HeartMath Knowledge and Resources

• List of the HeartMath providers coach mentors
• Certified Group Trainers (Please Contact Us)

HeartMath Programs/Courses

• HeartMath Experience – Free HeartMath Introduction and level 1 learning program
• HeartMath Solutions – How you can use HeartMath today (free)
• HeartMath Certification Programs

First Time and Refresher courses in using HeartMath Coherence Tech

• End user info for using the technology (emwave and inner balance)

Refresher courses in Australia: for those already certified

• 1on1
• Coach Mentor
• BPR certification

emWave Pro

Designed for health professionals and their clients to achieve more meaningful results, the emWave Pro is a unique training system that objectively monitors your heart rhythms and displays the level of coherence — an optimal physiological state where the heart, mind, and emotions align in cooperation and harmony.

Tech Support

Here is the Tech support email for any problems with the HeartMath emwave or inner balance technology (if any) Mail to: support@heartmath.com
[describe in detail what the issue is and the more detail and if possible screen shots or photos the easier it may be for the technical person to assist ].

• HeartMath Blogs
• HeartMath Webinars
• HeartMath Global Events
• HeartMath Courses only offered / only bookable in Australia/ NZ
• All HeartMath Courses only bookable in USA site – contact us by email
• All HeartMath Courses bookable available in Aus/NZ – contact us by email

The Science Behind the emWave® and Inner Balance™ Technologies

The emWave and Inner Balance technologies and the tools and techniques of the HeartMath system are based on over 17 years of scientific research on the psychophysiology of stress, emotions, and the interactions between the heart and brain.

The Heart–Brain Connection

Most of us have been taught in school that the heart is constantly responding to “orders” sent by the brain in the form of neural signals. However, it is not as commonly known that 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 emotional processing as well as higher cognitive faculties such as attention, perception, memory, and problem-solving. In other words, not only does the heart respond to the brain, but the brain continuously responds to the heart.

The effect of heart activity on brain function has been researched extensively over about the past 40 years. Earlier research mainly examined the effects of heart activity occurring on a very short time scale – over several consecutive heartbeats at maximum. Scientists at the Institute of HeartMath have extended this body of scientific research by looking at how larger-scale patterns of heart activity affect the brain’s functioning.

HeartMath research has demonstrated that different patterns of heart activity (which accompany different emotional states) have distinct effects on cognitive and emotional function. During stress and negative emotions, when the heart rhythm pattern is erratic and disordered, the corresponding pattern of neural signals traveling from the heart to the brain inhibits higher cognitive functions. This limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions. (This helps explain why we may often act impulsively and unwisely when we’re under stress.) The heart’s input to the brain during stressful or negative emotions also has a profound effect on the brain’s emotional processes—actually serving to reinforce the emotional experience of stress.

In contrast, the more ordered and stable pattern of the heart’s input to the brain during positive emotional states has the opposite effect – it facilitates cognitive function and reinforces positive feelings and emotional stability. This means that learning to generate increased heart rhythm coherence, by sustaining positive emotions, not only benefits the entire body, but also profoundly affects how we perceive, think, feel, and perform.

Your Heart’s Changing Rhythm

The heart at rest was once thought to operate much like a metronome, faithfully beating out a regular, steady rhythm. Scientists and physicians now know, however, that this is far from the case. Rather than being monotonously regular, the rhythm of a healthy heart-even under resting conditions – is actually surprisingly irregular, with the time interval between consecutive heartbeats constantly changing. This naturally occurring beat-to-beat variation in heart rate is called heart rate variability (HRV).

The normal variability in heart rate is due to the synergistic action of the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS)—the part of the nervous system that regulates most of the body’s internal functions. The sympathetic nerves act to accelerate heart rate, while the parasympathetic (vagus) nerves slow it down. The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS are continually interacting to maintain cardiovascular activity in its optimal range and to permit appropriate reactions to changing external and internal conditions. The analysis of HRV therefore serves as a dynamic window into the function and balance of the autonomic nervous system.

The moment-to-moment variations in heart rate are generally overlooked when average heart rate is measured (for example, when your doctor takes your pulse over a certain period of time and calculates that your heart is beating at, say, 70 beats per minute). However, the emWave and Inner Balance technologies allows you to observe your heart’s changing rhythms in real time. Using your pulse data, it provides a picture of your HRV—plotting the natural increases and decreases in your heart rate occurring on a continual basis.

Why is HRV Important?

Scientists and physicians consider HRV to be an important indicator of health and fitness. As a marker of physiological resilience and behavioral flexibility, it reflects our ability to adapt effectively to stress and environmental demands. A simple analogy helps to illustrate this point: just as the shifting stance of a tennis player about to receive a serve may facilitate swift adaptation, in healthy individuals the heart remains similarly responsive and resilient, primed and ready to react when needed.

HRV is also a marker of biological aging. Our heart rate variability is greatest when we are young, and as we age the range of variation in our resting heart rate becomes smaller. Although the age-related decline in HRV is a natural process, having abnormally low HRV for one’s age group is associated with increased risk of future health problems and premature mortality. Low HRV is also observed in individuals with a wide range of diseases and disorders. By reducing stress-induced wear and tear on the nervous system and facilitating the body’s natural regenerative processes, regular practice of HeartMath coherence-building techniques can help restore low HRV to healthy values.

Heart Rhythm Patterns and Emotions

Many factors affect the activity of the ANS, and therefore influence HRV. These include our breathing patterns, physical exercise, and even our thoughts. Research at the Institute of HeartMath has shown that one of the most powerful factors that affect our heart’s changing rhythm is our feelings and emotions. When our varying heart rate is plotted over time, the overall shape of the waveform produced is called the heart rhythm pattern. When you use the emWave and Inner Balance technologies, you are seeing your heart rhythm pattern in real time. HeartMath research has found that the emotions we experience directly affect our heart rhythm pattern – and this, in turn, tells us much about how our body is functioning.

In general, emotional stress – including emotions such as anger, frustration, and anxiety—gives rise to heart rhythm patterns that appear irregular and erratic: the HRV waveform looks like a series of uneven, jagged peaks (an example is shown in the figure below). Scientists call this an incoherent heart rhythm pattern. Physiologically, this pattern indicates that the signals produced by the two branches of the ANS are out of sync with each other. This can be likened to driving a car with one foot on the gas pedal (the sympathetic nervous system) and the other on the brake (the parasympathetic nervous system) at the same time – this creates a jerky ride, burns more gas, and isn’t great for your car, either! Likewise, the incoherent patterns of physiological activity associated with stressful emotions can cause our body to operate inefficiently, deplete our energy, and produce extra wear and tear on our whole system. This is especially true if stress and negative emotions are prolonged or experienced often.

In contrast, positive emotions send a very different signal throughout our body. When we experience uplifting emotions such as appreciation, joy, care, and love; our heart rhythm pattern becomes highly ordered, looking like a smooth, harmonious wave (an example is shown in the figure below). This is called a coherent heart rhythm pattern. When we are generating a coherent heart rhythm, the activity in the two branches of the ANS is synchronized and the body’s systems operate with increased efficiency and harmony. It’s no wonder that positive emotions feel so good – they actually help our body’s systems synchronize and work better.

Coherence: A State of Optimal Function

The Institute of HeartMath’s research has shown that generating sustained positive emotions facilitates a body-wide shift to a specific, scientifically measurable state. This state is termed psychophysiological coherence, because it is characterized by increased order and harmony in both our psychological (mental and emotional) and physiological (bodily) processes. Psychophysiological coherence is state of optimal function. Research shows that when we activate this state, our physiological systems function more efficiently, we experience greater emotional stability, and we also have increased mental clarity and improved cognitive function. Simply stated, our body and brain work better, we feel better, and we perform better.

Physiologically, the coherence state is marked by the development of a smooth, sine-wave-like pattern in the heart rate variability trace. This characteristic pattern, called heart rhythm coherence, is the primary indicator of the psychophysiological coherence state, and is what the emWave and Inner Balance technologies measure and quantify. A number of important physiological changes occur during coherence. The two branches of the ANS synchronize with one another, and there is an overall shift in autonomic balance toward increased parasympathetic activity. There is also increased physiological entrainment—a number of different bodily systems synchronize to the rhythm generated by the heart (see figure below). Finally, there is increased synchronization between the activity of the heart and brain.

Coherence Is Not Relaxation

An important point is that the state of coherence is both psychologically and physiologically distinct from the state achieved through most techniques for relaxation. At the physiological level, relaxation is characterized by an overall reduction in autonomic outflow (resulting in lower HRV) and a shift in ANS balance towards increased parasympathetic activity. Coherence is also associated with a relative increase in parasympathetic activity, thus encompassing a key element of the relaxation response, but is physiologically distinct from relaxation in that the system oscillates at its natural resonant frequency and there is increased harmony and synchronization in nervous system and heart–brain dynamics. This important difference between the two states is reflected most clearly in their respective HRV power spectra (see figure and explanation below). Furthermore, unlike relaxation, the coherence state does not necessarily involve a lowering of heart rate, or a change in the amount of HRV, but rather is primarily marked by a change in the heart rhythm pattern.

Unlike relaxation, coherence does not necessarily involve a reduction in HRV, and may at times even produce an increase in HRV relative to a baseline state. As can be seen in the corresponding power spectrum, coherence is marked by an unusually large, narrow peak in the low frequency band, centered around 0.1 hertz (note the significant power scale difference between the spectra for coherence and relaxation). This large, characteristic spectral peak is indicative of the system-wide resonance and synchronization that occurs during the coherence state.

Not only are there fundamental physiological differences between relaxation and coherence, but the psychological characteristics of these states are also quite different. Relaxation is a low-energy state in which the individual rests both the body and mind, typically disengaging from cognitive and emotional processes. In contrast, coherence generally involves the active engagement of positive emotions. Psychologically, coherence is experienced as a calm, balanced, yet energized and responsive state that is conducive to everyday functioning and interaction, including the performance of tasks requiring mental acuity, focus, problem-solving, and decision-making, as well as physical activity and coordination.

The Role of Breathing

Another important distinction involves understanding the role of breathing in the generation of coherence and its relationship to the techniques of the HeartMath System. Because breathing patterns modulate the heart’s rhythm, it is possible to generate a coherent heart rhythm simply by breathing slowly and regularly at a 10-second rhythm (5 seconds on the in-breath and 5 seconds on the out-breath). Breathing rhythmically in this fashion can thus be a useful intervention to initiate a shift out of stressful emotional state and into increased coherence. However, this type of cognitively-directed paced breathing can require considerable mental effort and is difficult for some people to maintain.

While HeartMath techniques incorporate a breathing element, paced breathing is not their primary focus and they should therefore not be thought of simply as breathing exercises. The main difference between the HeartMath tools and most commonly practiced breathing techniques is the HeartMath tools’ focus on the intentional generation of a heartfelt positive emotional state. This emotional shift is a key element of the techniques’ effectiveness. Positive emotions appear to excite the system at its natural resonant frequency and thus enable coherence to emerge and to be maintained naturally, without conscious mental focus on one’s breathing rhythm.

This is because input generated by the heart’s rhythmic activity is actually one of the main factors that affect our breathing rate and patterns. When the heart’s rhythm shifts into coherence as a result of a positive emotional shift, our breathing rhythm automatically synchronizes with the heart, thereby reinforcing and stabilizing the shift to system-wide coherence.

Additionally, the positive emotional focus of the HeartMath techniques confers a much wider array of benefits than those typically achieved through breathing alone. These include deeper perceptual and emotional changes, increased access to intuition and creativity, cognitive and performance improvements, and favorable changes in hormonal balance.

To derive the full benefits of the HeartMath tools, it is therefore important to learn how to self-activate and eventually sustain a positive emotion. However, for users who initially have trouble achieving or maintaining coherence, practicing heart-focused breathing at a 10-second rhythm, as described above, can be useful training aid. Once individuals grow accustomed to generating coherence through rhythmic breathing and become familiar with how this state feels, they can then begin to practice breathing a positive feeling or attitude through the heart area in order to enhance their experience of the HeartMath tools and their benefits. Eventually, with continuity of practice, most people become able to shift into coherence by directly activating a positive emotion.

The Intelligent Heart

Many of the changes in bodily function that occur during the coherence state revolve around changes in the heart’s pattern of activity. While the heart is certainly a remarkable pump, interestingly, it is only relatively recently in the course of human history—around the past three centuries or so—that the heart’s function has been defined (by Western scientific thought) as only that of pumping blood. Historically, in almost every culture of the world, the heart was ascribed a far more multifaceted role in the human system, being regarded as a source of wisdom, spiritual insight, thought, and emotion. Intriguingly, scientific research over the past several decades has begun to provide evidence that many of these long-surviving associations may well be more than simply metaphorical. These developments have led science to once again to revise and expand its understanding of the heart and the role of this amazing organ.

In the new field of neurocardiology, for example, scientists have discovered that the heart possesses its own intrinsic nervous system—a network of nerves so functionally sophisticated as to earn the description of a “heart brain.” Containing over 40,000 neurons, this “little brain” gives the heart the ability to independently sense, process information, make decisions, and even to demonstrate a type of learning and memory. In essence, it appears that the heart is truly an intelligent system. Research has also revealed that the heart is a hormonal gland, manufacturing and secreting numerous hormones and neurotransmitters that profoundly affect brain and body function. Among the hormones the heart produces is oxytocin—well known as the “love” or “bonding hormone.” Science has only begun to understand the effects of the electromagnetic fields produced by the heart, but there is evidence that the information contained in the heart’s powerful field may play a vital synchronizing role in the human body—and that it may affect others around us as well.

Research has also shown that the heart is a key component of the emotional system. Scientists now understand that the heart not only responds to emotion, but that the signals generated by its rhythmic activity actually play a major part in determining the quality of our emotional experience from moment to moment. As described next, these heart signals also profoundly impact perception and cognitive function by virtue of the heart’s extensive communication network with the brain. Finally, rigorous electrophysiological studies conducted at the Institute of HeartMath have even indicated that the heart appears to play a key role in intuition. Although there is much yet to be understood, it appears that the age-old associations of the heart with thought, feeling, and insight may indeed have a basis in science.

A summary about the HeartMath stress management approach

Stress has become the number one malady of our time. The constant pressure associated with living in a fast-paced world has created an environment where nearly everyone feels the effects of stress.

Stress is the term used to describe wear and tear of the body experiences in reaction to everyday tensions and pressures. Change, illness, injury or career and lifestyle changes are common causes of stress, however, its the effects of stress like pressure and tensions, that we feel in response to the little everyday hassles, like rush hour traffic, waiting in line, and too many emails that do the most damage.

Stress is the body and mind response to any pressure that disrupts its normal balance. It occurs when the perception of events does not meet our expectations and we are unable to manage our reaction. As a response, stress expresses itself as a resistance, tension, strains or frustration, that throws off our physiological and psychological equilibrium, keeping us out of sync. If our equilibrium is disturbed for long, the stress cab become disabling and create numerous health problems.

Stress and effects of stress are often misunderstood. We look at outside events as the source of stress, but in fact stress is really caused by our emotional reactions to events. The stress we experience in today world often go unnoticed or unmanaged. Many people have simply adapted to stress in an unhealthy way, resigned to thinking its just the way it is. Unfortunately, lack of stress management has created a pandemic of low grade, anxiety and depression.

The negative health effects of stress

The effects of stress in people are measured physically, mentally and emotionally. According to The American Institute of stress, up to 90% of all health problems are related to stress. Too much stress can contribute to and agitate many health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke, depression and sleep disorders. Additional studies confirm the debilitating effects of stress on our health.

• Three 10-years studies concluded that emotional stress was more predictive of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease than smoking. People who are ineffectively managing stress has 40% higher death rate than non-stressed individuals.
• A Harvard medical school study of 1623 health survivors found that when subjects got angry during emotional conflicts, their risk of subsequent heart attack was more than double than those of remained calm.
• A 20-year study of 1700 older men conducted by Harvard school of public health found that worries of social conditions, stress and personal finances, all significantly increased the risks of coronary disease.
• Over one-half of heart disease cases are not explained by standard risk facts such as high cholesterol, smoking or sedentary lifestyle.
• According to mayo clinic study of individuals heart disease, psychological stress was the strongest predictor of future cardiac events, such as cardiac death, cardiac arrest and cardiac attacks.

How to relieve stress? The HeartMath solution

In order to effectively relieve stress, it is important to understand that it is not the external events or situations that do harm, it is how you respond to those stressful events. More precisely, its how you interpret them that determines whether you feel the negative effects of stress, and ultimately relieve stress.

Emotions or feelings have a powerful impact on human body. Emotions like frustration, insecurity and depressing feelings are stressful and inhibit optimal health and relieve from stress. Positive emotions like appreciation, care and love not only feel good, they promote health, performance and well-being.

HeartMath research has shown that when you develop the ability to intentionally shift to a positive emotion at will, then heart rhythms immediately improve. A shift in heart rhythms can be critical to health as it creates a favourable cascade of neural, hormonal and biochemical events that benefit the entire body, reversing the damaging effects of stress. The stress relief effects are both immediate and can be sustained.

The HeartMath software and sensor technology employs proven approaches to help a person gain rapid feedback to learn to be able to shift to a positive feeling emotional state, modifying heart rhythms to reduce stress levels and revitalize the whole body.

• Science of Heart Coherence
• HeartMath Research – on Google Scholar. 14,000 citations
• Independent HeartMath Research – on Google Scholar. 400 papers

Which biofeedback device is right for me?

We’ll keep this simple…

If you want a device for your own personal use and you own a smartphone or tablet which runs on either Apple iOS, Android or Kindle Fire HD then the best device for your needs is the Inner Balance Bluetooth™ Coherence plus. (Our most advanced sensor and app yet!) and it has Bluetooth for Android & Iphone and has USB-C cable sensor. The app is vastly improved in this new product and it comes with a lifetime subscription of the App.

If you own an Apple iPhone or iPad then you can also use the Inner Balance Lightning cable (being phased out). But this is exactly the same as the Bluetooth in connection terms of performance but it is wired (i.e. it plugs into your iPhone/iPad).

If you want a device for your personal use but you would rather use it as an independent handheld and also with your computer (and not your phone/tablet) then the best device for your needs is the emWave2®. (note that the emWave 2 is also being replaced by the coherence plus.)

If you want a device which you can use with others, professionally, then the best device for your needs is the “emWave Pro” (or the “emWave Pro Plus” if you are interested in measuring HRV using traditional measures and for assessing health of multiple people.
Note: See the HeartMath products tab page for checking further comparison information.

I need some help with my device/software. What do I do?

Software/App If you have a problem with your software or app then in the first instance, please go to our US site where we have a comprehensive support library. You can access it here https://www.heartmath.com/support/

Devices/Hardware If you have a problem with your hardware (sensor) then please email info@macquarieinstitute.com and we will assist you from our Australia office.

How long do I need to practice for?

We advise practising using the Inner Balance or emWave for at least 5 minutes 3 times per day. Obviously, more is better, and you tend to get out what you put in!

However, the techniques are designed to be used when you need them, in real time. It’s very unlikely that you’ll have access to the biofeedback technology and so we also advise that people practise the techniques without the technology during situations like difficult conversations, before presentations, when commuting or delayed for meetings – any time you feel stressed.

The technology is like going to the gym to train your coherence muscle. If you train your coherence muscle is will always be strong whenever and wherever you need it.

What is HeartMath®?

HeartMath is a way to transform stress into resilience in the moment. We have created a number of fast and powerful techniques which put you into an optimal state called coherence. Coherence is a real, scientifically measurable state in which the Autonomic Nervous System is in balance. When you are coherent you are able to think clearly and objectively.

In addition to the HeartMath techniques there is biofeedback technology.

What is biofeedback?

In her book The Clinical handbook of Biofeedback, Dr Inna Z. Khazan describes biofeedback as “… a way to help people develop greater awareness and ability to regulate their physiological functioning by using signals from their own bodies with the goal of improving their wellbeing, health and performance.”

HeartMath’s innovative emWave® and Inner Balance™ biofeedback technologies give you real-time insight into your emotional, mental and physical state. In simple terms you use our biofeedback to learn and practice how to balance yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. This state of balance is called coherence.

The emWave and Inner Balance devices provide measurement of your heart rhythms (known as Heart Rate Variability or HRV) and let you see your level of coherence as you practice. This increases your metal, physical and emotional self-awareness and helps you develop the ability to achieve coherence on demand. When you are coherent you are able to self-regulate emotions and behaviours. And because coherence is an optimal state which creates inner balance, it means that your body and brain are able to respond flexibly to demands and to rebalance and recover quickly and effectively after challenge and stress. So using biofeedback to practice coherence regularly is a great way to manage your inner resilience battery.

Is HeartMath’s biofeedback the same as other biofeedback devices and apps?

No. HeartMath’s biofeedback is for practising coherence. There are very few other device which do this.

Most HRV biofeedback devices and apps do not measure coherence. They are used to measure the autonomic nervous system (ANS) either every day (e.g. for 1 minute first thing in the morning) or over a longer period (e.g 36 hours). The purpose of these measurements is to determine the activity within the ANS and to understand how stressed or resilient the individual is. Currently most HRV measurement is used for either sports training (i.e. how over or under trained the individual is and how to optimise their training) or for wellbeing analysis (i.e. how stressed the individual is or is not).

These applications are very useful but they are not the same as HeartMath nor are they a substitute. In fact HeartMath’s HRV technologies and techniques complement these other devices and measurements very well as coherence is a great way to improve sports training recovery and to benefit wellbeing.

Is HeartMath the same as Mindfulness?

No… a bit maybe… it depends what you mean

The word Mindfulness has become very popular and its definition has become very broad. Generally it can be defined as bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.”

Here are some of the differences between HeartMath and mindfulness.

• HeartMath uses biofeedback as an objective measure and way to practice and validate the impact of the techniques. Mindfulness does not generally utilise biofeedback.
• HeartMath techniques are designed to be used in the moment, with eyes open, especially during challenging and stressful experiences.
• HeartMath techniques create coherence. Coherence is not relaxation, it is a state of balance within the body and brain (specifically within the autonomic nervous system or ANS). This state is much more appropriate for many of the activities we perform during the day and coherence (balance) can be achieved with both high and low heart rates. For example, you can be coherent in a game of tennis as you prepare to return serve (relatively high heart rate) and you can be coherent as you sit and listen to a friend who is having a hard time (relatively low heart rate). Mindfulness promotes a relaxation response within the ANS. That is hugely beneficial, and we advocate that people practice mindfulness too, but it is not often appropriate or even possible to practice mindfulness during many of the events of our daily lives. It tends to be something you make time for during your day. HeartMath is designed to be practiced as you navigate the highs and lows and ups and downs of your day.
• Most HeartMath techniques are designed to help you to actively engage in a situation, problem or challenge but from the more balanced and objective state of coherence. Coherence is, therefore, a high-performance state. Mindfulness tends to promote disassociation, non-judgement and observation. Again, this is a very useful skill, but not always appropriate or possible when you need to make decisions, solve problems, engage in objective thinking and navigate challenging communications and relationships.
• HeartMath promotes a specific breathing pattern, a focus on the heart area and the intentional shift into a positive/pleasant emotion conducive to the situation you are in. Mindfulness promotes attention on breath but not control of it, and observation of emotion but not direction of it.
• The focus on intentionally shifting emotions in HeartMath has a direct impact on hormones. For example, positive/pleasant emotions like care, appreciation and compassion tend to stimulate the production of both Oxytocin (which buffers the stress response) and DHEA (the “vitality hormone” which helps the body to recover and repair itself). Mindfulness does not impact hormones in this way.