© 2010 121 Neurofeedback Services
Heart-
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) (or visceral nervous system) is the part of the peripheral nervous system that acts as a control system, maintaining homeostasis in the body. These activities are generally performed without conscious control. The ANS affects heart rate, digestion, respiration rate, salivation, perspiration, diameter of the pupils, urination and sexual arousal. Whereas most of its actions are involuntary, some, such as breathing, work in tandem with the conscious mind.
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) can be divided by subsystems into the sympathetic
nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system. ANS can also be divided functionally,
into its sensory and motor systems. Sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions typically
function in opposition to each other. This opposition is better understood as complementary
in nature rather than antagonistic. For an analogy, one may think of the sympathetic
division as the accelerator and the parasympathetic division as the brake. The sympathetic
division typically functions in actions requiring quick responses. The parasympathetic
division functions with actions that do not require immediate reaction. The main
actions of the parasympathetic nervous system are summarized by the phrase "rest
and repose" (in contrast to the "fight-
121 Neurofeedback Services & Brainhealth offers Heart Rate Variability (HRV) training: This is achieved by placing a sensor on either your index finger or your earlobe. Once attached you are presented with a computer screen to watch either a video or your heart rate pulses. By using relaxation techniques you can “learn” how to adjust the relationships between HRV, the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous systems.
Benefit of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Training & HRV Therapy:
Recent studies at the Alliant International University, San Diego, CA, USA have found a significant association between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and low Heart Rate Variability (HRV), as a biomarker of autonomic deregulation. However when you achieve autonomic nervous system balance with HRV training that will enable you to perform more effectively and allows for more normal cognitive processing and stress reduction allowing you to self create improved coping strategies and calmness in your life.
What is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Training & HRV Therapy?
Heart Rate Variability training therapy (HRV training) involves the use of biofeedback,
computerised equipment, to control heart rate variability (HRV) -
What is the background of Heart Rate Variability Training?
As discussed above stress
stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (fight-
Research has shown that HRV training helps the individual better manage stress and anxiety and improve work satisfaction and performance. In the case of athletes, sports performance can also be improved.
Note: Warnings for HRV training?
There are no specific warning against HRV training,
however if you are actively suicidal or psychotic you may require a more intensive
level of psychiatric care. A Brainhealth clinical assessment will advise you if HRV
training is for you.
HRV patterns associated with a stress response may be a risk factor for complications in cardiac arrhythmia's (irregular heartbeat) patients and further research is being conducted into the role of HRV training for these patients.
The Science behind Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Training:
The Heart–Brain Connection:
Most
of us believe that the heart is constantly responding to “requests” sent by the brain
in the form of nerve signals. However, what is not as commonly known is that the
heart actually sends signals to the brain that have a significant effect on brain
function. For example, the heart effects the brain when we process emotions, attention,
perception, memory, and problem-
Not only does the heart respond to the brain the brain continuously responds to the heart.
Scientists at the Institute of HeartMath have demonstrated that different patterns of heart activity (which accompany different emotional states) have distinct effects on higher mental and emotional functions. When we are under stress or experiencing negative emotions, the heart rhythm pattern becomes erratic and disordered and the corresponding pattern of nerve signals travelling from the heart to the brain blocks higher mental functions.
The heart’s input to the brain during stressful or negative emotions also has a profound effect on the brain’s emotional processes that actually serves to reinforce the negative emotional experience of stress. This limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions and as a result you may act impulsively and unwisely.
When we feel good, the heart’s input to the brain is more ordered and stable which improves higher mental function and hence reinforces positive feelings and emotional stability. This means that by learning to generate heart rhythm coherence, we learn to sustain positive emotions, which not only benefits the entire body, but also profoundly affects how we perceive, think, feel, perform and make decisions.
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. However rather than being monotonously regular, the
rhythm of a healthy heart -
The normal variability in heart rate is due to the joint action of the two branches
of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) -
The moment-
Why is Heart Rate Variability Important?
Doctors and scientists consider HRV to be
an important indicator of health and fitness. It acts as a marker of our physiological
resilience and behavioural flexibility and reflects our ability to adapt effectively
to stress and environmental demands.
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-
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. The emWave PC, allows you to see your heart rhythm pattern in real time. Research has found that the emotions we experience directly affect our heart rhythm pattern which in turn, tells us much about how our body is functioning.
In general, emotional stress and other emotions such as anger, frustration, and anxiety gives rise to heart rhythm patterns that are irregular and erratic: the HRV waveform looks like a series of uneven or jagged peaks. (see graph).
Scientists call this an incoherent heart rhythm pattern which indicates that the
signals produced by the two branches of the ANS are out of sync with each other.
This is like driving a car with one foot on the accelerator (the sympathetic nervous
system) and the other on the brake (the parasympathetic nervous system) at the same
time -
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 (see graph). This is called a coherent heart rhythm pattern and indicates that
the activity in the two branches of the ANS is synchronized and the body’s systems
are operating with increased efficiency and harmony. It’s no wonder that positive
emotions feel so good -
Heart rhythm patterns during different emotional states:
These graphs show examples
of real-
Coherence -
The Institute of HeartMath’s research has
shown that generating sustained positive emotions facilitates a body-
Physiologically, the coherence state is marked by the development of a smooth, sine-
Note: Coherence Is Not Just Relaxation! It is increased harmony and synchronization
in the nervous system and heart–brain connection:
It is important to note that the
state of coherence is both psychologically and physiologically distinct from the
state achieved through most relaxation techniques. 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 associated with a relative increase in parasympathetic activity, thus encompassing
a key element of the relaxation response, but is physiologically different from relaxation
in that the system oscillates at its natural resonant frequency and there is increased
harmony and synchronization in the nervous system and heart–brain connection.
There are fundamental physiological differences between relaxation and coherence,
but the psychological characteristics of these states are also quite different. Relaxation
is a low-
In contrast, coherence generally involves the active engagement of positive emotions.
Psychologically, coherence is experienced as a calm, balanced, yet energised and
responsive state that is conducive to everyday functioning and interaction, including
the performance of tasks requiring mental acuity, focus, problem-
The Role of Breathing:
Another important distinction involves understanding the role
of breathing, or the science of breath, in the generation of coherence and its relationship
to HRV training. 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-
While the techniques used in HRV training incorporates a breathing element, paced breathing is not the primary focus and the techniques used should therefore not be thought of simply as a breathing exercise. Unlike commonly practised breathing techniques HRV training focuses on the intentional generation of a heartfelt positive emotional state. This emotional shift is a key element of HRV training 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 stabilising
the shift to system-
Additionally, the positive emotional focus of HRV training confers a much wider range 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 favourable changes in hormonal balance.
With HRV training you will learn how to self-
The Heart Own Mind?
Many of the changes in bodily function that occur during the coherence
state revolve around changes in the heart’s pattern of activity. The heart has been
defined as only that of pumping blood. Historically, in almost every culture of the
world, the heart was given a far more multifaceted role in the human system, being
regarded as a source of wisdom, spiritual insight, thought, and emotion.
However, recent scientific research has begun to provide evidence that many of these beliefs about the heart may well be more than simply metaphorical.
These developments have led science once again to revise and expand its understanding of the heart and its role.
The heart possesses its own intrinsic nervous system, a network of nerves so functionally sophisticated containing over 40,000 neurons, this gives the heart the ability to sense independently, process information, make decisions, and even to demonstrate a type of learning and memory. The heart will beat independently of any nervous or hormonal influences.
The spontaneous rhythm of the heart is called intrinsic automaticity and can be altered by nervous impulses or by circulatory substances, like adrenaline.
Research has shown 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 -
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. The heart’s extensive communication network with the brain profoundly impact perception and cognitive function.
For more info on the heart click here
Contact Brainhealth for more information and a free consultation to see if HRV training is for you!
