Archive for heart rate variability

Jan
14

Nervous System Rx

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I woke the other morning with two words in my mind: calm focus.

calm focus

The words themselves had a calming effect. I often wake up feeling anxious, not sure why. Emotional inflammation? Maybe. Some of my other clients (especially the Highly Sensitive ones) report the same issue.

But this morning, those two words immediately seemed to override the anxiety.

I’ve been using them all day, returning to them again and again, especially as I begin a new task. Just saying the words to myself, calm focus, seems to bring that very thing into my being.

The word calm is calming in itself. Once I feel the calm, the question becomes, “How can I bring calm focus to this task?” That’s the mental part.

What words bring peace and calm to your nervous system? Read More→

Aug
08

Which Breathing Technique Tests Best?

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In an earlier post, I talked about a way of breathing recommended by HeartMath, in which you breathe with awareness and appreciation into your heart area. This helps your body get into “coherence,” where everything is in balance as measured by Heart Rate Variability.

HeartMath recommends a paced breathing, e.g. 5 breaths in, 5 breaths out, in an even rhythm.

Other people recommend breathing out slightly longer than breathing in,  claiming it does something in the brain to turn off the stress response. For instance, I heard a teleseminar for Highly Sensitive People in which Julie Bjelland shared a breathing technique that uses the 4-2-7 rhythm: breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for a count of 7.

Dr. Andrew Weil advocates the 4-7-8 rhythm as best, which is what I’ve been using most.

Other people suggest a 7-11 or 5-8 breathing pattern–no holding of the breath.

I thought it would be fun to test all these techniques with my EmWave, a portable device for measuring Heart Rate Variability, the test used to measure the coherence of the autonomic nervous system.

Which technique got me into the “green zone” (coherence) quickest (like the “appreciation graph above), which sustained it best? Read on! Read More→

Recently, in my attempt to “become minimalist” (or at least less cluttered), I came across my EmWave2, a device that helps you monitor stress levels and get back into “coherence.”
 
It is a very useful personal Heart Rate Variability monitor.
 
I am using it to test various healing and healing prayer methods, and what it’s revealing is quite interesting. I recommend it for helping you to find ways to get out of stress mode.
 
The Emwave2 is put out by HeartMath, and their site has a wealth of fascinating information and some cool products, including the EmWave2, for getting your body back in balance.
 
Something they teach you is a stress release technique that shifts your feelings, not just your thoughts. We know from Dr. Bruce Lipton (The Biology of Belief) and The Healing Codes that it’s our feelings that really govern us, more than our thoughts (though thoughts are important).
 
You might want to add the following breathing technique to your practices. I think it will help especially with any physical issues you may have. When the body is in coherence, it can heal faster and it ages slower. It’s that simple!
 
So here’s the technique:
Step 1: Heart Focus. Focus your attention in the area of your heart, the area in the center of your chest.
 
Step 2: Heart Breathing. As you focus on your heart area, imagine your breath flowing in and out through that area. (If you have an EmWave2, you would use the Breath Pacer to guide you and find a comfortable rhythm.)
 
Step 3: Heart Feeling.  Continue to breathe through the area of your heart. As you do, recall a positive feeling–a time you felt good inside–and try to re-experience it. (If you do this already in your Healing Code work, it should come pretty naturally.) This could be a feeling of appreciation or care you have towards a special person, a pet, a place you enjoy, or an activity that was fun. If you can’t find a memory, just try to get into an attitude of appreciation or care.
 
Once you’ve found that positive feeling, sustain it by continuing your Heart Focus Heart Breathing, and Heart feeling.
 
You can practice this any time you are stressed, and of course, as you’re doing Healing Codes.
 
By the way, I got my EmWave in 2007. It is still working just fine, even after all this time and some years when I “lost” it. It’s proven to be a very good investment!

 

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I am super excited about the new docuseries, The Healing Miracle, about stem cells and how they can help our own bodies heal themselves.

I’ve written often about my belief that the body can heal itself. Here is yet another possible way it can do that.

Since I haven’t seen this series yet myself–it’s brand new–I can’t say what it’s about yet.

But I will be watching and taking notes, because I’ve long believed that the body can heal itself, if only we can find ways to help it do that.

And I’ve wondered if somehow, The Healing Codes stimulate stem cells, and that’s why so many different maladies heal when people do Healing Codes regularly.

I’ve pondered the possible relationship between stem cells and the vagus nerve, so I did some research on that. More on that below, but first, let’s look at the vagus nerve connection. Read More→

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I just got back from getting my yearly physical with my doctor, who has an MD and a DO.

Dr. Collins gave me a Heart Rate Variability type test, among others. This is the same test Dr. Alex Loyd used to validate The Healing Codes, because it shows the stress in the autonomic nervous system and whether the body is in balance. The HRV showed that I have low physical stress, borderline high mental stress (yes, it has been a very stressful season, with the kitchen issue among other things). But my stress resistance was even higher.

She tested my heart and said I "have the heart of an athlete." She asked me twice if I have ever been one. (Answer: no. I do walk for 20-25 minutes a day, no matter what. That's it.) The various things the test measured were either in the normal or optimal range. The DPI (Differential Pulse Wave Index) that "represents the overall health of the cardiovascular system" was well into the "optimal" range.

All other numbers from the blood work are perfect. (My cholesterol used to be a little high, though the highest numbers were the "good" cholesterol.) Recently I had other blood tests done for my thyroid. That too was now normal.

My doctor concluded, "You are healthier now than when you first started seeing me (5 or 6 years ago)."  (I started seeing this doctor shortly before I had my mini-stroke and subsequently was healed of a PFO, or hole in my heart. You can view a video of my story here. So I went from a "hole in the heart" to a heart operating in the optimal range. I would have to say, I think the physical mirrors the state of my nonphysical Heart as well.)

Her conclusion was, "I really think it's The Healing Codes."

Her attributing this good report mostly to The Healing Codes is accurate, I think, because that's what The Healing Codes do: they increase your resistance to the harmful effects of stress. You may have high mental stress, but if the stress resistance is higher, you won't have the negative effects of the stress on body, soul and mind. The Healing Codes also help you "heal the holes in the heart" spiritually.

Of course I was very pleased with this recent report. I am most grateful for this wonderful tool God has put in my path and the path of many others who have also benefited. 

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