Cardiac coherence

It is a method like a "physiological pendulum" which regulates the heart rate with our emotions. It aims to practice voluntary breathing, which will allow calming of anxiety. The heart will then echo the breathing, harmonizing with it.

It is at the intersection between relaxation and biofeedback (which is the rehabilitation of behavior through awareness of physiological reactions). The main objective of practicing cardiac coherence is to bring about rapid calming.

The heart is governed by the autonomic nervous system, meaning it functions without conscious movement on our part. This is why it responds automatically, by accelerating, in an anxiety-provoking environment. The intervals between each heartbeat are then reduced. This time between each beat is called “Heart Rate Variability”. When it is low, we have a feeling of anxiety that increases.

Cardiac coherence therefore makes it possible, with the help of breathing, to regulate this heart rate variability. The heartbeats therefore space out to return to a slower rhythm.

Cardiac coherence can be used by everyone. There are no contraindications to putting this method into practice, on the contrary! It can be suitable for children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, even with certain physical or cognitive difficulties.

This technique is particularly useful in anxiogenic situations, where the person feels their heart rate accelerate. On the other hand, it can also be used for prevention, and become a daily routine which will regulate the heart rate and reduce the appearance of rapid heart rate variability.

It can also be recommended for people at risk of heart problems, since the use of cardiac coherence makes it possible to prevent certain heart diseases such as high blood pressure, but also reduces the risk of cardiovascular accidents.

This method does not require any special equipment. You can therefore practice it at home, in transport or in the office, etc., independently. Cardiac coherence is therefore particularly easy to access and requires very little time.

If you do it preventively, sit comfortably in a quiet place, conducive to calming down. Try to be in a posture that is comfortable for you, but which can be stimulating. Rather sit (or stand if you prefer); the lying posture is not recommended for this practice.

Cardiac coherence is therefore based on the so-called 365 method.

3 times a day, 6 breaths per minute for 5 minutes.

3 times a day, when to apply it?

The immediate effects of cardiac coherence last approximately 3 to 6 hours. This is why it is estimated that the spacing time between practices is 4 hours apart. This leads us to practice cardiac coherence in the morning, noon and at the end of the day.

When getting up

Waking up is when our stress hormones are at their highest levels. This is therefore the privileged time to indulge in the practice of cardiac coherence, since it will help reduce anxiety for the day to come. It will also help prevent unforeseen crisis situations during the day (evaluation, quarrels, etc.).

At lunchtime

Take the time during your lunch break to give yourself 5 minutes to do your breathing exercises. If you can isolate yourself during this time, you will give yourself a short but valuable time.

In the evening

After work, or after your day, take some time to remove all the tensions of the day. You can do it as soon as you get home, to give yourself a calm evening, or before going to bed to release all your stress from the day.

6 breaths per minute

Simply inhale 5 seconds through your nose by choosing abdominal inspiration (that is to say, try to inflate your stomach), and exhale 5 seconds through your mouth. You will therefore do 30 breaths (inhalation and exhalation) per minute.

To calculate this time, you have several solutions. You can follow, using your watch or the stopwatch on your phone, by inhaling and exhaling according to time. If you are visual, you can draw, on a sheet of paper, a curve that you draw according to the time you follow (during inhalation the curve goes up, and when exhaling, the curve goes down).

There are also smartphone applications, or videos on the internet that will help you keep up. There is usually a bubble/object/shape to follow, with a relaxing environment as a background.

For a duration of 5 minutes

Repeat these breaths for 5 minutes. Take this time for yourself. It will only benefit you. After these 5 minutes, you can resume your daily activities.

Beyond the cardiovascular benefits which are far from negligible, cardiac coherence, with regular practice, brings numerous benefits both physical and emotional.

Indeed, we can see an improvement in the quality of sleep, but also, at the cognitive level, positive developments in memory, concentration and learning. There is therefore a reduction in attention disorders.

Practicing cardiac coherence on a regular basis will create more dopamine and serotonin (hormones of pleasure and reduction of anxiety) in order to reduce the risk of depression.

This method will help you tolerate physical pain with less difficulty. It is also possible to see an improvement in asthmatic or inflammatory diseases. For athletes, it allows faster recovery after training.

Overall, it will allow better management of one's emotions, consequently significantly reducing stress and anxiety on a daily basis.

15 minutes a day of cardiac coherence can then increase your quality of life.

In the beginning, it can always be more difficult to create a habit. Force yourself to do this exercise 2 to 3 times a day for a while. The benefits that cardiac coherence will generate will give you even more motivation to continue this exercise. It is important to remember the importance of taking care of yourself.