Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback​

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as a general measure of adaptability. Diminished HRV is a sign of vulnerability to stress, whether the decrease arises from psychological or physical stress or from the ravages of disease.

HRV is a measurement of naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart rate. It impacts the respiratory system, the autonomic nervous system, and the central nervous system.

Through training, you can enhance performance by regulating your breathing. For example, with each breathe, our heart speeds up when we inhale and slows down when we exhale. Variations in HRV tells us whether your body is in a sympathetic state (which occurs during a “flight-or-fight” response, and anxiety provoking situations) or a parasympathetic state (an optimal and relaxed state). Slow and steady breaths will take you from a sympathetic state to a parasympathetic state. This is why techniques like yoga and meditation have been proven successful through consistent practice and focus on the breathe.

High heart rate variability leads to increased self regulation over your body’s functions and low HRV compromises well being. Healthy bodies have high HRV so our goal is to find your baseline, address stressors that cause it to decrease, and then increase your HRV through breath training.