HRV Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a highly effective tool that trains you to intervene unconscious habits that create pain and suffering. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) biofeedback training can help you create long-lasting changes at the deepest workings of your nervous system.
Heart Rate Variability
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training in an innovative approach to improving your emotional health and increase your sense of wellbeing. This technique is a simple practice that enables you to change your heart rhythm to create a measurable pattern that increases order and harmony in your mind, emotions, and body.
The Heart–Brain Connection
Most of us think that the heart is always taking “orders” from the brain via neural signals. But, in fact, the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. Therefore, the heart has a significant effect on how our brain functions and influences our emotions. The heart actually has a major impact on our ability to pay attention, our perception, our ability to problem-solve, even our memory!
This is why we act impulsively and make poor choices when we are under duress. While the opposite is true when our heart rate has a stable, ordered pattern – it facilitates optimal cognitive functioning, positive feelings and emotional stability.
It makes sense that learning to generate this stable heart rate pattern helps us take control of our emotional state and improve how we think, perceive, feel, and enables optimal performance!!!
HRV Training
Because our breathing is modulates our heart’s rhythm, we can create the optimal HRV pattern by breathing slowly and regularly at a 10-second cycle (5 second inhalation and 5 second exhalation). This breathing practice will help shift you from a stressful or negative emotional state to one of increased stability and wellbeing. The breathing pattern is integral to HRV training but also requires considerable mental and cognitively-directed practice to direct the paced breathing. This can be challenging for those with anxiety to maintain, therefore, an experienced HRV therapist can benefit you as you seek to master this practice and meet your goals for optimal functioning.
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Melissa has been training her clients in HRV techniques since 2005. She has studied biofeedback within her Psychology PhD program at Saybrook University through courses offered by the Applied Psychophysiology department.
HRV Resources
There are a number of biofeedback devices and tools available to assist you in your training. Some of the technology is offered as free HRV apps, and some biofeedback meditations, programs, and more intense trainings, are offered by various organizations such as HeartMath and Unyte. Biofeedback technology information can be found in the Heart Mind Center Store.