HeartMath is often asked whether practitioners who are not certified by the organization are permitted to teach exercises that are similar to HeartMath techniques (such as the Heart Lock-In® or Quick Coherence® techniques) and if they can cite HeartMath research to support their work.
Using HeartMath Research
We have deep respect for any practice that teaches individuals to focus on the heart and send love to others. While we encourage you to read, study, and recommend our research to others in your practice, please keep the following guidelines in mind:
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Scientific Accuracy: HeartMath has not conducted comparative studies between our proprietary techniques and other heart-centering practices. Therefore, we cannot say whether substituting a different technique would yield the same scientific results found in our studies.
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Claims: You may cite HeartMath research to show the physiological effects of heart-focused techniques, but you should not claim that this specific research applies directly to non-HeartMath techniques.
Technique Structure
The HeartMath techniques were intentionally designed with a specific word structure and sequence of steps to provide maximum benefit to the user.
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Complementary Use: We do not attempt to compare HeartMath techniques to the benefits of other practices. Instead, our techniques are widely used as a valuable add-on to whatever existing practices a person or practitioner already finds beneficial.
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Citing Sources: If you are teaching a heart-centering exercise that is essentially the same as a HeartMath technique, you must not claim to be “HeartMath Certified” unless you have officially completed a certification program.
HeartMath offers these techniques in a spirit of cooperation, aiming to provide tools that enhance any person’s journey toward greater coherence and well-being.