What do you think of when you want to achieve inner balance? Do you think of calming your mind with meditation? Or, going for a run to get rid of some nervous energy? At the University of Hawaii, there is an innovative approach to improving emotional well-being called Inner Balance technology. Inner Balance analyzes and displays your heart rhythms, measured by Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which shows how emotional states are affecting your nervous system. Incoherent patterns impair inner balance with negative feelings while coherent rhythms promote inner balance with positive emotions.
“Inner Balance by HeartMath” measures how the heart reacts under anxiety, fatigue and depression vs. when the heart experiences focus, sufficient sleep and calmness. HeartMath measures whether or not the heart, mind and emotions are aligned and working together harmoniously. The term for this is “psychophysiological coherence” and it is characterized by increased order in both mental/emotional and physical processes. When aligned, the heart-rhythm patterns look wave-like and smooth, whereas when unaligned, they look spikey and show higher and lower ranges.
Scientists have long ago acknowledged that the heart sends more information to the nervous system than any other organ. When the brain receives the information, it interprets it, which can trigger calmness or anxiety, happiness or sadness. This means that learning to generate increased heart rhythm coherence with positive emotions, not only benefits the entire body, but also greatly affects how you perceive, think, feel, and perform.1
So, how can you cultivate the feelings and thoughts that make your heart function smoothly? Here are a few simple tips:
1. Don’t fear change. Try new things that resonate with you.
2. Slow down. You can’t do everything you want to do all at once—just like growth is a process, not an overnight achievement.
2. Practice self-awareness. Make a conscious effort to learn about your strengths, weaknesses, triggers and emotions—this helps you regulate your emotions effectively.2
3. Prioritize self-care, especially if you are someone who gives, gives and gives. Remember you can’t help others if you personally are not in good shape.
4. Cultivate gratitude as it helps reduce stress and therefore enhances inner balance.
5. Give yourself breathing space. Create your daily, weekly and monthly schedule with space for you to relax. This way you will not burn out.
6. Set your intentions. When you are clear about what you need and what you want, you will naturally be more balanced.
As our daylight hours shorten, take deep breaths and know that you can accomplish what you choose, as long as you don’t overdo it. Add Kenzen nutritional supplements to your daily regimen and feel the difference—your heart health and inner balance will be key to your total wellness!
2 https://esoftskills.com/discovering-inner-balance-the-key-to-a-fulfilling-life/
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