| Mysteries of the Heart |
 |
| It is not commonly known that a baby’s heart develops and begins beating in the fetus before the brain is formed. Or that the human heart possesses a complex energetic system that processes electromagnetic information that research shows can be detected up to three feet outside the body.
IHM’s research shows the heart produces 40 to 60 times more electrical amplitude than the brain. The heart acts like a director, and much of the rest of the human body follows its lead. “The heart puts out a powerful, rhythmic signal that the brain responds to,” IHM Director of Research Dr. Rollin McCraty has explained. “In a way, we could say that the heart and brain ‘talk’ to one another, and together they set the rhythms for the entire nervous system and body.” The heart also sends signals about how we feel. As we experience emotions such as happiness, sadness, love and fear, that emotional information is encoded in signals from the heart and projected around us. Emotions sometimes appear to affect our surroundings, much like in the saying, “You could cut the tension in the room with a knife.” That saying may have its roots in the stress signals our hearts project in tense situations. This could explain how, when a child or parent is facing a challenge, each is sensitive to what the other is feeling. It could also account for why mothers always know when their children are up to some mischief, or why we can detect the emotional vibes of people around us, especially those we love or care about like family or friends. |
|
| We Are What We Feel |
|
| Parents and caregivers know that being upset usually makes it harder to think clearly. That’s because when we are anxious, afraid, worried, frustrated or upset, our heart rhythms are uneven and incoherent. Negative emotions register in the brain and body as stress and create incoherence.
A negative emotion immediately triggers a chain reaction in the body: constricted blood vessels, higher blood pressure, cortical inhibition, immune-system suppression and compromised hormone balance among other effects. On the other hand, heartfelt positive emotions such as love, care, appreciation and compassion have the opposite effect. Positive emotions produce smooth and coherent heart rhythms, making it easier to think clearly and make good decisions, as well as improving health. Jane Nelson, the bestselling author of the Positive Discipline book series, says it’s very important for parents to be aware of how the heart is directing them. “I teach parents how to listen to their hearts,” Nelson said. “When they listen to their hearts’ intelligence, they make better decisions.” View the free webinar with Dr. Jane Nelson, Cultivating Positive Discipline for Children. |
|
| Meet Claire, a Heart-Intelligent Parent |
|
| Claire Shaffe, a mother of two, has tapped into her heart’s intelligence for a number of years by practicing HeartMath techniques with her family. She said the techniques have improved her relationship with her children and helped her stay connected with her heart and set a loving example, even in difficult situations.
“When I’m up against one of those standoffs where my children are disagreeing with me on what a healthy snack would be or when bedtime is, I use my heart tools so I don’t react from anger or frustration,” Shaffe said. “If a feeling of frustration comes up, I pause for a moment before I respond, and I use the Attitude Breathing®Tool (explained below) that I learned from HeartMath. I breathe in deeply and slowly through the area of my heart, and focus on feeling an attitude of love. Then I breathe out slowly a feeling of deep care. Before I know it, the frustration has dissipated and I feel more centered and balanced. From this place, I’m better prepared to respond with understanding and care, even if my decision isn’t a popular one.” When you take a moment to shift away from frustration by recalling a genuine feeling of love, care or appreciation, you are replacing a negative emotion with a positive one and you are realigning the brain, heart and nervous system. The shift to this more coherent state enables you to make clear and efficient decisions, out of caring, rather than frustration. Shaffe said a bonus of practicing the HeartMath techniques is knowing her children are observing how they guide and help her. They see her making a shift from frustration to a new, more constructive perspective. She said there have been times when her children have asked if they could practice HeartMath’s heart tools with her. |
|
| Parenting with Attitude |
|
| IHM has developed many heart-based tools and techniques for improving the lives of adults and children. For parents and caregivers, heart tools like Attitude Breathing can be a great asset in the daily care of children. As Clare learned, children are easily influenced by the adults around them and benefit from observing this tool in action. |
|
| The Attitude Breathing ® Tool |
|
Use HeartMath’s Attitude Breathing to help you synchronize your heart, brain and nervous system and shift into a coherent state. Here are the steps of this effective tool:
|
Abundance Created Together (ACT)
This is the miracle that happens every time to those who really love; the more they give, the more they possess. – Rainer Maria Rilke –
