Personal Use: Results

Hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide have used the HeartMath System of tools, techniques, and technologies to reduce stress and improve their personal health and well-being. Because coherence-building tools help people establish healthier patterns at the physiological, mental, emotional, and behavioral levels, the applications of the HeartMath techniques and emWave® technology is as diverse and wide-ranging as the users themselves. Compiled here are some of the more common areas of application related to personal well-being and examples of the kinds of results that have been achieved.

Stress Reduction

Probably the most widespread application of the HeartMath System is in stress reduction. The results in this area have been strong and consistent, as substantiated by a large and growing body of research. Scientific studies have demonstrated significant reductions in measures of stress in a wide variety of populations using the HeartMath techniques and emWave technology. These include:

Executives and employees of global corporations such as Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, Shell, Boeing, and many others
Hospital nurses and employees
Government workers
Police and correctional officers
High school and middle school students
Individuals with various health challenges, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and AIDS

Many of the full published research papers are available on the HeartMath Institute’s website. For more detailed information, click here

Individual perspectives on reducing stress using the HeartMath System:

"The [emWave] system has been a successful method for managing work-related stress. I've found that by using this software program, I'm experiencing less fatigue and stress, which allows me to maintain internal balance and have a higher energy level. I have the [emWave] system installed on my notebook computer, which allows me to use it while on patrol in the field, at home and in my office. As I balance a full-time law enforcement career, time with my family and working on my dissertation for a doctoral degree in education, the [emWave] system allows me to be more balanced and in control of the emotional and mental fatigue this kind of schedule can bring on. In addition, I've also noticed that it's easier for me to be removed or be objective when it comes to politics in the organization."
— Mike Guerra, Sergeant, California Law Enforcement

“HeartMath’s…program is a wonderful, effective path to serenity for crazy, busy executives. The program not only works as a ‘problem fixer,’ but more importantly, it enriches one's life. A wonderful discovery for people whose lives have become too busy and unmanageable. [HeartMath] equips you to cope not only with all the stress in life, but then goes way beyond in introducing positive, lasting changes.”
— Bob Morgan, President, Council of Growing Companies

"Doc Childre's [emWave] technology is a deceptively simple, easy to use tool for balancing emotional and mental states. What for, you say? [emWave] system shifts me beyond my usual frame of mind into healthier, more relaxed and creative states. The effect is immediate and cumulative. I use it every day."
— Barnet Bain, Producer of the Feature Film What Dreams May Come

“What it does, is it takes all of the clutter out and allows you to focus. It’s amazing what kind of focus and clarity you can get simply by blocking out the other noise. I’m an engineer and as skeptical as most, but it’s obvious to me that by using it, it compresses the time to come up with creative solutions.”
— Terry Miller, Senior Manager, Fortune 100 Company

“The emWave technology and the Quick Coherence® technique have profoundly affected my personal and professional life. My daily baseline temperament was for the most part very high-strung. Stress in the field of education only seems to be increasing, and in my role as a school site administrator I felt like a sponge, soaking up everyone’s stress around me. The absorption of all this negative energy was beginning to take its toll on my physical health and mental energy. I saw myself becoming a cynical manager of problems rather than the idealistic, energetic, professional leader I used to be. Since incorporating Quick Coherence and the emWave into my daily routine three years ago, I have recaptured the positive energy and idealism I had at the beginning of my career.”
— Jefferey Lagozzino, Principal, La Primaria Elementary School, El Monte, California

“I wish everyone in Iraq had been as prepared as I was to deal with the stress that we were under. Thanks to HeartMath, I made it back in good spirits. HeartMath was the best weapon I had over there, and the only one I brought back with me and continue to use.”
— Iraq War Veteran

Improving Emotional Health and Hormonal Balance

“In one HMI [HeartMath Institute] study, participants experienced a 100% increase in their DHEA levels when they learned the [HeartMath] techniques… . Those who have high levels of this hormone have been shown to have a decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and infectious diseases. This is why DHEA has been referred to as the physical measurement of the level of a person’s life force.”
— Christiane Northrup, M.D., Author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

A research study examined the effects of the HeartMath techniques on stress, emotions, and hormonal balance in healthy adults. Study participants practiced several core HeartMath techniques five times a week over one month’s time, with an emphasis on reducing stress and emotional energy drains. Measures of participants’ stress and emotional health were collected before and after the study period. Levels of the “stress hormone,” cortisol, and the “vitality hormone,” DHEA, were also measured at these times. The DHEA/cortisol ratio is considered an important marker of health and biological aging; chronically high cortisol and low DHEA levels can significantly compromise health and are found in most major disease states. Levels of cortisol and DHEA are also closely tied to our stress levels and the emotions we typically experience.

The study’s results showed that:

After 30 days of practicing the HeartMath techniques, experimental group participants experienced significant improvements in stress and emotional health — including decreases in Stress Effects, Anxiety, Burnout, Guilt, and Hostility and increases in Caring and Vigor (see figure below).

In accordance with these emotional improvements, experimental group participants also demonstrated a significant improvement in their DHEA/cortisol ratio. On average, participants’ DHEA levels increased by 100%, while cortisol dropped by 23% over the one month period (see figure below).

There were direct correlations between the emotional and physiological changes: decreases in cortisol were associated with reductions in measures of stress, while increases in DHEA were associated with increases in measures of appreciation, care, love, and compassion.
The finding of a significantly increased DHEA/cortisol ratio with use of the HeartMath techniques has recently been independently replicated in an international study. These results are noteworthy, as the normal physiological variability of DHEA and cortisol levels from month to month is non-significant. Results suggest that consistent practice of the HeartMath techniques facilitates a repatterning process at a fundamental level, resulting in both emotional and physiological profiles indicative of greater health and vitality.

Reducing Anxiety

With the seemingly relentless increase in the pace and demands of life, dealing with feelings of anxiety has become a significant challenge for many people. Anxiety can be a major impediment to performing effectively at work or at school, to interacting easily with others, and to fully enjoying the many gifts in life. Recurring anxiety also negatively impacts our health. The techniques of the HeartMath System and the emWave technology have proven highly effective in helping individuals reduce and transform anxiety of all kinds — ranging from general anxiety to feelings of anxiety related to specific activities, such as test-taking or performance in music or athletics.

In a study of Motorola employees, measures of anxiety, tension, nervousness, and physical symptoms of stress significantly decreased after learning and practicing the HeartMath techniques.
A study of a government agency, undergoing major organizational change, measured a significant (21%) reduction in anxiety among employees who learned and used HeartMath techniques.
In another research study, individuals with diabetes who practiced the HeartMath tools over 6 months experienced significant reductions in both general and phobic anxiety, along with significant improvements in emotional well-being and overall quality of life.
A study of HIV-positive individuals who learned the HeartMath techniques, demonstrated significant reductions in both state and trait anxiety over a six-month period, together with increased physical vitality and reductions in pathological symptoms.
In the TestEdge® National Demonstration Study (described in Learning and Testing Results Section), high school students who learned to generate coherence using the HeartMath tools and the emWave technology experienced a significant reduction in test-related anxiety after completing a HeartMath learning program.
A study of college student musicians measured a significant reduction in the experience of music performance anxiety and an improvement in performance quality after students used the HeartMath techniques and emWave coherence-building technology.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Panic Attacks

Adam is a 46-year-old Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks, and depression. He was dealing with two life traumas that occurred before his military service and two that occurred during his service. He started to develop agoraphobia and experienced increasing panic attacks, which prevented him from attending college or going to work. After learning the HeartMath techniques, Adam reported, “I’ve had amazing changes. I’m [using the Quick Coherence® technique]…as soon as warnings of a panic attack come on, [and] it helps.” Adam explains that he is no longer merely trying to survive but is actually re-engaging in and enjoying life. He has begun riding his bike again, whereas in the past he felt vulnerable going outside. Now when this fear begins, he uses the Heart Lock-In® technique [sustaining coherence with a positive emotional focus] facilitated by Heart Zones® music and finds that it makes him “feel more capable of dealing with the thoughts and realizing they were obsessive.” He states: “The [HeartMath tools] gave me the space to slow down the irrational thinking. These panic attacks take me over. In [sustaining coherence] I was able to create a space where I did have control. This was the first time I was able to stop what is the typical scenario of the panic attack where I relinquish myself to the situation and end up hiding.”

Adam also describes sustaining coherence “for fun” and enjoying the feeling of “a universal kind of love” he experiences in the process. His practice of the tools has also facilitated him in making better health-related decisions for himself, which, in turn, have impacted his overall well being. In expressing his appreciation of the techniques, he explains that while he may still experience difficult moments at times, he now genuinely feels that he has something to help him. “I’ve not found anything in my journey as applicable as HeartMath.” In referencing other therapies and programs he had frequented, Adam explains, “…After the initial high, there’s always a let-down. [With HeartMath] I’ve not felt let down.”

Lifting Depression

“HeartMath has changed my life…It is like magic. Not like a magic pill that makes it all better all at once, but like a magic flame inside of me — the more I look at it, the stronger it gets. And the most wonderful thing about it is — it’s mine.”
— A.

Research studies show that the HeartMath tools and emWave technology have facilitated significant reductions in depression in a wide range of people.

Hypertensive employees at a high-tech company significantly reduced depression and lowered their blood pressure after using HeartMath techniques and the emWave system for 3 months.
High school seniors who learned HeartMath tools and used the emWave technology as part of a test preparation program experienced significant reductions in depression along with other emotional improvements.
A Stanford study showed that elderly patients with congestive heart failure significantly reduced depression (by 34%) and increased functional capacity after practicing HeartMath tools.
In a study of a government agency undergoing major organizational change, employees who learned HeartMath techniques reported significantly decreased depression, sadness, and fatigue, among other emotional improvements, at the end of the seven-week study period.
California police officers who were trained in the HeartMath System experienced significant reductions in depression and Global Negative Emotion after using the tools for 16 weeks.

Together with the results of research studies, the individual experiences of many people who suffered from depression provide a powerful testament to the efficacy of the HeartMath tools and technology.

A Magic Flame

HeartMath has changed my life. Last spring, before I started HeartMath, even though my life was good, I was sad, depressed, confused and [experienced] so many other feelings of defeat. I could not truly enjoy my life, my daughter or my fiancé. I was so beaten down by the hardship I had endured that I could not enjoy the good in life. I felt like it was only a matter of time before everything came crumbling down.

Now though, I am no longer a victim! Wow, talk about a miracle. It is like magic. Not like a magic pill that makes it all better all at once, but like a magic flame inside of me — the more I look at it, the stronger it gets. And the most wonderful thing about it is — it’s mine. No one but me truly controls it.

The wonderful mother, wife and person that I have always wanted to be, I am! My appreciation of life and my experience grows into a huge flame that surrounds me.

I could go on and on about HeartMath. It is something every person needs. I am so grateful to be one of the ones who gets to learn it. It is truly the greatest gift of information I have ever received.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Love,
A.

Fatigue

The HeartMath techniques and emWave technology have proven highly effective in helping people relieve fatigue and gain renewed energy and vitality. Many people have found that in using these tools to more efficiently manage their mental and emotional energy expenditures (thoughts, emotions, and attitudes), they save a tremendous amount of energy, experience a sense of increased buoyancy throughout the day, and feel much less tired and drained even at the end of a busy day. The HeartMath tools also help people develop the intuitive discernment to better see how to avoid draining energy and how to renew their vitality as they go about their daily activities. It is not surprising that nearly every research study that measured changes in tiredness, exhaustion, or fatigue in groups using HeartMath tools and technologies found marked reductions in these conditions.

Recovery from Stress-Induced Fatigue and Autonomic Exhaustion – Chris’s Story

Chris, a 45-year-old business executive with a family history of heart disease, was feeling extremely stressed and fatigued. A 24-hour heart rate variability analysis revealed abnormally depressed activity in both branches of his autonomic nervous system, suggesting autonomic exhaustion ensuing from maladaptation to high stress levels. His heart rate variability was far lower then would be expected for his age and was below the clinical cut-off level for significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death.

Upon reviewing these results, his physician concluded that it was imperative that Chris take measures to reduce his stress and recommended that Chris begin practicing the HeartMath coherence-building techniques. Concerned about his deteriorating health, Chris complied with his physician’s recommendation. Each morning he practiced sustaining coherence during his daily train commute to work, and he used the Quick Coherence technique in any situation when he felt his stress levels rise.

At first Chris was not fully aware of the transformation that was occurring. His wife was the first to notice the change and to remark about how differently he was behaving and how much better he looked. Then his coworkers, staff, and other friends began to comment on how much less stressed he appeared in responding to situations at work and how much more poise and emotional balance he had. A second autonomic nervous system assessment, performed six weeks after the initial one, showed that his heart rate variability had more than doubled — indicating autonomic nervous system recovery. These results surprised Chris’ physician, as recovery from autonomic nervous system depletion usually requires much longer than six weeks.

Chris saw how profoundly his health and his life had been transformed. He no longer suffered from fatigue, he was getting along with his family, colleagues, and staff better than he could remember ever having enjoyed before, and he felt much more clearheaded and in command of his life. His life seemed more harmonious, and the difficulties that arose at work and in his personal relationships no longer caused him to feel the same level of stress; he now found himself able approach them more smoothly and proactively, and often with a broadened perspective.

Recovering from Chronic Fatigue – Patrick’s Story

After a trip to Mexico in 1984, I returned with a variety of symptoms beginning a downward spiral leading to collapse in the fall of 1986. My energy was gone. I was unable to think, unable to get out of bed — only waking for about an hour a day, and during that hour sometimes able to only open my eyes. It was 4 months before I could walk to the mailbox. That chore used to take me 5 minutes. Now it took at least half an hour.

My next 10 years were marked by gradual progress to very fragile plateaus. I was learning to operate in a very reduced way. Yet, it was a delicate balancing act — I had no idea when the next wave of depletion would knock me off my feet. Not knowing if this was ever going to be over was extremely frustrating.

During recovery from my last major relapse in the fall of 1994, I recognized something major was missing from my strategy but I didn’t have a clue what that was. In the spring of 1995, I came upon an article on the research of the HeartMath Institute. I began learning the HeartMath techniques for managing thoughts and emotions and bringing the autonomic nervous system into balance — first with the books and tapes, then a weekend retreat. I’m using the techniques on a very regular basis, and catching the first signs of the illness and shifting out of it before going down. The changes have been miraculous!

Using HeartMath, I am experiencing the increased energy and mental function I’ve needed to really reenter life in a stable way. Now I’ve gotten to the point where I can ask the question, what do I want to do with the rest of my life? This is a very exciting place to be. For the first time in my life it seems like all my resources are aligning, providing hope and a deeper sense of peace.
— Patrick Jacobs, Nuclear and Electronic Computing Engineer

Sleeplessness

Sleeplessness has become a huge issue for many people in today’s world. The inability to get the restful, restorative sleep the body needs has an impact on nearly every aspect of one’s life. Learning to sustain coherence for a few minutes before sleep and during short periods throughout the day, has helped many people resolve the physiological and psychological blocks to getting a good night’s sleep. Many individuals with longstanding sleeping problems have reported finally experiencing peaceful and restful sleep after using the HeartMath tools and the emWave system for only a brief period of time. Data generated from corporate projects at Shell, BP, Unilever, Cisco, Boeing, and others — involving more than 2,000 individuals — have shown consistent reductions in sleeplessness across these populations.

Solving Sleeplessness – Trevor’s Story

Background and Symptoms
Since I was a young child, I have suffered from a chronic sleeping disorder which not only has prevented me from easily falling to sleep, but also has meant that I regularly awake numerous times throughout the night. This leaves me in an agitated state of anxiety. This anxious, agitated state is usually with me all night, with the result that I rarely wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and energized. Instead, I often feel somewhat tired and fatigued, especially during the later part of the day.

I have tried both herbal remedies (e.g., valerian) and pharmacological sleeping aids (both over-the-counter and prescription). But these had various serious undesirable side effects and, when they “worked,” left me with low energy and feeling fatigued all day. I have also tried numerous psychotherapeutic techniques, under the instruction and guidance of a clinical psychologist: visualization, hypnosis, EMDR, regression (to “recall” the traumatic source event), behavioral regime (a bedtime ritual), and deep meditation. None of these techniques or practices have had any noticeable effect on my sleeping disorder at all.

Since the first night I arrived home following my bilateral knee surgery 13 days ago, I have practiced the Heart Lock-In® technique [sustaining coherence with a positive emotional focus] immediately before sleeping for 20 minutes or so. I have kept this routine the same each night, although some nights I added a background of soft, relaxing music and varied the time at which I went to bed.

The very first night I tried this, I slept completely through the night without waking (I slept from about 11:00 pm through to about 7:00 am), and woke up feeling totally refreshed and energized. Because this was the first night home from surgery, I thought that this result was probably due mostly to my body being tired from the long day and ordeal of the surgery the day before.

However, I have repeated this result for each of the 13 nights since the surgery — sleeping completely through the night without waking (not even to go to the bathroom, which I previously used to do at least once a night). This has been amazing to me, as this is the first time I have been able to sleep deeply and restfully for as long as I can remember. I have been feeling totally rested; I wake up fully energized and do not experience any feeling of tiredness or fatigue later in the day, despite the fact that my body is still recovering from my surgery! Based on my experience, I would recommend the HeartMath techniques as a highly effective, safe, nonpharmacological approach to anyone who suffers from a chronic sleeping disorder.
—Trevor, Age 58

The following story shows how the emWave system helped a child become able to sleep through the night.

Henry is eight going on nine and will be entering the third grade. When he arrived for his first [HeartMath] session, his mom described a boy who was obsessed with thoughts of dying, who was unable to sleep through the night following his nightmares and was often impatient with his younger sibling.

As with any client, I had to gain an understanding of Henry’s world... Because of his infatuation with anything with a cord or batteries, I decided we would jump right in with the [emWave] software. We immediately established a “computer” bond. Henry was able to see in real-time how his thoughts/emotions affect his body. We discovered in working together that his numerous toys (even the ones with cords and batteries) might make his head happy but they don’t make his heart happy. He is now creating a “treasure chest” of positive emotional images that include such things as petting his dogs, pool time with Mom, and horsing around with his favorite cousin. We also discovered that silly thoughts create coherence in his system as well.

Within the first two weeks of using HeartMath tools, Henry was sleeping through the night. If he awakened, he used Quick Coherence to calm himself and go back to sleep without interrupting Mom’s or Dad’s sleep. Mom and Dad have reported that he has a lot more patience with his “challenging” younger brother. His 10-year-old sister told me, “My brother is just happier.” When standardized school tests came up, we practiced staying coherent to avoid test anxiety. (He scored even better this year than last year!) We also had the opportunity to use HeartMath tools to endure a student teacher that “made his life HORRIBLE!”

…Last week when I asked Henry if he wanted to start with a warm-up on the Heart Rhythm screen, he told me that he was already coherent and that we could go straight to the games. He was right. Who’s the HeartMath expert now?
— Lynda Elliott

Weight Management

“In the summer of 2000, I had a wake up call about my health condition. I was 45 years old, 350 pounds, always in pain and short of breath and losing interest in many aspects of life. Trying to maintain a level of professionalism while being totally uncomfortable was very difficult — it took a lot of focused concentration just to be present and move through everyday activities. I chose to change my life by taking on a very structured food plan and joining a support group. I incorporated daily practices which allowed me to maintain my food plan and new way of life. I often used the [HeartMath techniques] as a response to stress and many other situations where I used to eat. I have lost 200 pounds in the past 17 months — went from size 32 to 14 and have a new lease on life, regained energy and move through my day without pain and with confidence.”
— Anonymous

Weight gain and weight loss both involve interactions among a complex array of factors. Weight management programs are increasingly recognizing the important role of stress in these processes. Frequent or ongoing stress can contribute to weight gain by increasing production of the “stress hormone” cortisol, which increases fat accumulation in the body. In addition, feelings of powerlessness to handle stress often cause people to resort to familiar and “comforting” behaviors, such as overeating “comfort foods” that take them off their diet. Stress — and the inability to effectively manage it — too often saps the energy we need to sustain a commitment to a weight loss program or to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Practice of the HeartMath techniques has been shown to reduce cortisol and increase DHEA — shifting the body’s hormonal profile to one that is conducive to burning fat and building lean muscle tissue. And by providing people with a means to effectively transform stressful feelings in the moment, the HeartMath tools have given many people the power and control they need to stick with a healthy diet or weight loss plan.

The results have been very promising. An international study of employees at a leading global company demonstrated a significant reduction in abdominal fat (as measured by the waist:hip ratio) three months after HeartMath training. This reduction was sustained six months after the training.

Significant Reduction in Abdominal Fat Three and Six Months After HeartMath Training:

The following case history examples, submitted by a New York weight loss clinic that employs the HeartMath System, confirm the effectiveness of this approach.

Alex P.
Alex was referred for HeartMath training by his primary care physician because he was prediabetic, obese, and unable to lose weight despite many diets. He had a lot of anxiety. A highly successful owner in the high-stress construction industry in New York, Alex had his own kitchen and vending machine in his office, ate chocolate bars, and couldn’t resist eating the entire bread basket at the restaurant table. It would be gone before he knew it. Diagnosis: Obesity, high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, high anxiety, and anger. Alex had tried controlled eating programs but was unable to follow them. He kept a food diary, but he was referred to us because he knew what to do but couldn’t stick to it. He knew that a lot had to do with his temperament and the emotional stress he was under, causing anger and fear for his health, which was endangered when he came to us.

With HeartMath and the emWave system, Alex realized that he did have control over changing his heart rhythms. That was a big “a-ha” for him. After his first session with HeartMath tools and the emWave, his family commented that he seemed more relaxed and he said he felt much better. Changing his heart rhythms and getting into a little coherence interrupted his familiar thought and emotion process. Because of his new control, even during heavy business decisions, he became more self-aware of what he was saying and doing. He also became more aware of what he was eating and had more control. After 5 sessions with the emWave at our office over 2 months, and practicing the tools in between sessions, he has lost 36 lbs; his blood pressure has gone down 20 points (systolic) and 15 points (diastolic). His temperament has changed completely and he’s smiling and more relaxed overall. Recently he suffered the loss of a family member and was able to handle it without returning to his old habits. Unlike the other things he tried, he used the emWave with no messing around — he went for it.

Murray R.
A successful corporate lawyer, Murray was obese with high blood pressure. He was overweight, pale, pasty looking and couldn’t look you in the eye. He was extremely unhappy and stressed and was classified as an emotional eater. He was referred by his GP. He knew everything he should be doing correctly, but he couldn’t stick to it. He didn’t think he had control. After 6 sessions (4 months) of practicing HeartMath and appreciation attitude-shifting with the emWave system, his weight has dropped from 296 lbs to 269 lbs. Blood pressure went from 162/110 to 122/84, allowing his medication for blood pressure to be decreased by 50%. He said it was spooky how differently he felt. He looked a different person. He is now much more able to deal with stress and has stopped emotional eating.

Raymond W.
Raymond is a psychoanalyst with a practice in New York and Boston who was referred by his GP. He knew even more about what he should be doing, understood the psychology, had tried everything, but absolutely loved food. He’s a gourmet cook and knew the best restaurants in both cities. He was trying to manage his diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. He had tried numerous ways to manage all three conditions, including prescription medications. After 6 sessions with the emWave system over 3 months, his diabetes and glucose levels are under control, he has lost 20 lbs so far and his blood pressure has dropped from 150/75 to 138/80. His triglycerides went from over 500 to 100 and his blood sugar from 300 to just over 100. More importantly, the HeartMath program allowed him to see he could control these conditions.

Anger Management

“HeartMath gives you the tools to slow down your emotional reactions so the old patterns and anger reflexes stop controlling you. And it opens you to a whole new attitude toward people — and life itself.”
— Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Author of When Anger Hurts From Foreword, Transforming Anger, by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman, Ph.D.

Many people have found the HeartMath techniques and emWave technology to be invaluable tools in learning a new and powerful approach to anger management. Individuals have discovered that these tools not only help them manage anger “in the moment,” but, with consistent use, progressively enable them to transform the deeper perceptions and longstanding emotional patterns that underlie and fuel the anger response. People find that they begin to respond differently because they perceive and feel differently, as anger loosens its hold.

Numerous research studies investigating the efficacy of the HeartMath tools have measured statistically significant reductions in anger and hostility and improvements in the ability to effectively manage anger. Such improvements have been documented across diverse populations, including:

Correctional officers participating in a health risk reduction program
Government employees during an organizational change process
At-risk middle school students enrolled in a HeartMath learning program
High school students in HeartMath’s TestEdge program
College students participating in a forgiveness training

Individual perspectives on managing anger using HeartMath tools:

“I don’t know how many times simply telling myself to ‘Go to Neutral’ in the heart and breathing compassion for myself through the heart and solar plexus has saved me from blowing up. It’s simple, but it does change my perspective so I feel in control and I make better decisions from there. My boss really respects the changes he’s seen in me.”
— Donna

“I have taught myself through practice of the tools to slow-frame what happens inside me. I trigger when I feel attacked, then I have highly derogatory thoughts toward the offender. Now I can catch it when those thoughts arise. Before the second thought forms, I tell myself to [use the Quick Coherence® technique] and come to balance before responding. I can see that this is triggering a change in my brain, because soon I’m having intuitive thoughts of understanding why the person is behaving that way. I can see the person is upset, but it’s not an attack on me personally. So I can reply with compassion.”
— Roger

“HeartMath has really helped me a lot. I was in a fight with one of my friends but then I [used the Quick Coherence technique]. I found out what the problem was and then my friend and I both attacked the problem instead of each other and now we’re best friends. Thank you!!!”
— A., seventh grade

Enriching Relationships

“In the past, if I felt hurt or uncomfortable in relationships I would blame the other person, and run away. I would flit from one relationship to another like a hummingbird to different flowers, never staying long enough for anyone to find out who I really was. Now it is the opposite. I lead with my authentic self and real feelings, speaking my truth with tools I learned from HeartMath. Instead of feeling split in two, I feel like a whole me.”
— Anonymous

Heart coherence-building tools not only enable individuals to gain greater personal empowerment and well-being, but can also help people to add more quality to the important relationships in their lives. Many people have found that using the HeartMath tools and emWave system together with their spouse, partner, children, friends, students, or work colleagues has helped to renew, enrich, and deepen their connection through enhancing communication, intuitive understanding, and care in these relationships.

Research studies have shown relational improvements in a wide variety of contexts among individuals who learned and practiced the tools of the HeartMath system.

Police officers who learned the HeartMath tools reported marked improvements in communication difficulties at work and in strained family relationships, two areas well recognized to be major sources of stress for police. Officers noted that using the techniques resulted in improved listening, less competition, and greater cooperation within their work teams. Their improved listening skills also extended to their families, where they were able to manifest greater care and compassion for their loved ones. Officers also reported that using the tools enabled them to arrive at work in a better frame of mind and to go home in a better frame of mind to spend quality time with their families.
A study of middle school students enrolled in a HeartMath program demonstrated significant improvements in the students’ relationships with their teachers, families, and peers. Students felt more comfortable in their relationships with their teachers, experienced more empathy, support, and satisfaction in their interactions with their friends, participated more in their family life, and felt more supported and satisfied in their family relationships.
A large study of 980 high school students showed similar results, with significant improvements in the quality of students’ relationships both at school and at home after they participated in HeartMath learning program. Students demonstrated significant reductions in interaction difficulty and improvements in their awareness of others’ feelings (empathy), their ability to share their feelings with others, and feelings of being understood. They also showed increases in their enjoyment of class, positive feelings toward classmates, and their perception of teacher care. Many also reported improvements in their relationships with their parents and family members as a result of using the HeartMath tools.