Cardiac coherence: what it is and what are its effects on the body

Part of neurocardiology defends the idea that the heart is a very complex system, a sophisticated sensory organ that receives and processes information.

Our heart muscle is not limited to pumping blood, but also has tens of thousands of neurons that we could very well serve to describe the heart as a set of small brains that, coordinated with our brain, induce a state of wellness.

The fact that the brain and heart are in harmony is called cardiac coherence, a phenomenon that brings many benefits and that we can achieve through the constant practice of breathing techniques. Let's find out what it's about.

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What is cardiac coherence?

Our emotions are not merely cerebral. Our body lives them in various organs, but it is especially remarkable how our heart lives it. In Western culture it has been said that we feel with the heart and, indeed, the neurosciences give some support to this idea. For example, when we feel nervous, our heart beats stronger. It also gets out of control when we get scared, stressed, or receive bad news.

We can define cardiac coherence as that state in which the heartbeat rate is regular, harmonic. The different waves of the heartbeat are synchronized, following a determined frequency, shape and amplitude, forming an orderly, predictable and repetitive pattern. The balance that our brain and heart can establish influences our emotional state, of so that if we promote cardiac coherence we can improve our physical well-being and psychological.

Applied to the field of clinical psychology and neurosciences, cardiac coherence is also a technique in which it is intended to coordinate breathing with heart rate. This technique was originally developed by the HeartMath Institute of California with the objective of stabilize respiration and heartbeat, reducing the rate and inducing a state of Calm down.

As a technique, we can say that cardiac coherence aims to harmonize our physical, mental and emotional systems, a state of psychological efficiency in which the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine and immune systems work in a coordinated and calm way. It is based on the idea that the heart has its own neural circuit, directly connected to the brain and that by controlling our emotions we can control our physiology.

The relationship between brain and heart

The functions of the heart are not limited to pumping blood to the different parts of our body. This organ also has 40,000 neurons, an authentic nervous system of its own that we could say act like “little brains” and, in addition, it functions as a small factory of hormones. It is segregated adrenalin when you need to function at full capacity, atriopeptin to regulate blood pressure. Oxytocin, called the love hormone, is also secreted.

It is all these hormones that influence the functioning of the brain, so we could say that there is a heart-brain system, a system in which brain emotions influence and are influenced by heart rhythm and functioning. But this communication does not occur directly, but through an intermediary: the autonomic peripheral nervous system, which in turn is made up of the sympathetic and parasympathetic subsystems.

The sympathetic is activated when we are in danger, causing adrenaline to be released and noradrenaline to facilitate the performance of fight and flight behaviors, accelerating the heart rate. On the other hand, the parasympathetic acts as a kind of brake, releasing neurotransmitters that induce a state of relaxation and calm, reducing the heart rate.

The appropriate thing is that these two subsystems are in balance, operating brake and accelerator when they correspond. However, if we are constantly stressed and tense, in which the sympathetic system remains activated for a long time and the parasympathetic is off, it stops working effectively. This imbalance ends up affecting our heart, causing it to beat in a chaotic and irregular way, accelerating and braking.

Based on this, it is believed that negative emotions, such as anxiety, anger, sadness or even the mere worries that we may have throughout the day affect our heart rate, being able to generate physiological alterations. On the other hand, positive emotions such as joy favor a balance, facilitating cardiac coherence.

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What are the benefits of cardiac coherence?

The regular practice of cardiac coherence techniques can bring us many benefits on a physical and psychological level:

1. Better emotional management

By applying this technique, the physiological chaos is put to an end, harmonizing heart and brain. Here the parasympathetic system comes into play, causing neurotransmitters to be released that make us feel calmer, which is translates into better emotional management and being able to deal more efficiently with situations difficult.

2. Improved cognitive abilities

Cardiac coherence allows the brain to function more efficiently. By abandoning worries and acquiring a better emotion management technique, the person can concentrate better, allowing ideas to flow in a more functional way. Therefore, it improves our capacity for attention, concentration and information processing.

3. Reduction of stress and fatigue

When we feel stress, the sympathetic system is activated causing a series of reactions at the physiological level. In turn, these cause more anxiety and the appearance of worries when we see that our heartbeat has accelerated or we are organically unstable.

By practicing cardiac coherence techniques, it is possible to have a better control of the physiological processes associated with stress and anxiety. In fact, it has been observed that after a month of practicing cardiac coherence, the levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, are significantly reduced.

4. Better sleep quality

Cardiac coherence generates a state of calm and tranquility, a relaxation that is a very good ally to combat insomnia. When we are relaxed and calm we can fall asleep more easily, in addition to waking up more rested.

5. Strengthening the immune system

By practicing cardiac coherence the immune system can be strengthened. It has been seen that people who manage to introduce this type of practice into their lives have increased levels of immunoglobulins A, cells that are the body's first line of defense against agents infectious. In fact, high levels are maintained for about six hours after practicing cardiac coherence.

How to practice it?

Cardiac coherence can be achieved through practice. From the HeartMath, techniques have been developed that induce this phenomenon to occur, allowing control the accelerations and decelerations of our heart through controlled breathing and aware.

It consists of breathing in and out voluntarily and slowly, thus increasing the amplitude of the heart rate. If a synchronization between respiration and heart rhythm is achieved, the aforementioned coherence will be achieved.

A good way to reduce stress is to be in a quiet environment, sitting with your feet on the floor., without crossing hands or legs:

• We breathe in through the nose for five seconds.
• We breathe out through our mouths for five seconds.
• Repeat the previous two steps six times a minute for five minutes.

It is recommended to do this breath about three times a day.