Cardiac coherence: a technique for managing stress

No doubt you’ve already noticed how your heart races when you’re overwhelmed by strong emotions? Anger, fear or even great enthusiasm? In other words, our brain has a direct effect on our heart rate.

What you may not know is that our heart rate can, conversely, influence our brain. So, by controlling the speed of our heartbeat, we can influence our emotions.

Cardiac coherence is therefore a way of regulating our pulse so as to transmit its benefits to the brain.

By breathing deeply and at a set frequency, you can synchronize your breathing with your heartbeat.

The technique is simple: sit comfortably (with your back straight and feet on the floor, or lying down) in a quiet setting, and take 6 deep breaths, doing this for 5 minutes. A deep breath should have a cycle of 10 seconds, i.e. 5 seconds for inhalation and 5 seconds for exhalation. Practising this technique 3 times a day is a very effective technique not only for reducing stress and anxiety, but also for regulating our body’s vital functions (hormones, blood pressure, digestion, immune system, etc.) and reducing stress-related chronic cervical pain and depression. But even just 5 minutes of cardiac coherence can provide benefits lasting several hours. Imagine if you practised it regularly!

There are several videos available to help you use this technique. It can also be helpful for your breathing exercises to be accompanied by a rhythm and background music.

Cardiac coherence is therefore a very simple form of meditation, and although the name of this technique is relatively new, it’s a practice that’s been around since the dawn of time.