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The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence
The HeartMath Solution may easily be written off as a book too eccentric for widespread public consumption, and that's unfortunate. The title's a bit misleading--it's not about cardiac care and it's not about calculus, but rather how 30 years of research have shown that the heart's "intelligence" affects emotions and physical health--especially when it comes to handling stress--and specifically what you can do to balance heart rhythms, reduce stress hormones, and boost your immune system. Yes, it sounds complicated, especially when you read that cardiologists worked with physicists and psychiatrists to develop the HeartMath program. But it's worth brushing off your skepticism and exploring the concepts in the Solution, as many employees of Fortune 500 companies have already done.
The "intelligence" that the authors focus on refers to both the heart's "brain," or the 40,000 neurons found in the heart (the same number in the brain itself), and the intuitive signals the heart sends, including feelings of love, happiness, care, and appreciation. When such positive emotions are felt, they "not only change patterns of activity in the nervous system; they also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol." When there's less cortisol, there's more DHEA, the so-called fountain of youth hormone known to have anti-aging effects on many of the body's systems.
The HeartMath Solution outlines 10 steps for harnessing the power of the heart's intelligence, including ways to manage your emotions and keep energy levels high. One of the most important is the "Freeze-Frame" technique for calming the nervous system, improving clarity of thought and perception, and boosting productivity (which is one of the many appealing features for those Fortune 500 companies). Each step includes references to data proving its effectiveness, with handy summaries of the key points to remember at the end of each chapter. This is a book that takes a bit of scientific understanding and a lot of time to wade through, but one that could help you prevent stress from ruling your existence. --Erica Jorgensen
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First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
August 9, 2009
Did you know that the fetus heart is beating long before the brain has begun to develop? This book reveals some of the science behind the physiological benefits of connecting to the heart's intelligence. Using the analogy of how the most powerful pendulum in a room of pendulums will eventually persuade all the others to mimic it's rhythm, the authors offer a very simple and powerful technique to connect with the heart's brain, thereby increasing 'coherence' in all bodily systems. The result? Presence, power, peace and profound energetic alignment. Cool stuff.
April 12, 2013
As a brain-oriented person, I was totally impressed with this book on how to access the powers of the heart. All men should read this, and women should read and recommend to their guys. Great insights. Amazing yet credible scientific basis for how strong the heart really is in guiding our lives, and how we can access that power. Medium advanced read. Highly recommended to all.
January 2, 2022
The HeartMath Solution is a short read (2h45m on Audible), but I took 8 pages of notes on it and it also went on my "Highly Recommend to Everyone" list. It introduces the Institute of HeartMath's systematic approach to accessing the and developing the intelligence of the heart. It really resonated with me, to the extent that I looked into teacher training. I had never really considered that the heart could have its own intelligence, but apparently, the nervous system in the heart is sophisticated enough to qualify as a small brain -- it can act independently of the brain, it can learn, remember, feel, and sense. The heart is the strongest biological oscillator in the body, and the book offers practical techniques to bring the mind and body into entrainment/coherence/alignment with it, to reduce stress, achieve balance and clarity of perception, and effectively manage emotion. I wish I had been taught this stuff in kindergarten! 9/10 stars.
February 7, 2016
I came across this book when I started attending Unity Church of Walnut Creek this year. Our pastor is Reverend David McArthur, who to our good fortune, is a leader in promoting HeartMath to religious organizations of all kinds across the country. The church holds many HeartMath workshops that support the book, and teach the techniques used, to build stronger intuitive heart intelligence and its coherent power to manage the mind, thoughts and emotions.
The material in the book helps develop a more efficient and effective way of addressing difficult and challenging situations, relationships, conversations, discussions, conflict and just daily living. The material is presented in a concise and readable way, and the HeartMath exercises are simple and can be easily learned, especially Freeze Frame and Heart Lock-in. It teaches us how to live a heart-directed life instead of a head-directed life, putting the heart first in everything we do.
I would unqualifiedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in lowering stress, reducing anxiety, improving communication, strengthening your immune system and overall health, personal growth, and a more adaptive and peaceful way of being in this increasingly fast-paced, demanding world we live in.
The material in the book helps develop a more efficient and effective way of addressing difficult and challenging situations, relationships, conversations, discussions, conflict and just daily living. The material is presented in a concise and readable way, and the HeartMath exercises are simple and can be easily learned, especially Freeze Frame and Heart Lock-in. It teaches us how to live a heart-directed life instead of a head-directed life, putting the heart first in everything we do.
I would unqualifiedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in lowering stress, reducing anxiety, improving communication, strengthening your immune system and overall health, personal growth, and a more adaptive and peaceful way of being in this increasingly fast-paced, demanding world we live in.
January 24, 2009
My doctor recommended this book. It's a very interesting spin on meditation techniques. Rather that meditating from your head, you focus on the heart. The book contains current research on the heart--that it has its own set of nerves that respond separately than the brain, etc. The research data is interesting and the exercises are enlightening and easy to try. I'll update again as I continue to practice the program and will let you know if it makes a difference in my life.
May 4, 2025
I began reading this, then began to skim it because I already knew a bunch of what they were talking about. I wanted to get down to the techniques but, to be honest, they seemed to talk an awful lot more than they needed to. I finally gave up, and didn't finish it. (I probably needed a 5 or 10 page booklet; someone else might need the whole thing. For me, it was 3 stars; someone else might give it 5.)
December 5, 2020
Self notes.
Gave the scientific evidence t further support the basis behind visualization / dynamic neural limbic system training for health. Many of the concepts overlap. IGA increased 240% when visualizing care health and positive emotions and continued to elevate after. IGA increased 17% when visualizing anger but then continued to decrease thereafter.
Health very much is largely determined and supported by our habitual thought patterns and subconscious feelings. It’s something we must train overtime as our conscious mind is not powerful enough to overcome the subconscious in the moment.
Even with coronavirus there have been studies showing how a low HRV is a good indication for those who will become sick. A low HRV is largely, and confirmed from studies done on myself, unconscious stress or fight or flight response.
HRV is also a known key indicator for longevity of life. I correlate mental thought patterns and subconscious habits to be that connected with HRV and IGA, key indicators of longevity and immune system health. Environment they say is 95% of our genomic response. Our mental perspective is our environment.
Gave the scientific evidence t further support the basis behind visualization / dynamic neural limbic system training for health. Many of the concepts overlap. IGA increased 240% when visualizing care health and positive emotions and continued to elevate after. IGA increased 17% when visualizing anger but then continued to decrease thereafter.
Health very much is largely determined and supported by our habitual thought patterns and subconscious feelings. It’s something we must train overtime as our conscious mind is not powerful enough to overcome the subconscious in the moment.
Even with coronavirus there have been studies showing how a low HRV is a good indication for those who will become sick. A low HRV is largely, and confirmed from studies done on myself, unconscious stress or fight or flight response.
HRV is also a known key indicator for longevity of life. I correlate mental thought patterns and subconscious habits to be that connected with HRV and IGA, key indicators of longevity and immune system health. Environment they say is 95% of our genomic response. Our mental perspective is our environment.
March 14, 2015
I read 16 pages. I expected some science about the heart/brain connection and it may actually be in the book somewhere. I did not find anything of substance in those 16 pages except for the probably truth that the heart does beat without the need of the brain. It was pointed out that a heart can be transplanted and started and neural connections to the recipients brain are not made.
There were a couple of things that I felt were inaccurate that I just let slide and cannot recall, but on page 16 I jumped out of the book when I was told that the human brain works in a linear, logical fashion. That, I believe from much other reading, just is not true. Look up something on mind mapping to see my point.
That was the last straw for me. I was bored until that and then I got all excited--about returning the book to the library.
There were a couple of things that I felt were inaccurate that I just let slide and cannot recall, but on page 16 I jumped out of the book when I was told that the human brain works in a linear, logical fashion. That, I believe from much other reading, just is not true. Look up something on mind mapping to see my point.
That was the last straw for me. I was bored until that and then I got all excited--about returning the book to the library.
April 20, 2015
I attended a workshop on Heartmath around the time the book was published in 1999. Although the technique and the book are a little touchy-feely for me - I chose the workshop specifically because it was outside my usual interests - I remember getting enough out of it to search out the book recently when I was having trouble sleeping.
I started using the Heart Lock-In again and it did help with my sleeping problems. I don't think there is anything particularly new in the book, but anything that helps someone relax and deal with stress better is a good thing. I recommend it if you are looking for a specific meditative technique to try.
I started using the Heart Lock-In again and it did help with my sleeping problems. I don't think there is anything particularly new in the book, but anything that helps someone relax and deal with stress better is a good thing. I recommend it if you are looking for a specific meditative technique to try.
July 17, 2019
Explores a specific mindfulness program based on biofeedback. Very interesting, but now quite outdated and the need to purchase the equipment and computer program makes the text of limited value on its own.
August 31, 2017
Not much actionable here. Mostly things that fall into the mindfullness meditation camp, which is useful but I don't need another book for that.
June 16, 2018
there's some great research in here re: the "heart brain", which i find fascinating.
more importantly, there's some excellent tech for accessing specific emotional resource states that have the most beneficial physiological effects. sadly, all of this tech is pretty much the same thing in various iterations and context.
i do have to note that i've experienced some pretty intense benefits of using this stuff over the last couple of weeks, and i'm grateful for that. definitely planning to continue working with this. though wish the authors had identified the core technique and simply discussed its variety of applications. because the text is tedious.
my main issue with the book is a complete disregard of the importance of non-preferred emotional states as navigational signals. the authors' dismissal of anger and stress--especially--could be very detrimental if taken to heart (as it were). there's little to no articulation of the issue being with *prolonged* states of anger and/or stress, and the takeaway is basically that those things are "bad" and need to be gotten rid of.
using the technique without an articulate, discerning perspective re: the non-preferred emotions could easily yield to a kind of premature foreclosure of the issues directly at hand.
more importantly, there's some excellent tech for accessing specific emotional resource states that have the most beneficial physiological effects. sadly, all of this tech is pretty much the same thing in various iterations and context.
i do have to note that i've experienced some pretty intense benefits of using this stuff over the last couple of weeks, and i'm grateful for that. definitely planning to continue working with this. though wish the authors had identified the core technique and simply discussed its variety of applications. because the text is tedious.
my main issue with the book is a complete disregard of the importance of non-preferred emotional states as navigational signals. the authors' dismissal of anger and stress--especially--could be very detrimental if taken to heart (as it were). there's little to no articulation of the issue being with *prolonged* states of anger and/or stress, and the takeaway is basically that those things are "bad" and need to be gotten rid of.
using the technique without an articulate, discerning perspective re: the non-preferred emotions could easily yield to a kind of premature foreclosure of the issues directly at hand.
September 19, 2022
Very interesting stuff for its counter to the cognitive therapy approach that focuses only on thoughts coming from the brain. This shows scientific evidence of the role of the physical heart in psychology, due to its neurological material and clear effect of emotional stress on physical heart maladies. Also fascinating to learn of the electromagnetic waves that emanate from a person’s heart and possibly can be sensed by another. But otherwise this book feels very dated and the techniques I found rather vague and unhelpful, such as “freeze-frame.” Perhaps more needs to be done (or has been done?) to understand the role the mind and heart play together since in fact all the techniques suggested do begin with the mind. Still though, the idea that the physical heart has a role in psychology resonates with medical experience and long held traditions, even if the heart is seen as merely metaphorical.
January 5, 2025
A life changing read
You want to read to the end, but you must stop to practise instead. Your mind tells you to finish the job, but your heart tells you to wait; there is no hurry, so take your time to practise.
It was an exciting read. So exciting that I had to use Freeze Frame to control my emotions. The book is packed with science (evidence) and real-life stories you can relate to.
My health is out of whack. Due to stress. I have tried various diets and none can or will fix my gut (my health) if I don't get a handle on my anxiety.
My relationship with my family cannot improve if I am who I became. My choices made me, but I can choose again. Choosing to read this book and applying these tools and techniques will go a long way to healing the one who needs healing. Me!
The book tend elaborate. I feel it should cut some fat.
It's dated with mentions of Saddam Hussein, for example.
I read it on Kindle and found a few typing errors. Things lik.e a punctuation mark at an odd place and other small errors. But let these not distract from the benefits you'll get reading and applying this book.
You want to read to the end, but you must stop to practise instead. Your mind tells you to finish the job, but your heart tells you to wait; there is no hurry, so take your time to practise.
It was an exciting read. So exciting that I had to use Freeze Frame to control my emotions. The book is packed with science (evidence) and real-life stories you can relate to.
My health is out of whack. Due to stress. I have tried various diets and none can or will fix my gut (my health) if I don't get a handle on my anxiety.
My relationship with my family cannot improve if I am who I became. My choices made me, but I can choose again. Choosing to read this book and applying these tools and techniques will go a long way to healing the one who needs healing. Me!
The book tend elaborate. I feel it should cut some fat.
It's dated with mentions of Saddam Hussein, for example.
I read it on Kindle and found a few typing errors. Things lik.e a punctuation mark at an odd place and other small errors. But let these not distract from the benefits you'll get reading and applying this book.
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March 19, 2020I had heard of HeartMath from a friend of mine, Jan, but it was during one of our long, rambling (exploratory) conversations, and it didn’t register as a specific thing. I heard a sort of new-age idea that I’d expect from her and didn’t give it much thought. I know Jan navigates the world through her feelings, and while it works well for her, it’s not the way I view the world.
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July 24, 2018
Definitely this book changes your life and perspective. From the moment you immerse yourself in the first pages, there is an endless amount of information that makes you reflect on how your heart works and reacts at certain events and how you can at least "try" to align this organ with your brain and the rest of your body, becoming loving and compassionate intuition the center for decision making.
January 15, 2021
I almost wanted to enjoy this book more. Although not preachy or over marketing, some of the concepts just don't feel like they are backed up by much data. Although some studies are referenced, most of the information provided feels very anecdotal. I appreciate the topic, concepts, and relations I can draw to other principles in meditation, religion, spirtuality and mindfulness, this wasn't the approach that I connect to.
January 15, 2023
“Scientists have repeatedly confirmed that our emotional reactions show up in brain activity before we even have time to think. We evaluate everything emotionally as we perceive it. We think about it afterwards.”
This book was a really interesting insight into how a heart interacts, impacts and influences emotion. When I’d initially picked this book up, I felt dubious that it might be a bit dry but it truly was an engaging good read.
This book was a really interesting insight into how a heart interacts, impacts and influences emotion. When I’d initially picked this book up, I felt dubious that it might be a bit dry but it truly was an engaging good read.
March 13, 2018
The heart influences far more than we realise, both through emotional states as well as electromagnetic field and other physiological impacts. By learning to leverage the interconnection between heart and body we can have greater control of our emotional experience, which has far-reaching possibilities for relationships and interactions at home, at work, and everywhere in between.
November 5, 2018
A bit dated booked and hence the research too. I am sure there is more recent research on the subject that I haven’t yet read so consider the rating with that in mind. The techniques nevertheless are harmless and I have started trying informally. I hope I can derive full potential of the techniques mentioned in the book.
February 15, 2023
Okay to be fair, I didn’t realize this was a 20+ year old book as it found its way into my audible queue fairly recently. It wasn’t awful, but it does borrow heavily from eastern thought & medicine. For us westerners it would be considered mindfulness I suppose. I found the author’s accent really distracting and felt like they should have just hired a voice actor.
March 13, 2024
Brilliant information about the electromagnetics and the heart. The second half is techniques to stop doing what your doing. It's much easier with hypnosis, emotion code, access consciousness and other modalities. We thought our way into doing what we were doing so thinking your way out doesn't necessarily work.
February 24, 2018
I actually read it twice. I'm ahead of schedule reading this for my Heartmath Coach certification course that begins in May and it's gotten me more excited for the course. This book gave me great insight as to the vast applications of the techniques and how this can truly change the world!
September 2, 2019
Great book, but Transforming Anxiety and Transforming Depression are more evolved and better written and the material between the three is very similar. I really enjoyed reading all three and they have all helped me.
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November 21, 2019I still haven't totally figured out these concepts for myself, and I'll admit they seem pretty hokey at some points, but they have research to back up their claims so I'm intrigued to see if their interventions work
April 13, 2022
As a certified Heartmath Practitioner, I think this is a great companion guide for your Inner Balance Monitor. Heartmath is an excellent means for achieving emotional regulation and clarity. This book is written in a manner to help people understand the nuances for achieving coherence.
January 1, 2024
I believe in the science of heart math, & It's ability to improve one's health, physically, mentally & emotionally. This Book though is dated. The newer version of it is likely better. The heart math podcast is a good resource for learning about it.
January 5, 2024
First book on a quantum level, science has stripped down the heart down to an organ that just pumps blood .Reading this book will give you scientific insight on a lot of wonders about the heart ,that isn't shown in our mainstream media.
May 5, 2018
Quality info/message, not too well written...very sales pitchy and unnecessarily long
December 27, 2018
This book is a great manual on how to get in touch with what is really important to you and how to navigate life's difficult moments.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews