WHAT IS HEARTMATH BIOFEEDBACK
Managing stress levels has become a hot topic in recent years, in part due to the ever-increasing pressure to keep up with hustle culture and do more and be more, and in part due to studies revealing how much stress can impact our physical health.
Many people now realize that, to succeed and be happy in life, they need to put their mental and physical health first. High-stress levels can impact digestive health, the immune system, and heart rate, and that’s not to touch on the negative effects on quality of life.
Heart rate is one of the most important markers for stress and health – specifically, your heart rate variability.
What Is Heart Rate Variability?
Heart rate variability (HRV) is a simple measure of the time variation between heartbeats. HRV is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which is a primitive part of the nervous system (containing both the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system).
Much of the stress and anxiety we feel comes from our bodies reacting to a worry (a perceived threat) as if it were a real life-or-death threat. The ANS cannot tell the difference between the threat we feel from worrying about an upcoming business meeting and that of the potential threat of a predator on the horizon, and so it will react to our feelings of fear in the same way.
While our ancestors’ stressors would largely be short-term worries (how to find food and shelter, how to get away from a predator, etc), our worries are nearly always long-term. This means we can feel in a state of high alert for days, weeks, or even months at a time, which can lead to low HRV.
What is HeartMath Biofeedback?
The HeartMath Institute has been researching the heart-brain relationship for over 25 years, and their research has shown that heart rate patterns can affect your mental state, just as much as your thoughts can affect your physicality. This feedback loop can be a difficult one to break, which is where HeartMath Biofeedback comes in.
HeartMath Biofeedback uses science-backed techniques, learning programs, and coherence technology to help users take control and learn how to intervene to prevent physical and mental stress symptoms to achieve a state of coherence.
What Is Coherence?
Coherence is when your mind, emotions, brain, and body are balanced and working in harmony, and it’s very difficult to reach through relaxation and mindfulness techniques alone. If you don’t find ways to measure and interrupt the high-stress cycle, it becomes very difficult to break free of it. That’s why HeartMath Biofeedback is so effective. HeartMath Biofeedback allows you to learn how to reach psychophysiological coherence so all systems can work effectively, giving you the benefits of emotional stability and mental clarity.
How Does Heartmath Biofeedback Work?
HeartMath Biofeedback teaches you to take control of the heart-brain connection so you can improve your physical wellbeing. HeartMath Biofeedback allows you to go beyond the conclusions you can draw when viewing your heart rate (BPM) and allows you to see the variation between beats, so you can see how your thoughts and feelings affect your heart rate on a much smaller scale. With HeartMath Biofeedback, you can learn to change your heart rhythm to create physiological coherence, to help you feel less alarm and more calm.
HeartMath Biofeedback is best used with the supervision of a professional who can guide you through the training but can be used daily with the HeartMath app. The HeartMath device attaches to your body to accurately measure your HRV so you can learn how to have greater control over the mind-body connection.
Most people use their HeartMath monitor while meditating and find the act of sitting down to work with their HeartMath sensor helps them relax, even before they start training with the HeartMath app.
How Effective Is Heartmath Biofeedback?
In a study of over 11,500 people, training with HeartMath Biofeedback helped participants reduce anxiety by 46%, reduce feelings of depression by 56%, and improve focus by 24%, among other benefits.
Modern life is stressful – you’ve got to manage your career, family, health, and other commitments while being bombarded with news from around the world about disasters you’ve got no control over. If you feel overwhelmed and like you don’t seem to be able to relax, you’re not alone. HeartMath technology was designed with people like you in mind and can help you drastically reduce your stress and increase your quality of life. To find out more about HeartMath schedule a consultation with one of our expert NeuroCoaches at (323) 705-3031 or schedule appt at the Los Angeles Neurofeedback Center.
