some practice to let them go.

Another important approach is to not add more mental and emotional stress to an old perception and reaction, wondering why and wherefore, or adding significance to it. For example, if you tend to get irritated or triggered by what someone says or does, and you get out of balance, that can bring up other old issues and you may feel anger or feel sorry for yourself. Recognize the process but try not to over-identify with it. This can be hard to do at times when it feels so real – again. Instead, have acceptance of whatever comes up, make peace with it, and then move on. You’ll find if you do this with meaningful heart intent, most often it will release. It may come up again, but likely with less intensity. It’s worth it to just keep practicing, as new insights and a new you will awaken. You’ll become more of your true self.

Here’s another hopeful perspective that can help explain the process that’s going on. The rapid societal and global changes we’re all going through are creating a global stress energy. At times we can feel uncertain, anxious, or depressed, not knowing why or where it’s coming from. Just as we are clearing out old to make room for new, so too is our planet going through a clearing. Old structures are breaking down and old societal issues are coming to the surface to clear so that new effective solutions that serve the whole can come in. Without releasing the old, there isn’t space for new solutions. More people are realizing this and feeling the prompting of their hearts to release the old and come together to co-create a new world that works for all. 

When people can’t release stress build up, it restricts the flow of their own spirit, followed by a feeling of compression. Some feel it as ongoing worry, anxiety, sadness, sleep problems, or they can’t think clearly. This also affects families and schools. As compression persists, it manifests in biological imbalances, such as nervous system or hormonal imbalances, and we can slide into depression. This happens in phases: 

  • Accumulated mental and emotional stress
  • Lack of spirit impression (restricting spirit flow)
  • Compression
  • Biological imbalances
  • Temporary or long-term depression

The Secret Hidden in the Open

The word “depression” means “low in spirit” or “dispirited.” Releasing depression and uplifting our spirit involves re-opening our heart.  The heart is where the gifts of spirit are activated within the human system. That’s the secret hidden in the open. The need for more heart in our interactions is accelerating in the world. More people are looking to their heart for direction and answers because most everything else has been tried. Now is the time for each of us to increase our love, care, and compassion for each other and ourselves. Doc Childre, founder of HeartMath, created the Cut-Thru technique to help us re-open the heart, so more of our spirit can come in for healing and mental and emotional support. The Cut-Thru® technique helps to lift our spirit and gain the objectivity needed to release over-identity with issues that keep us from feeling peace and the renewal of hope and direction. 

The Cut-Thru technique starts by helping us get into heart coherence to harmonize our heart and brain, which deepens our connection with spirit and intuitive insight. This powers up our ability to release old stuck programs. Harmonizing the heart and brain has many benefits, and one of the most powerful is it acts as a de-stressor on levels we aren’t conscious of yet. Instead of analyzing all the old hurts, resentments and judgments from our past, heart coherence lifts our awareness into new perceptions that help release compression and rebalance our mental, emotional, and biological systems, with practice. 

More and more health professionals are now including heart coherence in their treatment for hopelessness and depression, rather than focusing on the problems that cause people to turn on themselves and deplete their system. Sure, there will still be challenges, but we can get over them quicker once we know how to re-open the heart, uplift the vibration of our spirit, and see new – like children do. 

Letting go of Over-identity

Look at the Cut-Thru technique as a power tool to help us let go of over-identity. When we create excessive drama and over-identify with old stuff coming up, we can get pulled back into old perceptions, emotions, attitudes, and projections – creating a downward spiral of emotional stress. When we look at a relationship or the world situation through the lens of over-identity, we can take a judgmental stance often with partial information. People, politics, religions, and nations build belief systems based on identities and the result is often a blind refusal to understand another’s point of view. It prevents us from seeing a bigger picture so there can be no resolution or release. This is often the cause of chronic worry, sadness, lack of hope, and depression. It’s time to change and we can. Let’s start with our own challenges and activate the magic of the heart’s power of love, care, and compassion. 

Here’s the Cut-Thru Technique. Take your time with each step. You may have to repeat it a few times to release the old and bring in new hope and direction. We finally have to create, not wait for things to improve.

Cut-Thru® Technique

  1. Become aware of your feelings regarding the challenge or issue.
  2. Focus your attention in the area of the heart. Imagine breathing ease or appreciation slowly and casually through your heart or chest area.
  3. Assume objectivity about your challenging feeling or issue, as if you were considering it from a neutral observer’s perspective.
  4. Rest in neutral, in your objective, mature heart. Soak any disturbed or perplexed feelings in the compassion of the heart. This can help dissolve the significance a little at a   time. (It’s often the amount of emotional significance we put into an issue that creates a bigger problem than the issue itself.)
  5. After dissolving as much significance as you can, sincerely ask your heart’s intuition for appropriate inner guidance or insight for going forward. Ask your heart what really matters here. This is an important part of Cut-Thru.

Suggestion: If you don’t get an insight, find something to appreciate for a while and do Cut-Thru again at another time. Some things take longer because the emotional imprint was stronger—such as feelings of betrayal, abuse, trauma, etc.

The intensity of today’s times is providing a grand opportunity for us to wake up and realize that not a lot is going to change or clear without the heart’s power and intelligence being added to the process. More people are realizing that we really can help ourselves more than we think if we apply a genuine intention to our heart’s commitment. Humanity has just scratched the surface regarding the focused power of heart and love and its capacity for clearing and healing. Heartfelt alignment between our own heart, mind, and emotions is the foundation for getting along with our own self and with each other. With genuine practice, we can find within our heart the personal guidance and direction we need for our next steps along the path to becoming our empowered, true self.

Care Focus: Caring for Self; Caring for the World

Posted on | by HeartMath

Helping the World 

As we pause at times during the day to radiate our heart’s care and compassion to all the people suffering in Gaza and Israel and in the Russia-Ukraine war, we can wonder how much of a difference are we making and how else can we help the world. You’re not alone if you feel discouraged at times. With all the intensities going on, one after another, it can look like the world is falling into disarray. It’s important that we remember there’s a Shift happening on the planet. Old repressed energies have to come to the surface to release, or there wouldn’t be a Shift. It’s clearing the old to make room for the new.

An indication of the new is the wonderful momentum happening on the planet, with more and more people around the globe reporting that they are just tired of the separateness, the resentments, and of people, cultures, and countries not getting along with each other. Particularly among younger generations, there is a growing feeling of “enough is enough” and wanting to help the world by doing something different. Instead of waiting for governments or political parties to change, they realize they are the ones who have to create the change.

There is a heart-directed momentum developing in the midst of the wars and climate crises. More people are wanting to reduce the judgments and separation they have with each other. More people are practicing heart qualities — being kinder and having more compassionate care. It’s in the air. It’s a kindness and compassion movement across the planet and in different religions — a universal feeling that opening our hearts to each other is the one thing in the collective that hasn’t been tried yet. By allowing our hearts to lead, we can transform our care into actions that serve the whole. 

Caring for Self; Caring for the World 

The easiest way to both lift our spirit and help the world is to step up our outgoing care. As we focus on altruistically helping others, this helps to untie our internal knots and clear our energies to see new possibilities and feel reassurance. Sending heart energy and compassion to others helps connect us with intuitive heart feelings that can guide our direction, choices, and the best ways to turn our love and care into action. Here are a few examples: 

  1. A good start is having more care, compassion, and respect in our conversations. 
  1. When we think of the wars going on and problem areas in the world, we can radiate love, care, and compassion to the leaders making decisions and to the people affected. Radiating love into the field environment helps to dissipate clouds of density — making the Shift easier than it could be for humanity. 
  1. This holiday time can be extra stressful for many, so let’s remember to be kinder, less judgmental, and have more compassionate care. 

Putting care into action is called practical spirituality to create a better world — a world enriched with compassion and connection rather than separation. Practical spirituality involves consciously interacting with more love, care, and kindness. Practicing compassionate latitude helps to reduce our judgments and frustrations by realizing most everyone is going through challenges or brain fog that can distort our reasoning and choices. It’s especially helpful to open our hearts with compassion and respect for people who hold different views from us so we can learn to get along. Many people see this as a major missing piece for helping the world.

One of the most effective acts of service we can do is increase the heart energy moving through our system during the day. Pausing in the midst of activity to radiate gratitude, kindness, or compassion is a regenerative act of self-care that many of us forget (especially when we are pressed with stress, which is when we need it the most). It’s important that we do self-care maintenance, which strengthens our compassionate care going out to the world. Radiating heart care also helps to clear the way for sorting out our personal next steps. Often, our heart energies modulate up and down at times. When we feel down, it’s helpful to put out soft, genuine heart care — whether we can always feel it or not — as this helps ease our way through many challenging situations with much less stress. It aligns our heart, mind, and emotions for increased clarity on how we can best contribute, and draws more love and care to us.

As our hearts open more, we will sense more ways we can be effective in changing the world. Yet, the problem is that often we don’t sustain our initiative to practice the effective principles we aspire to until they become our new norm. It’s time for us all to stay meaningful with our practices and commitments to open our hearts more in our interactions and bring our much-needed love and care to the street. 

Care Focus: Caring for Self; Caring for the World 

  1. Breathe in love and get still inside. As you breathe out, radiate love and care into your cells. 
  1. While radiating love into your cells, see your mental, emotional, and physical health improving. Breathe light into your cells to clear density so more spirit can come in for healing and for mental and emotional support. 
  1. Now, envision yourself having more compassionate latitude for others, clearing miscommunications quicker, and listening to your heart feelings for direction in caring for yourself, others, and the world. Do this for a few minutes. 
  1. Now, breathe in what your heart guides you to do. Step into putting that care into action by breathing your intention into the earth. 
  1. Now, let’s radiate the collective heart energy to compassion and care initiatives that are facilitating the planetary Shift. See leaders deciding to cooperate more to increase peace and harmony in the world. 
  1. Let’s close by sending our deepest care and compassion to all who are suffering from wars, natural disasters, famine, and other major stressors. 

You can continue to do the Care Focus anytime it is convenient, as this will help raise the vibratory rate of the personal and collective field environment.

Thank you for your participation in this Care Focus.

Thank you for Caring. 

GCI Steering Committee and Staff 

(Reprinted with permission, HeartMath® Institute)

Heart Focus Event for the Holidays!

Posted on | by HeartMath

Deborah Rozman and Howard Martin present a live Heart Focus Event and Meditation this season.

Experience tapping into the heart’s wisdom for greater ease, intuitive guidance, calm, and flow. We share key practices for opening and expanding our hearts’ wisdom, as well as the daily life benefits of doing so for ourselves and others — followed by a 15-minute guided heart coherence experience with Heart Math’s CEO, Deborah Rozman.

Heart Connection Matters

Posted on | by HeartMath

One of the most effective ways to help ourselves and help humanity at the same time is to deepen our heart connections with each other. Neuroscience has found that our brains are wired for positive connections with others. When we’re in heart-based interactions, our brains release feel-good chemicals that have beneficial effects on our entire system.

Social/emotional wellness involves fostering positive connections with family, friends, co-workers, and even people we meet in daily life — at the store checkout counter, the bank, the delivery person, etc. Studies show that people who have strong heart connections and harmonious friendships tend to have a greater sense of security, increased feelings of joy, and more satisfaction with life in general.

People often have only surface-level connections with family or friends, along with some care, but miss a deeper understanding of the other person. This can lead to a sense of isolation and the epidemic of loneliness we are seeing throughout the developed world. Cultivating stronger heart connections starts by extending warm-hearted feelings. As we communicate with compassionate care and kindness, this energetically warms the heart connection in our interactions, which results in more harmony and better outcomes. When we connect with warmth and intentional care, we listen and hear more deeply. This increases our intuitive sensitivity to another person’s feelings and essence, which helps with deeper understanding.

The more care and compassion we have for each other, the more it increases the heart energy or love flowing through our system. This can be effective for restoring our own mental and emotional balance and reducing personal stress. For humanity to dissipate walls of separation between people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and values, we need to connect from the heart to establish rapport and truly understand each other. This requires humility and a heart’s desire to understand. We don’t have to agree with another person’s views. We can share our truth from our heart about what we feel — but holding to a mind stance only perpetuates feelings of separation and disconnection. Connecting from the heart supports the dignity, respect, and deep listening needed for effective communication between people with different beliefs.  

Scientific research is showing that, whether we like it or not, we are all energetically interconnected. Acknowledging this interconnectivity is essential for healing separation and finding solutions to our personal and societal problems. Each person’s thoughts, attitudes, and emotions emit energies through their heart’s electromagnetic field that impact their brain and body and impact others as well. Researchers have observed how a heart-connected conversation can synchronize brain patterns. The people in a group who listened and worked to seek consensus were the ones whose brains synchronized with others first, which then drove synchrony in the larger group.

HeartMath Institute is collaborating with scientists and institutions to study the interconnected nature of people as key to healing the separation, which is at the heart of most of humanity’s problems. The potential of this interconnectivity research is to motivate millions of people to take more responsibility for their mental and emotional energies and understand the importance of heart-connected communication. Then, getting along with each other won’t be just an altruistic notion. It will be an intelligent, practical, common sense way of life.

It starts with each of us realizing that heart connection matters in day-to-day life. Here are a few heart connection tips that we can practice, which will also help release some of the stress we energetically accumulate from our own, others, and the world’s challenges.

Heart Connection Tips

  • A fast-acting practice for deeper heart connection is to create an attitude of care, kindness, and respect for another person before and during conversations. The practice of intentionally connecting with these heart qualities first sets an energetic tone that makes it easier for heart energy to flow in our interactions. When genuine care precedes communication, then it’s easier for our heart feelings to inform us of the most effective way to communicate that’s best for all concerned. This prevents unnecessary stress and separation, along with increased coherence and harmony in our relationships.
  • It’s especially smart to “prep” before conversations that could be sensitive. You can “prep” by radiating heart feelings to the person for a few minutes before a phone call, Zoom meeting, in-person meeting, etc. See yourself staying calm while speaking or listening, without forming opinions, judgments, or conclusions. (This part takes a little more practice, but it’s well worth it.) You’ll find that “prep” can make a big difference in the flow of communication and the outcome. 
  • Giving compassionate latitude to each other (and to yourself) is another important tip, as we are all affected by today’s increasing challenges, whether extreme weather events, society’s polarizing values, people’s chaotic behaviors, or global unease from uncertainty.
  • Another effective heart connection tip is to hold a genuine feeling of appreciation for the person as you communicate. Holding others in appreciation radiates an energy field that increases respect for each other and creates a safe zone for warm-hearted communication.
  • A Heart Connection Meditation you can practice:
  • Sit in a quiet place and start by breathing in feelings of love and appreciation, as this activates your heart coherence.
  • Now, envision your communications and interactions to be warmer, more compassionate, and kinder. This encourages compassionate latitude for others, which can powerfully reduce much of the stress people are experiencing in these times.
  • Now send your deepest care and compassion to people you feel separate from.

Realize that as more of us increase our intentional care and compassion in interactions, it raises the vibration of the energetic environment, making it easier for more people to open their hearts to each other. This will facilitate the global heart awakening.

(Originally published in GCI August 1, 2023 – Full Moon Synchronized Care Focus)

Special Care Focus, Meditation/Prayer to the Israel-Hamas Conflict

Posted on | by HeartMath

Join us in a Global Heart Session for radiating care and compassion to the Israel-Hamas conflict anytime you choose, or during synchronized times from today through Friday, October 20 at 4 a.m., noon, and 8 p.m. PT (minus 8 hours GMT/UTC). Allow 10 to 15 minutes or whatever is convenient.

You can use the simple Compassion Care Focus below, or any method that is comfortable for your heart.

Compassion Care Focus for the Israel-Hamas Conflict:

1. Focus on your heart and breathe in the intentional feeling of love and compassion.

2. Now create a genuine heart connection with people across the globe who are sending love and compassion to the situation in Israel and Gaza. 

3. Imagine leaders around the world cooperating effectively to help end this war and suffering.

4. Now radiate deep care and compassion to all people enduring the unimaginable consequences of this conflict, or any aspect that’s heavy in your heart.

Note: Try to manage your personal emotions through these times the best you can. Managing emotions is not about cutting off our feelings. It’s about not letting anger, fear, and worry override the effectiveness of the care we’re putting out, even though it’s understandably hard at times. Don’t worry about getting it just right. All genuine heart counts.

Thank you for your care,

HeartMath

Heart Coherence Training May Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on | by HeartMath

In a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Association, it was revealed that over 6 million people in America are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This devastating disease slowly erodes the minds of people we love and care for, but a ray of hope has emerged from a groundbreaking study by researchers at the University of Southern California that suggests heart coherence training may offer help to millions of individuals and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Heart coherence refers to a specific rhythmic pattern of heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in the time intervals between heartbeats – the beat-to-beat changes. To achieve heart coherence, individuals are guided to consciously slow their breathing while using heart rhythm biofeedback developed by HeartMath to increase their coherence score. This randomized clinical trial found that daily heart rate variability biofeedback practice sessions reduced amyloid beta plaque in the bloodstream of healthy younger and older adults. The findings were published in both Nature Scientific Reports on March 9, 2023, and in The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association on June 16, 2023.

Study Reveals a Potential Intervention for Alzheimer’s

Dr. Mara Mather, principal investigator of the study, utilized HeartMath’s emWave® Pro software and sensor to train participants in slow-paced coherence breathing. Participants were divided into two groups: one group practiced slow-paced breathing at the cardiovascular resonant frequency of 0.1 HZ, also known as the coherence frequency, to increase heart rate oscillations. The emWave Pro software and sensor provided real-time HRV biofeedback, enabling participants to optimize their breathing technique. The other group used individualized strategies to reduce heart rate oscillations.

Heart Coherence Breathing Reduced Alzheimer’s Biomarkers

Dr. Mara Mather commented on the study: “Our research indicates that slow-paced breathing exercises combined with HRV biofeedback training decreases plasma levels of Aβ (Amyloid Beta). In healthy adults, higher plasma Aβ levels are associated with higher risk of AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) as well as cardiovascular death.”

Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., director of research at the HeartMath Institute, expressed his excitement about the study’s findings, stating that they were remarkable and encouraging. He commended Dr. Mara Mather for conducting the research and expressed the institute’s desire to see further work in this area. McCraty stated: “The study demonstrated a significant link between increased heart coherence and reduced biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s Disease, opening up avenues for further investigation. The precedent set by this initial research confirmed and validated the efficacy of HRV coherence training in helping prevent or lessen the effects of this debilitating condition.”

Another study using HRV Coherence Biofeedback for Cognitive Health

Multiple research studies point to chronic stress as a significant contributor to cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease. As such, interventions focused on mitigating stress and enhancing emotional and mental well-being may help to preserve our cognitive faculties as we age. While breakthroughs in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s remain somewhat elusive, an earlier study titled “Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease: Successful Pilot Project” also utilized HeartMath HRV coherence biofeedback (Inner Balance™ Trainer portable technology) for participants to manage stress as part of their intervention. This study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2022, also reported promising results, including a reduction of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. 

HeartMath Institute has had an ongoing focus on optimal functioning research since its founding more than three decades ago. In the 1990s, HeartMath researchers made an important discovery: Intentionally invoking positive emotions is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce unhealthy stress. Emotions such as appreciation, care, compassion, and love have been shown to increase heart coherence, lower stress, and enhance cognitive functions, including memory and focus. HeartMath’s tools to increase heart coherence have also been found to help improve memory.

“Research has shown that sustained positive emotions lead to a highly efficient and regenerative functional mode associated with increased coherence in heart-rhythm patterns and greater synchronization between and harmony heart and brain and among physiological systems,” McCraty wrote. For more understanding, see Heart Rhythm Coherence – An Emerging Area of Biofeedback.

Prospect for Non-Drug Strategies to Maintain Cognitive Health

As we face an anticipated surge in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, interventions which aim to reduce stress by enhancing heart coherence and invoking positive emotions will become all the more crucial. While coherence won’t cure Alzheimer’s, it can significantly contribute to reducing one of its major risk factors – chronic stress –  thus offering an empowering way to help people preserve their cognitive health and reduce key biomarkers associated with Alzheimers disease.

HeartMath Institute President Sara Childre is among the millions of people who have been touched by Alzheimer’s: “My father had Alzheimer’s for eight years. It is a tough disease. He was quite brilliant, had an economics degree, and was a three-star general in the Marines. It was so disheartening to see his cognitive functions just melt away. I do believe all the stressors of wars – WWII, the Korean War, and two tours in Vietnam – added to the severity of the disease.”

HeartMath is providing hope that with further research we can discover more powerful non-drug strategies for managing stress and preserving cognitive health in our aging society. The Institute’s research continues to push the boundaries of science and shed new light on the intricate relationship between our heart, brain, and overall health and wellness.

  • Team of researchers led by Mara Mather, Professor of Gerontology and Psychology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
  • Clinical trial funded by the US National Institute of Health.
  • Independent research – HeartMath not involved.
  • Reveals how just 4-5 weeks of practicing slow-paced/coherence breathing using HeartMath’s HRV biofeedback has measurable benefits on brain health, structure, and function.
  • These benefits should help protect the brain against premature aging and dementia.
  • So far, the team has published 3 peer-reviewed papers, covering 3 randomized controlled trials.
  • WHO estimates that 78m people worldwide will have dementia by 2030, rising to over 150m people by 2050.
  • Currently, Alzheimer’s contributes 60-70% of all dementia cases globally.
  • Alzheimer’s is the 7th largest cause of death globally and the 2nd largest in the UK and USA.
  • NHS estimates 1 in 14 people over 65 and 1 in 6 people over 80 are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and 1 in 20 people are under 65.
  • There are no “cures” for dementia or Alzheimer’s, but there are ways we can reduce the risk and potentially slow progression. HeartMath can help!

A Hunger for Heart and an Epidemic of Loneliness

Posted on | by HeartMath

In today’s world, the prevalence of loneliness is on the rise, giving birth to what Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the surgeon general of the United States, refers to as an “epidemic of loneliness.” With the detrimental impact this has on our mental and emotional well-being, loneliness has become a pressing public health crisis. This article explores the profound effects of loneliness, the fraying of social connections, and the importance of nurturing human connections.

The Toll on Health and Well-Being 

Loneliness takes a toll on both our mental and physical health. The stats are alarming: Studies have shown that more than half of Americans report being lonely (most are young people), and loneliness increases our risk of heart disease by 29 percent, stroke by 32 percent, and the development of dementia by 50 percent in older adults. Surprisingly, loneliness is also associated with a 60 percent increased risk of premature death. 

Dr. Murthy just released an urgent advisory in May 2023 stating, “Given these extraordinary costs, rebuilding our social connection must be a top public health priority for our nation…It will require reorienting ourselves, our communities, and our institutions to prioritize human connection and healthy relationships.” Until this happens, the situation can only get worse.

The Loneliness Paradox

Humans are inherently social beings, seeking connection and emotional bonds from an early age. Yet, despite the abundance of digital connections through online meetings, email interactions, social media, etc., more of us feel isolated and disconnected. A 2022 global study highlighted the increasing prevalence of loneliness, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is crucial to note that even before the pandemic, the amount of time people engaged in person with friends decreased between 2003 and 2020 by 20 hours per month. The decline was greater for people ages 15 to 24, where the time they spent in person with friends had decreased by nearly 70 percent. 

Nurturing Human Connection

Dr. Murthy emphasizes in his advisory the need to prioritize human connection and healthy relationships to combat the loneliness epidemic. Loneliness is not solely determined by the number of people around us; it is the depth and quality of our connections that truly matter. Dr. Murthy suggests that simple acts of kindness, respect, and cultivating healthy social bonds are what’s needed to strengthen our social fabric and positively impact society. 

But people need help to practice kindness and care, especially when life is challenging. Often when people get together in social situations, much of what they talk about is negative news, separation, competition, and blaming the government. A lot of times, it’s just mind energy having to vent, but as this amplifies each other’s judgments, separation, and biases, the heart closes off.

HeartMath® has studied the underpinnings of loneliness and how the heart shuts down when we feel separate, lack healthy and meaningful connections, or are unable to release negative experiences, whether on social media or in person. There is a cascade effect from loneliness into health, relationships, and societal consequences.  

Addressing Polarization and Extremism

The rise in political polarization and identity-based extremism is a reflection of the heart shutting down and highlights the urgency to foster heart-based connections across ideological differences. It will take leaders and influencers of various political persuasions to play a pivotal role in modeling healthy social connections, promoting dialogue, and reinforcing core heart values of kindness, respect, and sincere listening to one another.

Cultivating a Culture of Heart Connection

HeartMath has researched heart connection for over 30 years and developed tools and practices to help people re-open the door of the heart and connect on a more authentic level. 

We can’t just tell each other to get out of the house and have more friends. We need to realize that people are doing the best they can. There are bottom-line practices to connect with the heart that make it easier to draw social situations that are positive and nurturing, where people relate at deeper levels. 

The HeartMath research team and other research labs have studied the biological reasons to practice kindness and compassion. The neurochemicals released as we practice these heart qualities are powerful; they influence our feelings, moods, and perceptions. They affect how we respond to stress, relationships, and our decision-making. Heart-based practices can help fill the emptiness from loneliness and build our resilience, so the social rebuffs we all experience at times don’t get personalized as easily. By practicing kindness, compassion, and respect, we reinforce these qualities and inspire others to do the same. Even small acts of heart connection, such as a smile or a brief interaction, can have a profound impact on our sense of connectedness.

The Power of Meaningful Connections

Meaningful relationships with family and close friends are rated in surveys as the most important sources of meaning, purpose, and motivation in our lives. They motivate health-promoting behaviors, enhance self-regulation, and foster a sense of belonging and support. 

One of the key tools to nurture meaningful heart connection is to practice compassionate latitude. Doing that, instead of blame and separation, is the real heart care. Compassionate latitude is the consideration that we all fall short at times in our choices, words, or actions, especially when under stress from challenges that others aren’t aware of. It increases patience and encourages a deeper understanding of another’s situation. Practicing compassionate latitude with each other in social situations quickly begins to reduce stress built up from stored judgments and resentments. This is so important for restoring balance and resilience during today’s pressing times of change and unpredictability. 

Here’s a simple practice that can help.

Compassionate Latitude 

  1. Start with quiet breathing while radiating feelings of care for someone or something you appreciate. This helps to shift your energy from the mind to your heart.
  1. Next, ponder situations where you could give others more compassionate latitude (at home, at work, especially while sorting out miscommunications, on social media, etc.)
  1. As you breathe, imagine yourself replacing judgments, infuriated responses, or lack of tolerance with compassionate latitude (e.g., attitudes of deeper care, kindness, patience, and understanding). Practicing several days in a row helps to anchor this valuable habit.

Overcoming Loneliness

In a world increasingly dominated by digital connections and a growing epidemic of loneliness, nurturing meaningful connections has never been more crucial. By recognizing the importance of practicing kindness, respect, and compassionate latitude, we can address the loneliness epidemic and realize that heart-to-heart connection is what’s needed to take us beyond our differences. 

Heart-based practices offer a pathway to take control of loneliness. Let us embrace the power of heart connection, both online and in person, and work together to nurture a more compassionate world. As more of us open our hearts, we can learn to get along with each other and establish a new baseline of care in our interactions. We can ask ourselves, “If we don’t do this, is anything really going to get better?” It’s a time for love, care, and compassion to hit the street…running.

Inner Stillness by Doc Childre

Posted on | by Doc Childre

Many spiritual cultures agree inner stillness creates an energetic environment for supporting our advancing consciousness that can unleash the transformational power of our love.

That’s why, from the beginning of HeartMath, many of the tools and especially the technology have been designed to monitor and facilitate easier access to stillness and its connection to our natural inner wisdom and guidance. Forget the philosophical reference for awhile and think of inner stillness as something simple, practical and street-worthy. How many times have we told friends or children to get still inside and listen-up because we have something important to tell them?

This reveals our innate respect for the value of stillness, so why not use it the way it can count the most, to quiet our mental and emotional static so we can hear the counsel from our heart’s intuitive suggestions for better choices and outcomes.

When our mind finally lets go, inner stillness is where we land. From there we can reset and upgrade the experience of our life. The earlier we learn the value of inner stillness, the less we need to experience the more stressful ways life often nudges us into considering higher choices for personal peace and happiness. We often hear ourselves and others say, “If I had more foresight, I would have handled that situation differently.” Stillness is a primary source for increasing our foresight and creative solutions. Inner stillness is a place that our heart can speak to us without our mind running it off the road. In order to “be still, and know” we first have to be still enough to listen.

It’s a forward-moving choice to schedule times for inner stillness and allow our mind and emotions to experience a time-out from worry, anxiety and processing. Stillness requires a little practice because our mind will try to occupy that space (or any space if the door is left cracked). Know that you don’t have to be still as a rock to recharge your resilience and lift your perception.

If inner stillness didn’t produce high-value results, think of all the centuries of time that meditators and spiritually conscious people would have wasted throughout history. With refinement, inner stillness becomes like a personal elevator to our highest view and eliminates the weariness from climbing endless stairs. Practicing stillness helps us to connect with our heart’s intelligent guidance and make decisions we can feel good about. It’s an effective practical step for creating a less stressful, happier life.

Inner Stillness Heart Meditation

  1. Find a place to breathe quietly for a few minutes. (You can always find a place – close the door to your office or room, or the bathroom, or outside in a quiet area.)
  2. Focus your attention in the area of the heart and pretend your breath is flowing in and out of the heart or chest area. With each breath imagine your mind, emotions and body getting still inside.
  3. From that place of stillness, feel a caring connection with someone or a pet you are close to, or just focus on peace. Don’t look for experience just be – without exploring your mind’s inserts. This creates inner-coherence and a deeper connection with your heart’s suggestions.
  4. Gently excuse any thoughts that come up, positive or negative know that you can entertain them at another time. As thoughts come up, don’t push against them; just casually focus on breathing love and peace into the stillness for a few minutes to anchor the feeling into your cellular memory.
  5. Practicing inner stillness will help you recall the feeling more quickly when discerning important matters and directions.

Try this again later if it doesn’t work. Sometimes we give up too quickly, especially on the things that would benefit us the most.

Many people report that the inner stillness practice helps them most by releasing pent up energy from worry or frustration, as well as anxiety from hard to make decisions. We would love to hear about your experiences with practicing inner stillness. Your shared comments and insights are not only appreciated but they can also help to inspire others.