Institute of HeartMath. - The HeartMath Solution

The
HeartMath
Solution

Doc Childre and

Howard Martin,

with Donna Beech

This book is dedicated to facilitating the millions of people who are wanting to learn more about aligning the mind with the heart and to those who are realizing that its time for practical emotional management skills to survive and thrive in todays changing world.

Important Note for the Reader

The material in this book is intended to provide an overview of the new research related to the role of the heart in well-being. This research is extensively referenced for readers wishing to pursue further inquiries and study. Every effort has been made to provide the most accurate, dependable, and current information. Any suggestions for techniques, treatments, or lifestyle changes referred to or implied in this book should be undertaken only with the guidance of a licensed physician, therapist, or healthcare practitioner. The ideas, suggestions, and techniques in this book should not be used in place of sound medical therapies and recommendations.

Its rare that one comes across a solution that goes well beyond the original problem, yet thats been the case for me with the evolving work of HeartMath.

In modern life we hear references to the heart in many different contexts: we feel love in our heart or we feel a heart connection; we give our heart to a project or our work; we take a compliment or criticism to heart; our courage is a measure of our heart; we come from the heart when we act with compassion. Yet what does heart really mean in these everyday expressions? Certainly the word doesnt refer to the organ called the heart that I studied during medical trainingan organ that pumps each and every second to supply the oxygen and nutrients within the blood to our cells throughout the body.

Western conventional medicine speaks of the heart solely in terms of its physiological function. In that medical definition, the heart is a multichambered muscular organ crisscrossed with electrical circuitry. The heart is often described as a pump and the arteries as pipesessentially the biological equivalent of the well pump and plumbing in your house. This description is in such marked contrast to our emotional sense of the heart that one is left wondering if theres any connection whatsoever between the literal and figurative, the physical and the mystical. This question underlies the HeartMath Solution, and its answer can have a significant effect on ones health and overall well-being.

The difference between the physical and emotional definitions of heart is rooted in the body/mind split so pervasive in medicine today. Weve separated the role of our thoughts and daily stresses from the effects that they produce in the physical body. Throughout their medical training, physicians are told of bacterial, metabolic, toxic, and other causes of physical illness, yet the relationship of our thoughts and emotions to effecting physical change is for the most part ignored. This has in large measure led to a medical model that can be dehumanizing, focusing solely on the specific physical manifestations of disease, thus losing sight of the whole person.

The response among concerned healthcare professionals to this body/mind split has been the development of fields such as psychosomatic and behavioral medicine and, more recently, studies in psychoneuroimmunology. To heal this split, new practices have evolved that have been termed holistic or complementary or integrativepractices that seek to integrate and address the full spectrum of body, mind, and spirit. HeartMathwhose beauty lies in its simplicity and profundityis one such approach.

As a physician, Ive become fascinated by the relationship between time and health. Most of us in modern society feel that we never have enough timea feeling that results in the frenzy and hurry that underlie all our stress and lead to serious diseases and disorders. Recognizing that time is the rhythmic dimension of life, Ive begun to see that health is a delicate balance of rhythm, while dis-ease results from dis-rhythm. In a time where chaos and disrhythm are part of everyday life, its essential that we develop exercises that help reestablish and regulate normal rhythms and thus promote health. The work that Doc Childre and Howard Martin present here in The HeartMath Solution shows a significant way to change patterns and rhythms within the physical body, restoring health through understanding the heart as more than just a physical pump and seeing how the rhythms themselves are regulated by love.

This book shows in depth, how the heart is at the core of our body and at the core of how we think and feel. The solution is derived from realizing that the heart is both a physical object, a rhythmic organ, and love itself. It recognizes the heart as the central rhythmic force in the body and shows us how to use the coherent power of love to manage our thoughts and emotions. Like a pebble that creates a ripple of waves when dropped into a still pond, so love and positive feelings in the heart create a rhythm that spreads health and well-being throughout the body. In modern medicine this is difficult to understand, because of our tendency to separate and differentiate mind and matter, emotions and the physical body, instead of recognizing the interconnection between them.

When I first came across HeartMath, I was struck by the unusual combination of scientific research and emotional wisdom. I was familiar with studies suggesting that meditation or thinking good thoughts can make a person feel better, less depressed, or healthier, but these studies could be considered soft science. Here, though, were studies showing significant changes in patterns of heart rate and blood chemistry. HeartMath represents an important point of convergence: truly showing the impact of feeling love, compassion, and gratitude on underlying physiological conditions. This work clearly demonstrates that using the exercises of HeartMath can profoundly affect our health and have a positive effect on the way we think, feel, work together, and relate in all aspects of life.

If we take this book seriously, well forever look at ourselves, others, and the world around us very differently. HeartMath research confirms our intuitive understanding of the heart with solid science and explains how the electromagnetic field radiating from the heart can affect those around us. HeartMath tools and techniques show us how to move from linear thinking to intuitive sensing, providing greater intelligence and creative solutions to our present and future challenges.

The HeartMath Solution holds promise for a society that sees science as its religion and requires scientific studies and results with significant numerical changes before credibility for the approach can be granted. The power of HeartMath is that its rooted both in scientific research and understanding and in the wisdom of love. It gives a newyet oldmeaning to heart that embraces all aspects of what we know it to be.

Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D.
author of Time Shifting and president of the Omega Institute

The HeartMath system, from which The HeartMath Solution was derived, was created by Doc Childre, a stress researcher, author, and consultant to leaders in business, science, and medicine. HeartMath offers an innovative view of psychology, physiology, and human potential that provides a new model for efficient living in the modern world.