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Transform Your Stresses Into Strengths
Holistic Health & Learning Centre
Centre de Santé & Apprentissage Holistique
BELARÔME
Montreal Heart-Centered
Stress Reduction Clinic
Reduce Stress
& Create Better Heart Health​
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“A coherent heart can positively
influence our immune system,
reduce the risk of heart disease,
and improve overall health.”
- Doc Childre
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Our CCME
HeartMath® Heart Health Program
Mark Rabinovitch, MD
Cardiologist
Sheryl Beller-Kenner, EdD, ND
Naturopath
What Is Stress?
Stress is a term used to describe the wear and tear the body experiences in reaction to everyday tensions and pressures. Change - such as loss of a loved one, illness, or career and lifestyle changes - is a common cause of stress to most. However, it’s the pressure and tension we feel in response to the little everyday hassles—like rush hour traffic, waiting in line, too many emails, and even the nightly news— that do the most damage.
How Does Stress Affect Health?
Stress affects people physically, mentally and emotionally. According to the American Institute of Stress, up to 90% of all health problems are related to stress. Too much stress can contribute to and agitate many health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, sleep disorders, and far more serious problems, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, palpitations and ultimately cardiac arrest.
What Can I Do About It?
We will never eliminate stress from our lives, but we can learn to manage and reverse its damage. It’s not the events that do the harm, it’s how you respond to those events. Exercise, a good diet, and relaxation are all important aspects of any stress prevention program, but without emotional management, they are only part of the solution. When you’re stressed, your body is out of sync. Typical negative emotions we feel when stressed - anger, frustration, anxiety and worry - lead to increased disorder, known as incoherence, in the heart’s rhythms and in the nervous system. In contrast, positive emotions - joy, appreciation, care and kindness not only feel good but they are good for you. They create synchronization, called, coherence, in the heart’s rhythms and the nervous system. The key to reducing the negative impact of stress on the body is to shift your negative reactions in the moment they occur - not an hour later at the gym, a week later at the beach or three months later on vacation.
Stress & Heart Health
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Stress has a profound impact on heart health, influencing the cardiovascular system in several detrimental ways. Here are the key ways stress affects heart health:
1. Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Chronic stress keeps the body in a heightened state of alert, causing prolonged elevation of blood pressure, which can damage arterial walls and contribute to heart disease and stroke.
2. Release of Stress Hormones (Cortisol and Adrenaline)
Prolonged exposure to high levels of cortisol can contribute to inflammation and plaque buildup in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Elevated cortisol levels also impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, leading to conditions like insulin resistance and diabetes, which are closely tied to heart health.
3. Increased Risk of Atherosclerosis
Chronic stress contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits (plaque) in the arteries. This condition narrows the arteries and restricts blood flow to the heart, increasing the risk of heart attacks.
4. Elevated Risk of Arrhythmias
Stress, particularly in individuals prone to heart conditions, can trigger arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. Stress-induced surges in adrenaline can disrupt the electrical signals that regulate heartbeats, leading to atrial fibrillation or other dangerous arrhythmias.
5. Inflammation
Stress promotes inflammation in the body, which is a key factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation can lead to the buildup of plaque in the arteries and increase the likelihood of blood clots that can block blood flow to the heart or brain, causing heart attacks or strokes.
6. Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Chronic stress, especially from work, relationships, or financial issues, has been linked to the onset and progression of CAD, one of the most common causes of heart attacks.
7. Impact on Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in time between each heartbeat, and it’s a measure of the heart’s ability to adapt to changes. Stress reduces HRV, which is an indicator of poor heart health and reduced resilience to cardiovascular events like heart attacks.
8. Emotional Impact and Heart Health
Emotional stress, particularly related to events like grief, anger, or anxiety, can lead to broken heart syndrome (stress-induced cardiomyopathy), a condition where part of the heart temporarily weakens and doesn’t pump properly.
9. Indirect Effects Through Lifestyle
Stress often leads to unhealthy behaviors such as overeating, smoking, drinking alcohol, or neglecting physical activity. These behaviors significantly raise the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions like obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol, all of which increase the risk of heart disease.
10. Stress and Sleep Disruption
Stress frequently leads to sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or poor sleep quality. Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep is associated with increased blood pressure, heightened inflammation, and a greater risk of heart disease and stroke.
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In summary, stress has a multifaceted impact on heart health, primarily through increasing blood pressure, triggering stress hormones, promoting inflammation, and increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, arrhythmias, and heart disease. Managing stress through relaxation techniques, exercise, and positive lifestyle changes is essential to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
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HeartMath® & Heart Health
HeartMath affects heart health by improving emotional regulation and fostering heart-brain coherence, resulting in enhanced physiological and psychological well-being. Here are the key ways HeartMath® influences heart health, supported by research:
1. Heart Coherence and Cardiovascular Function
HeartMath® techniques, such as heart-focused breathing and emotional regulation, promote heart coherence, a state where the heart's rhythms are smooth and consistent, which reduces stress on the cardiovascular system and promotes healthier heart function (McCraty et al., 2001).
Improving heart rate variability (HRV)—the measure of the heart’s adaptability—has been linked to HeartMath® practices. A higher HRV is associated with better heart health, resilience to stress, and reduced risk of heart disease (Tiller et al., 1996).
2. Reduction of Stress and Cortisol
Stress contributes to cardiovascular problems such as hypertension and heart disease. HeartMath® techniques reduce the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, while increasing DHEA, the "vitality hormone," promoting better heart health and emotional balance (McCraty, 2015).
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By lowering stress levels, HeartMath® helps reduce blood pressure, decreases the risk of arrhythmias, and prevents long-term cardiovascular issues (HeartMath® Institute, 2020).
3. Improvement in Emotional Well-being
Negative emotions like anger, anxiety, and frustration create erratic heart rhythms, which strain the cardiovascular system. HeartMath® practices teach people to shift to positive emotions like appreciation and care, creating coherent heart rhythms that support heart health (Childre & Martin, 1999).
Positive emotions directly affect heart health by lowering stress-related risks and reducing the likelihood of heart disease (Lane & Schwartz, 1987).
4. Heart-Brain Connection
The heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. HeartMath® focuses on fostering heart-brain coherence, improving the connection between the two, which enhances emotional clarity, reduces mental stress, and supports cardiovascular health (McCraty, 2004).
This heart-brain coherence also improves the balance of the autonomic nervous system, a key factor in maintaining heart health (Porges, 1995).
5. Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
HeartMath®’s focus on stress reduction, positive emotions, and coherence-building can help prevent conditions like hypertension, arrhythmias, and coronary artery disease (McCraty et al., 2000).
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Regular use of HeartMath® techniques has been shown to reduce inflammation, a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases (Ridker & Luscher, 2014).
6. Improved Recovery After Heart Events
HeartMath® is used in cardiac rehabilitation, helping patients recover from heart attacks or surgeries by improving emotional resilience and coping abilities (HeartMath Institute, 2018).
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Emotional stability and stress regulation supported by HeartMath® practices help with faster recovery and reduce the risk of future heart-related problems (Ornish & Scherwitz, 1998).
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References:
1. McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., & Tomasino, D. (2001). Science of the Heart. HeartMath Institute.
2. Tiller, W. A., McCraty, R., & Atkinson, M. (1996). Cardiac Coherence: A New, Noninvasive Measure of Autonomic Nervous System Order.
3. McCraty, R. (2015). HeartMath and Stress Reduction: Implications for Health.
4. HeartMath Institute. (2020). HeartMath Clinical Research: Hypertension.
5. Childre, D., & Martin, H. (1999). The HeartMath Solution: The Institute of HeartMath's Revolutionary Program for Engaging the Power of the Heart's Intelligence.
6. Lane, R. D., & Schwartz, G. E. (1987). Levels of Emotional Awareness and Emotional Health.
7. Porges, S. W. (1995). Orienting in a defensive world: Mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. A polyvagal theory.
8. McCraty, R., Tomasino, D., & Atkinson, M. (2000). HeartMath and Hypertension: A Clinical Study.
9. Ridker, P. M., & Luscher, T. F. (2014). Anti-inflammatory therapies for cardiovascular disease.
10. HeartMath Institute. (2018). Cardiac Rehabilitation and Emotional Resilience.
11. Ornish, D., & Scherwitz, L. W. (1998). Intensive Lifestyle Changes for Reversal of Coronary Heart Disease.
12. McCraty, R. (2004). Clinical Applications of HeartMath: Cardiac Recovery and Stress Management.
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Our Program: HeartMath® & Heart Coherence
Our 6-week program is based on some of the latest scientific research developments in integrative health care, which brings together the best of medical and holistic practices. We will guide you to experience the benefits of coherence by teaching you the HeartMath self-regulation skills that will keep you balanced and heart healthy.
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To be eligible for our program, you will need to be assessed by or followed by a cardiologist. In the initial sessions, you will receive a series of medical examinations (general and hearth health) and holistic stress assessments. From the very beginning, we determine the relationship between your heart condition and your levels of stress.
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The first session is about 90 minutes; the following sessions will be between 45 and 60 minutes. Home practice will range from 10-20 minutes. We will provide you with your own heartrate variability biofeedback monitor and an individualized exercise book to keep a record of your progress.​
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PHASE 1: You will receive a series of medical examinations (general and hearth health), conducted by our cardiologist, Dr. Mark Rabinovitch. If you are found to have signs of heart disease, you will immediately be treated for that by Dr. Rabinovitch. He will set up a medical treatment and follow-up plan.
PHASE 2: If your condition is stable, you will enter into our HeartMath® program, designed by naturopath and Certified Heartmath® Practitioner, Dr. Sheryl Beller-Kenner. Based on the results of your assessments, she will set up a treatment and follow-up plan. In 6 once-a-week sessions (or as needed), you will be taught a series of simple exercises, customized especially for you, to help you bring yourself into the healthy, coherent state that relieves stress from your heart and mind.
You will learn to use the HeartMath® biofeedback technology to monitor how you’re progressing so that you learn to feel what it means to be in the wonderful state of coherence. Dr. Beller-Kenner will tailor your sessions to your needs and your progress and teach you how to apply what you learn to your daily life. A commitment by you to daily, short practice sessions between visits will strengthen your progress.
At any time during this phase that your medications need to be reevaluated or changed, Dr. Rabinovitch will see you promptly.
In Phase 3, follow-up assessments will be used to re-evaluate your heart health and construct a holistic, healthy-living follow-up plan for you, which may include meditation, yoga, body work, counselling, group sessions, other stress workshops, etc.​
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Are you ready to take control of your heart health and transform your life? HeartMath is the answer! This amazing method has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, boost emotional well-being, and improve overall health. By mastering HeartMath techniques, you can regulate your heart rate variability, leading to better sleep, increased energy, and cognitive function. Get ready to experience a more balanced and fulfilling life with HeartMath!
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