Cardiac coherence manifests itself in states of calm, happiness, satisfaction and well-being. The harmony of our heart also reaches the brain, allowing us to think better, to relate positively to others or even fostering our creativity.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
By cardiac coherence we mean a state of high physical and psychological efficiency. The heart has around 40000 neurons, which connect with our emotional brain.
The greater the inner balance, the greater the positive emotions: the heart is in harmony and sends calm signals to the brain so that ideas flow freely and stress does not invade us.
This concept may be new to most of us. This is a fascinating theory that for many lies at the basis of emotional intelligence. Above all, it describes the states in which the nervous, endocrine, immune and above all cardiovascular systems work efficiently by regulating our emotional state.
Relax. A field that has rested produces a bountiful harvest.
-Ovidio-
It might seem absurd, but our heart also has its "brain". Indeed, it has a very complex interrelated neural circuit that affects our emotions and the physiology of our body. In addition, the heart stimulates the release of certain hormones, such as adrenaline or oxytocin, related to love, self-care and social behaviors.
All this pushes us to better understand how our body works and to understand something even more fascinating, that is cardiac coherence.
A calm heart, with a regular beating, which interprets that "everything is fine", it sends relaxing signals to the brain and peripheral nervous system autonomous so that they are tuned to the same feeling of well-being. Let's find out together what cardiac coherence consists of, both physical and emotional harmony.
Cardiac coherence: the brain and the heart are connected
To better understand the concept of cardiac coherence, let's first do a little test. Let's sit down for a few minutes, trying to relax; then we put our hand on the heart and feel for a moment the rhythm with which it beats.
Does he do it very quickly or maybe he does it in a rhythmic and calm way? If we are truly relaxed, our heartbeat will be normal and our thoughts will flow calmly, free from pressure and negativity.
However, if we experience some tachycardia even while sitting, it is very likely that we are subject to a state of severe stress or anxiety. Something similar favors a style of thinking characterized by anguish, orchestrated by a brain and a heart that interpret that we are facing some sort of threat.
As we can deduce, emotions such as fear, stress and anger cause our hearts to beat fast and irregularly. When this happens, a biochemical and organic chaos is created, an imbalance that radiates to the rest of the organs and especially to the brain.
The communication and neuro-cardiac bond between the two is very intense, with the heart sending much more information to the brain rather than vice versa.
This wonderful complexity is generated by the nerve fibers that run from the heart to the base of the skull.
Cardiac coherence vs cardiac chaos
At this point we can already deduce that all the emotions we call negative, such as anger, frustration and worry, shape what is known as heart chaos.
It is common to fall into a state of worry or suffer the tension caused by work and interpersonal relationships, which they break the harmony and bring out an irregular heartbeat.
Cardiac coherence, for its part, manifests itself in states of calm, happiness, satisfaction and well-being. The harmony of our heart also reaches our brain, allowing us to think better, to relate positively or even favoring our creativity.
It is known, for example, that cardiac coherence improves our physiological rhythms, making the respiratory, circulatory and even digestive systems work in synchrony and in a healthier way.
How can we achieve it?
It is clear that achieving adequate cardiac coherence offers countless benefits. Not only will we feel much better physically, but we will also make our brains more efficient in processing information, producing ideas and connecting with reality, with the here and now.
But how can we get it? How can we promote adequate cardiac coherence? Let's see some strategies below.
Eliminate from your life everything that causes you stress and takes away your smile.
-Paulo Coelho-
Strategies to promote cardiac coherence
- biofeedback. Very useful therapy for patients with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder, suffering from insomnia and chronic pain phobias. The aim is ambitious and very interesting: to control the physiological functions of the person to improve the quality of physical and mental life. To try this technique, you can go to a specialized center.
- Greater awareness of one's own interiority. We live focused on the outside, on what surrounds us, on what we have and on what we lack. However, we are disconnected from that inner world where the heart and our mind regulate our well-being or cause discomfort.
We must learn to listen to ourselves, to control our breathing, to adopt the appropriate relaxation and meditation techniques.
- Yoga, mindfulness and exercise. It is possible to promote cardiac coherence through exercises that make us more aware of our heart, of how we breathe, of how we feel. We therefore recommend dedicating at least an hour a day to exercises that promote an adequate mind-body connection.
Conclusions
We should always have heart coherence in mind, as it is synonymous with well-being, inner harmony and mental calm, therefore health.
