The International Institute For  Self-Help Holistic Therapies Ltd.

The Cardiac Coherence Training Course

It is common knowledge that heartbeats and heart rate are linked to emotions: bad news, good news, all can translate into variation of the pulse. Traditional Chinese Medicine has always considered the study of the pulse of the utmost importance in elaborating a diagnosis.

Progress made in neuro-anatomy could prove an intimate heart-brain brain-heart connexion working permanently in a feedback loop. The heart receives information from the emotional and visceral part of the brain, the limbic system composed of areas that are information treatment centres like the hippocampus and amygdala. It also sends information in return about its own condition.

Two decades ago it was assumed that a perfectly regular cardiac rhythm, meaning that the time between two heartbeats was always identical and regular on a long period, was a token for good health.

Breakthrough in research and cutting edge technology allowed the development of heart rate variability measurement (HRV). It was then demonstrated that the more chaotic were the heartbeats (within limits) the more information was transmitted to the heart’s nervous centres.

A heart that has perfect regular heartbeats is a heart that doesn’t transmit essential information when conditions around are changing, it is a heart in deadly danger. Just imagine, for a moment, your enterprise without any communication lines and the workers assuming their production mechanically with no news in return from the market!

Just as in any enterprise, where communication of information is essential to survival, so is it for the heart.

Under chronic stress the release of cortisol exerts deadly damage in these areas that are our information treatment centres, the hippocampus and amygdala, and therefore they will not transmit proper information to the heart. The same damage will make it difficult to receive feedback on heart condition, and a vicious circle will be created.

Studies performed on a variety of mental conditions such as stress, anxiety and  depression have demonstrated that these states are characterized by very poor figures of HRV. Low figures mean that the amount of information transmitted is scarce.

Technically the measurement of HRV relies on mathematical algorithms in time and frequency domains.

Heart rate variability is controlled by:

• the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic nerve as accelerator and parasympathetic as brake)

• neurotransmitters, endorphins (opioids: molecules of emotion, molecules of natural pleasure and rewards), exorphins (food opioids)

• respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is the training of the heart rate by breathing, through activation of the parasympathetic nerve.

 What is cardiac coherence?

Cardiac coherence is the coupling and synchronization of the rhythm of breathing to the rhythm of the heart. Deep and even breathing can increase heart rate fluctuations and respiratory sinus arrhythmia through a better sympathetic/parasympathetic balance. This is demonstrated by Vaschillo’s effect: “after RSA training a harmonic resonance is formed at 0.1 Hz in the LF section of the spectral display. This point is the resonance between the breathing rhythm and the Traub-Hering-Meyer wave related to blood pressure regulation. When these two are in harmony the oscillation in heart rate between exhalation and inhalation tends to be maximal. In most people a breathing rate around six breaths per minute establishes the resonance” ( C. Gilbert, Ramapo College, NJ, USA).

Cardiac coherence reflects high figures in HRV, but there is more to that!

When cardiac coherence is established within the body there is synchronization with other systems inside and outside the body. People have high HRV figures and are in good health because the autonomic system is balanced.

This balanced state affects the condition of all other systems under control of the ANS: respiratory, cardiac, digestive, immune systems.

There is a general feeling of wellness accompanied by change in the magnetic field of the heart, perceived up to 1.5m around and enabling people in resonance to have a healing power on others.

Cardiac coherence training courses aim at teaching people how to raise HRV figures and synchronize their breath and heart rhythms.

Training includes:

• biofeedback-assisted breathing classes

• erasing bad emotion fixed in the cardiac and limbic neural pathways

• controlling one’s own and other’s emotions

• mastering positive cognition and enhancing self-concept

• anchoring positive memories

• learning how to recognize psychological reversal in others

• mastering the basic rules in the language of influence

 Tools include:

• Personal or group coaching

• Use of biofeedback Heart Tracker software      

• CT-TFT algorithms techniques      

• Basic rules of NLP      

• Language of influence, Milton Erickson’s (hypnotic) language      

• Dr Gordon language effectiveness      

• Personal assistance to unblock entrenched situations      

• Talking to the visceral or emotional heart

The expected results are: elimination of stress, better communication and better productivity.

For more information, contact us.