An Integrative Approach To Balancing Your Heart and Mind

13 Jun An Integrative Approach To Balancing Your Heart and Mind

Posted at 06:40h in Cardiovascular, Functional Medicine by
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by Jenni Terry, FMCHC, NBC-HWC, and Certified HeartMath Practitioner
& Elena Klimenko, MD

 

If there was a way to reduce stress, improve your physical health, improve your sleep, restore energy, balance your emotions, increase your ability to focus, and be able to tap into your intuition, would you do it?

 

What if I told you that all these things are possible when your nervous system is healthy and balanced? 

In 2022, it is safe to say that you may be mentally and emotionally challenged and your nervous system is unregulated. We live in a fast-paced, stimulating world where we are running from one thing to the next and rarely take time to pause. 

This puts our nervous system into a sympathetic state, often called ‘fight for flight’ because our body thinks we are in danger. Being late for appointments, hearing bad news, missing a train, getting stuck in traffic, stubbing a toe, contention in a relationship, and even eating a poor diet are all things that stress our nervous system and make the sympathetic nervous system dominate. 

Physiological changes happen when we are in this heightened state of arousal. Hormones like adrenaline are released, our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate increase. We may notice a heaviness in our chest or tension in our shoulders, pale or flushed skin, sweatiness or tingling in our hands, or trembling. Everyone has different physical reactions. 

By learning more about our ‘fight or flight’ response and bringing awareness we can explore ways to change our reaction to stress to live healthier, more productive lives. Supporting our parasympathetic state, which controls our ability to relax, is the best way to do this. Healing can only take place in the parasympathetic state. It is often referred to as the ‘rest, digest and repair’ state. 

Things like meditation, any type of movement, taking a break from electronics, enjoying sunshine and nature, spending time with pets and loved ones, taking hot baths, journaling, crafting, and listening to music can all support our parasympathetic state. These are tools that regulate our nervous system and the more tools we have in our tool belts, the better. 

A very beneficial tool, called HeartMath, can be used to gain awareness and heal our nervous system. It can be used in the moment to calm the body down after sympathetic activation by learning how to respond more positively to moments of stress. It can also be used to retrain your nervous system to shift back more quickly and stay in a parasympathetic state more often, building resilience and preventing a stressful reaction. One of the enticing parts about HeartMath is that it has over 30 years of research, it is scientifically proven and you can see the change happening in your body through a biofeedback device called the Inner Balance. 

You don’t have to wonder if this simple method is working because you will feel and see that it is. Over time, you will change your baseline and become a naturally less stressed person. 

We are excited to offer a 3-part virtual HeartMath group series to educate and give you practical tools to use to regulate your nervous system. After the 3 part series, you can have a on-on-one appointment that is more specific to your individual needs. 

In session #1 you will learn more about the effects of stress on the body –  physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

How to recognize stress within our body and the benefits of resilience. You will learn how to use the Inner Balance biofeedback technology that shows your nervous system state through your heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate patterns. You will also learn two of the 6 HeartMath techniques.

In session #2 we will check in with how the HeartMath practice is going and work through any barriers you might have. You will then learn about changing your baseline to be naturally more coherent. We will check in with how the first four techniques are going, discuss energetic sensitivity and the heart’s magnetic field. You will also learn two new HeartMath techniques. 

To sign up for the session is easy. Just call the office 212-696- 4325, rent/purchase an HRV monitoring device that can be connected to your phone and sign up to the group. 


Welcome to a healthier, calmer, more focused and productive you! 

Sign up for an informational webinar by contacting the office. 

We look forward to seeing you on the call.

 

 

About the co-author

Jenni is a National Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach and HeartMath Certified Practitioner. 
Jenni is passionate about feeling her best and living her best life and helping others do the same. After years of putting everyone else first, Jenni realized that her physical and mental health was struggling and something had to change. Tired of feeling run down, battling chronic illness, and dealing with depression Jenni turned to Functional Medicine and worked with a provider and health coach to support and balance her body. It took a lot of work and lifestyle change but the transformation was life-changing. It was then that Jenni decided to dedicate her work to helping others improve their health and became a health coach. 
 
Her education in functional medicine, functional nutrition, the psychology of eating, mind-body medicine, positive psychology, and HeartMath as well as her personal experience helps others make lasting lifestyle changes and reach their optimal health. As someone who has gone through the work, she knows how much easier it can be with support.  
 
Jenni lives with her husband and 4 daughters in Boise, Idaho where they can be found in their happy place enjoying nature whether it’s having a picnic in a park, hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, or skiing. They are over halfway to visiting all 63 National Parks in the USA. 

 

References:

1. https://www.heartmath.com/

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