HeartMath®

Whether tension, worries, stress, or sadness: Negative emotions not only throw us emotionally off balance but also disrupt the autonomic nervous system (ANS) with sometimes devastating consequences: essential body functions such as breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, energy production, and metabolism are affected.

How can we counteract this? The key lies in our heart and the targeted control of our emotions, made possible by the groundbreaking HeartMath® method. The unique aspect is that a small sensor allows you to measure, improve, and check your ANS imbalance and well-being in real time, anytime, and anywhere.

Im übertragenen Sinne kann HeartMath® auch als „Herzintelligenz“ bezeichnet werden. Denn die HeartMath® Methode beeinflusst die Herzaktivität und damit die körperliche und seelische Gesundheit.

Entwickelt wurde HeartMath® in Boulder Creek in Kalifornien. In den USA wenden bereits über 500 Kliniken, Schulen und Organisationen erfolgreich die HeartMath® Methode an. Bewährt hat sie sich mittlerweile auch in Deutschland.

In a metaphorical sense, HeartMath® can be referred to as “heart intelligence” as it influences heart activity and thus physical and mental health.

Developed in Boulder Creek, California, over 500 clinics, schools, and organizations in the USA already successfully use the HeartMath® method, which has also proven itself in Germany.

HeartMath® research has found that our emotions directly affect our heart rhythm patterns, which in turn says a lot about how our body functions.

Generally, emotional stress—such as anger, frustration, and fear—leads to irregular heart rhythm patterns. Conversely, positive emotions send a different signal through our body. When we experience uplifting emotions like appreciation, joy, care, and love, our heart rhythm pattern becomes very balanced and looks like a smooth, harmonious wave. This is known as a coherent heart rhythm pattern. When we generate a coherent heart rhythm, the activity in the two branches of the autonomic nervous system is synchronized, and the body’s systems operate with increased efficiency and harmony.

Research from the HeartMath® Institute has shown that when we consciously generate a positive emotion, the entire body enters a certain state. Simply put, our body and brain work more efficiently and we feel better and perform better.

The heart rate variability (HRV) is measured with a portable biofeedback device attached to the earlobe. Using HRV biofeedback systems like emWave and Inner Balance, you can observe the changing rhythms of the heart in real time. The measurement result is displayed using a traffic light system on a device that fits easily in any coat pocket. With simple breathing and visualization exercises tailored to the individual, stress is reduced, resilience improves, and the risk of burnout decreases. Concentration and decision-making abilities increase, proven to be leading to a positive attitude.

The method also acts preventively against diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, high blood pressure, and depression. People feel more capable, focused, and decisive in a short period. In short, anger and stress are transformed into positive energies.

They have investigated how the heart affects our perceptions, emotions, intuition, and health. Approximately 400 independent studies with over 11,500* participants have shown that mental and emotional well-being improves within just 6-9 weeks using HeartMath®.

• 24% improvement in concentration
• 30% improvement in sleep
• 38% improvement in calmness
• 46% reduction in anxiety
• 48% reduction in fatigue
• 56% decrease in depression

*N = 11,903 // Percentage of people responding “often to always” on standardized and validated personal and organisational quality assessment (POQA-R).