Creating Heart Brain Coherence for Physical and Emotional Health

Creating Heart Brain Coherence for Physical and Emotional Health
Not Just for You, but the World

This article was originally posted in Medium in 2020 by Stephan Parato. What perfect timing with all the stress of Covid and lockdowns! When I found it, I immediately wanted to repost it here for our Community of readers. I’ve not only taught this technique, I’ve experience the healing power of being in Heart-Brain Cohesion in 2013, and I’ve been sharing it ever since.

You can view the original article here:  How to create heart-brain coherence

If you learn Heart-brain coherence, your life will forever be changed for the better.

It’s a skill that is becoming more and more necessary, especially as we navigate these times of intense disruption.

First, let’s talk about what it is…

Heart-brain coherence is when your Heart and brain are synchronized. It’s a state of balance that creates optimal clarity, perception and performance.

Heart-brain coherence is essentially the scientific term that describes the state of “living from the Heart.”

Here’s how the HeartMath Institute defines Heart-brain coherence:

“Personal coherence, also known as psychophysiological coherence, refers to the synchronization of our physical, mental and emotional systems. It can be measured by our heart-rhythm patterns: The more balanced and smooth they are, the more in sync, or coherent we are. Stress levels recede, energy levels increase and our brain and what HeartMath calls the “heart brain” work together.”

And one more perspective for good measure:

“One important way the heart can speak to and influence the brain is when the heart is coherent — experiencing stable, sine-wavelike pattern in its rhythms. When the heart is coherent, the body, including the brain, begins to experience all sorts of benefits, among them are greater mental clarity and ability, including better decision making.”
– Rolin McCratey, Ph.D

Heart-brain coherence creates a state of peak performance. It enables higher cognitive function, reinforces positive feelings and creates emotional balance.

On the other hand, when the Heart and brain are not coherent, the opposite is true. Cognitive function is compromised, negative feelings are reinforced and life is an emotional roller coaster (not the fun kind).

Here’s another gem from HeartMath about this:

“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 function. This limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions. 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.”

Heart-brain coherence is characterized by all of the love-based emotions, such as: Love (the feeling of love, peace, joy, serenity, bliss, gratitude, happiness, compassion, awe, wonder, enthusiasm, empowerment, exhilaration, etc.

Those are just some examples. Really, it’s any “positive” emotion. If you experience any of those emotions, you’re most likely in a state of Heart-brain coherence.

Heart-brain coherence is felt. You know you’re in a state of Heart-brain coherence when you tune into your body and you feel “good” or harmonious in any way. Feeling good, harmonious or any of the emotions listed above are the easiest ways to know when you’re in a state of coherence.

Heart-brain coherence is much more than an individual phenomenon too.

And HeartMath also defines coherence on the collective level, known as global coherence:

“Global coherence refers to the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of the greater community of human beings acting in concert with their own hearts, each other and nation to nation in harmony with the living earth. HeartMath believes coherence is highly achievable globally when large numbers of people focus heartfelt intentions on a common goal.”

This means that when you’re in a state of Heart-brain coherence, you help the world become more coherent. Whether positive or negative, our fields mingle with each other.

When you’re in a strong coherent state, you’re creating a powerful ripple effect in the world. And when a significant number of people are in Heart-brain coherence, a tipping point is reached and it becomes the dominant frequency on the planet.

How’s that for “being the change you wish to see in the world”, eh?

How To Create Heart-Brain Coherence

Creating Heart-brain coherence is actually really simple. It’s just that we’ve never been taught any of this kind of stuff.

Here’s a simple technique to create Heart-brain coherence. You can do this practice wherever you are. And it can take as little as one minute, or as long as you feel.

It’s preferable to close your eyes, as it will help you feel more, though you can do this with your eyes open too.

Step 1: Take A Sacred Pause

A sacred pause is creating stillness and being intentional. Simply pause what you’re doing. That’s it.

I recommend closing your eyes, as that helps bring your awareness inward.

You might develop a ritual that represents a sacred pause for yourself.

When I take a sacred pause, I usually either smirk or put my hands in prayer position. This lets my whole being know that I’m pausing and finding stillness. Don’t get hung up on the little details though. Just pause and relax.

Step 2: Focus On Your Heart

Now bring your focus to your Heart, the center of your chest.

The next step helps a lot with this too…

Step 3: Touch Your Heart

Here’s a cool little tip for awareness. Whenever you touch a part of your body, your attention naturally goes there. Touch your Heart, the center of your chest, and your awareness will move there.

You can place both hands on your Heart, or one on top of the other, or one hand, or even one finger. Whatever feels right for you in the moment.

And you can keep your hands there the whole time or release them when you feel your awareness in your Heart. Again, whatever feels right for you in the moment.

Step 4: Breathe Into Your Heart

Now begin to breathe, slightly deeper than normal, into your Heart.

Feel your breath moving in and out of your heart.

Do this about 7–10 times.

Feel your body and ego mind relaxing with every breath.

Step 5: Feel A Positive Emotion

Now focus on a positive emotion.

Here are some emotions that create Heart-brain coherence: Love, compassion, joy, gratitude, appreciation, serenity, etc.

You can visualize something that creates one (or more) of those emotions for you. For example, you can visualize how you’re grateful for your home and feel that gratitude in your heart. You can visualize someone you care deeply about and feel that in your heart.

The key is FEELING a positive emotion in your Heart.

And that’s it. Really simple, right?

Here are the steps again for reference:
Step 1: Take A Sacred Pause
Step 2: Focus On Your Heart
Step 3: Touch Your Heart
Step 4: Breathe Into Your Heart
Step 5: Feel A Positive Emotion

Now before reading on, I want you to pause…

Take a moment and practice this right now.

Take a sacred pause.
…
Focus on your Heart.
…
Touch your Heart.
…
Breathe into your Heart.
…
Feel a positive emotion.

How do you feel now? Do you notice a difference in your state of being?

I just practiced this technique while writing this. And I gotta say, I’m feeling it.

Anchor, lock and seal this feeling. You can even say that to yourself: “I anchor, lock and seal this feeling.” Create a “groove” that you can come back to. Because the more you do this, the easier it comes and the deeper the positive feeling.

If you practice this daily, you’ll be able to drop into this Heart-space on command and feel deeper and deeper feelings of love, bliss, joy, peace, serenity…etc.

Do this enough, and it gradually becomes your natural state of being; your “operating system.”

Cultivating Heart-brain coherence is a muscle like everything else. The more consistently you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.

Now that’s just one simple technique to create Heart-brain coherence. There are so many ways to create the same state within.

What Else Creates Heart-Brain Coherence?

Here are some more ideas of ways to cultivate Heart-brain coherence: Breath work, meditation (see my Introduction to Meditation), feeling more than thinking, being present, visualization, being in nature, walking outside, dancing, singing, chanting, laughing, being in flow state, expressing creativity, physical loving touch, writing what you’re grateful for and any mindfulness activity.

Those are just some ideas. In actuality, there are an infinite number of ways to create Heart-brain coherence.

Find what works for you, and create that coherence every day. Before you know it, you’ll be embodying the phrase, “living from the Heart” and remaining centered amidst all of the upheaval we’re seeing in the world.

With Infinite Love,
~ Stephen Parato

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