Hi, my name is Danielle, and I would like to share with you my personal experience with a specific type of Heart Coherence Meditation, which has helped me heal my body from the impact of chronic inflammation caused by an autoimmune arthritic condition.
This type of meditation has helped my body to achieve cross - coherence, which refers to the synchronised activity among my body's different systems, hence preventing homeostatic depletion or an imbalanced internal environment.
A little history: I had suffered for much of my life with inflammation which indiscriminately affected most joints in my body at different times. After many years, I eventually received a diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis.
To explain the severity of my condition, often during a severe flare-up, I was unable to walk more than a couple of very painful steps. A wheelie-walker was constantly beside my bed, and often I needed to be wheeled to the bathroom at night because even one step was too painful. At its worst, inflammation simultaneously affected my feet, knees, back, wrists, certain fingers and even my jaw, whereby I struggled to open my mouth wide enough to bite into food, and chewing was difficult.
During these months, a wheelchair, wheelie walker, crutches and/or walking stick were my constant companions. After having trialled many medications to combat these symptoms, I eventually commenced a biological drug. This medication, combined with a daily practice of meditation and Tai Chi, resulted in a reduction of inflammation and I was able to resume normal daily living. I was again able to walk long distances, and for the most part was feeling pretty good, although I still needed to be mindful to avoid doing things that exacerbated my condition leading to occasional flare-ups. During this time I recognised that personal stress or negative emotions, mine or those of others surrounding me, had a negative impact on my body and personal coherence.
During my last flare-up, which as one may expect, was at a busy stressful time in my life, when self-care was, on some days, not my top priority, my symptoms worsened. I could not walk and it felt that inflammation from my feet was creeping up my entire body once again. Apparently, my body had established its own way of grounding me and making me rest, when rest was required.
It was decided that the medication I had been taking was no longer working and I was commenced on another biological drug. This seemed to work well, and my inflammation reduced, however, at the time of commencing this new medication, I discovered a rapidly growing growth on my neck which had not previously been there. This growth bled when touched and would not heal. After 8 weeks, I saw a skin specialist who was concerned, thinking it was a Squamous Cell Carcinoma; 4 weeks was the earliest biopsy appointment.
I was reassured this time frame would be fine. I, however, was not so sure. I was aware that this growth had appeared rapidly, over 8 weeks, and this concerned me. The appearance of the growth coincided exactly with when I started the new medication and so in consultation with my rheumatologist, I decided to stop it and instead throw myself into my meditation and self-care practices to heal my body.
Achieving Coherence During Meditation
Every day I practiced a specific type of meditation called Heart Coherence meditation for around 10 to 30 minutes, often twice a day. I visualised returning for my biopsy and seeing my skin specialist looking puzzled and saying "Wow, that looks much better". I also visualised getting the biopsy results and being told "It was benign". More than just visualising it, I imagined it had already happened and I felt real heartfelt gratitude for my results as I held a firm intension that my body was already healed.
Other holistic activities during meditation, such as Tai Chi and walking, completed my self-care practices. In attempting to heal my neck, I was unsure how my arthritis would respond without the biological medication; previously if I had missed a dose, I would notice symptoms of inflammation increasing, but as days became weeks, I was delighted to notice I was feeling better than ever.
I returned for my biopsy, and laughed when my specialist said "Wow, that is smaller and far less angry looking". I said, "I knew you were going to say that", to which he replied "I don't know what you are doing , but keep doing it!"
Five weeks after I discontinued my arthritis medication, I received the results and, as I absolutely expected, I was told the tumour was completely benign and nothing further was required.
Six weeks after discontinuing my medication I had a review with my rheumatologist where I discussed Heart Coherence Meditation. I expressed that I was feeling fabulous and had no signs of inflammation. Importantly I was continuing my meditation practice for between 10 to 30 minutes a day and 5 to 10 minutes of Tai Chi. This time commitment was one I made to myself.
On a busy day, I still make self-care my priority. Ten to 15 minutes combined with a healing mindset, is all that is required on such days. I call my self-care routine my 'not -negotiables'. Most days, time and weather permitting, I also walk 3 to 5 kilometres in nature. This, for someone who previously at times couldn't put my feet to the floor without severe pain, is priceless.
I no longer go in search of pain or inflammation, instead when I wake, I check in to see how good I feel. Focusing on gratitude and never taking for granted the simple things like being able to walk. I trust and completely believe my body knows how to heal.
Our thoughts are so important in the healing process. Research tells us that the second we have a thought our body responds to the thought, releasing chemicals directly relating to the thought. Thus when we focus on what's wrong, we generally find it. I now choose to focus on health every day, connecting to gratitude and joy through heart coherence meditation and a conscious awareness of where I place my powerful thoughts. In doing so, I have not only improved my heart rhythm patterns but the overall quality of my life.
What is Heart Coherence Meditation?
The Heart Coherence meditation is a simple, practical, user-friendly meditation that stimulates the body's relaxation response, hence promoting mental, emotional and physiological coherence. The latter occurs when the heart rhythms are synchronised with the brain rhythms. Practising this type of coherent meditation accesses the intelligence of the heart and improves heart rate variability. It shifts the heart's rhythms from incoherent, in times of stress, to coherence. This results in different neurological messages being sent to the brain.
The technique is based on 30 years of research from the HeartMath Institute that was established in Boulder Creek, USA in 1991. Researchers found that connecting to the heart brain in a certain way leads to positive emotions that create psychophysiological coherence. This refers to a state of optimal function in which your body's sympathetic activity improves, thus enhancing your heart rate variability and other vital functions of your body, which in turn improves emotional balance and cognitive function as well.
Rollin McCraty, director for research at HeartMath, wrote in his article from 2017 that providing feedback on heart rate variability (HRV) coherence can help improve self-regulation and personal coherence. He also emphasised the importance of social coherence and connection in fostering physiological processes. His fellow HeartMath researchers have also studied how the electromagnetic field of the heart can affect people outside the body, besides the individual's personal health, with respect to heart coherence meditation.
How Do You Make Your Heart Coherent?
Connecting to the heart requires slow, deep breathing during meditation. Focus your breath on your heart while sincerely trying to recall something positive in your life as this will ultimately make your heart coherent. As well as normalising your heart rhythm intervals, you will notice how more connected and grounded you feel as you move forward to other activities after your meditation session.
Evidence from research shows that a negative emotion goes hand in hand with stress in creating chaos within the body. This combination increases the vagal tone, which refers to impulses from the vagus nerve that regulates the parasympathetic activity of the nervous system. An increased vagal tone resulting from negative emotional reactions may reduce blood supply to the brain, which serves as a baseline measurement for heart diseases, neurodegenerative disorders and a whole range of other conditions.
Conversely, researchers found direct correlations between heart coherence and positive emotions such as gratitude, care and compassion. Regular coherent meditation promotes sympathovagal balance in the autonomic nervous system that induces deep relaxation, which has been proven to have a positive correlation with optimum brain function and a coherent heart rhythm. When this occurs, it can lead to a boost in immunity and a release of healing chemistry in the body; the beneficial effects of which have been measured to last up to six hours. An increase in creativity, increase in mental clarity, problem solving and intuition will also occur.
It has also been discovered that the heart has its own system of neurons (brain cells) which previously was unknown. This meditation allows for the heart and brain to synchronise, creating a coherent rhythm between these organs which establishes a new baseline and leads to sustained improvements in health over time.
I cannot recommend this meditation highly enough.
At the time of writing this I am 8 weeks post cessation of my medication and I feel fantastic!
Reference:
https://www.heartmath.org/research/
