Creating Heart Brain Coherence for Physical and Emotional Health
Heart-brain coherence is a modern term used to describe the situation when one’s heart and brain are in tune with each other. It’s a state of balance that creates optimal clarity, perception and performance. The yogis describe this state as “consciousness in the heart and heart in the consciousness.”
What Is Heart-Brain Coherence
Here’s how the HeartMath Institute defines heart-brain coherence:
“Personal coherence, also known as psychophysiological coherence, refers to the synchronization of our physical, psychic and emotional systems. It can be measured by our heart-rhythm patterns: The more balanced and smooth they are, the more in sync, or coherent we are. Stress levels recede, energy levels increase and our brain and what HeartMath calls the ‘heart brain’ work together.”
One more perspective, for good measure:
“One important way the heart can speak to and influence the brain is when the heart is coherent – experiencing stable, sine-wavelike pattern in its rhythms. When the heart is coherent, the body, including the brain, begins to experience all sorts of benefits, among them are greater psychic clarity and ability, including better decision making.” – Rolin McCratey, Ph.D
Heart-brain coherence creates a state of peak performance. It enables higher cognitive function, reinforces beneficial feelings and creates emotional balance.
On the other hand, when the heart and brain are not coherent, the opposite is taking place. Cognitive function is compromised, harmful feelings are reinforced and life is an emotional roller coaster (not the fun kind).
Here’s another gem from HeartMath about this:
“HeartMath research has demonstrated that different patterns of heart activity (which accompany different emotional states) have distinct effects on cognitive and emotional function. During stress and harmful emotions, when the heart rhythm pattern is erratic and disordered, the corresponding pattern of neural signals traveling from the heart to the brain inhibits higher cognitive function. This limits our ability to think clearly, remember, learn, reason, and make effective decisions. In contrast, the more ordered and stable pattern of the heart’s input to the brain during beneficial emotional states has the opposite effect. It facilitates cognitive function and reinforces good feelings and emotional stability.”
Heart-brain coherence is characterized by all of the love-based emotions, such as: the feeling of love, peace, joy, serenity, bliss, gratitude, happiness, compassion, awe, wonder, enthusiasm, empowerment, exhilaration, etc.
Those are just some examples. Really, it’s any beneficial emotion I can think of. If you experience any of those emotions, you’re most likely in a state of heart-brain coherence.
Feeling good, harmonious or any of the emotions listed above are the easiest ways to know when you’re in a state of coherence.
Heart-brain coherence is much more than an individual phenomenon. HeartMath also defines coherence on the collective level, known as global coherence:
“Global coherence refers to the psychic, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of the greater community of human beings acting in concert with their own hearts, each other and nation to nation in harmony with the living Earth. HeartMath believes coherence is highly achievable globally when large numbers of people focus heartfelt intentions on a common goal.”
This means that when you’re in a state of heart-brain coherence, you help the world become more coherent. Whether good or bad, our consciousness fields mingle with each other.
When you’re in a strong coherent state, you’re creating a powerful ripple effect in the world. And when a significant number of people are in heart-brain coherence, a tipping point is reached and it becomes the dominant frequency on the planet.
How’s that for “being the transformation you wish to see in the world”, eh?
How To Create Heart-Brain Coherence
Creating heart-brain coherence is actually quite easily achievable.
Here’s a simple technique to create heart-brain coherence. You can do this practice wherever you are. And it can take as little as few minutes, or as long as you feel.
Step 1: Take A Sacred Pause
A sacred pause is creating stillness and being intentional. Simply pause what you’re doing.
I recommend closing your eyes, as that helps bring your awareness inward.
You might develop a ritual that represents a sacred pause for yourself.
When I take a sacred pause, I usually put my hands in prayer position. This lets my whole being know that I’m pausing and finding stillness. Don’t get hung up on the little details though. Just pause and relax your body and consciousness.
Step 2: Focus On Your Heart
Now bring your focus to your heart, to the centre of your chest.
Chances are your awareness is almost always in your head. Simply focus on your heart. Allow your awareness to drop from your head down to your heart.
The next step helps a lot with this too.
Step 3: Touch the Centre of Your Chest
Here’s a little tip for awareness. Whenever you touch a part of your body, your attention naturally goes there. Touch the centre of your chest, and your awareness will move there.
You can place both hands where you feel your heart, or one on top of the other, or one hand, or even one finger. Whatever feels right for you in the moment.
And you can keep your hands there the whole time or release them when you feel your awareness in your heart. Again, whatever feels right for you in the moment.
Step 4: Breathe Into Your Heart
Now begin to breathe, slightly deeper than normal, into your heart.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your heart.
Do this about 7-10 times.
Feel your body and thought processes relaxing with every breath.
Step 5: Feel A Beneficial Emotion
Now focus on a beneficial emotion.
Here are some emotions that create heart-brain coherence: love, compassion, joy, gratitude, appreciation, serenity, etc.
You can visualize something that creates one (or more) of those emotions for you. For example, you can visualize how you’re grateful for your home and feel that gratitude in your heart. You can visualize someone you care deeply about and feel that love in your heart.
How do you feel now? Do you notice a difference in your state of being?
The key is feeling a beneficial emotion in your heart.
Step 6: Become Aware of the Present Moment
Remain in a state of awareness, with the consciousness immersed in that beneficial feeling. Be aware of the present moment.
Now become aware of the regulate rhythm of your heart. Feel the frequency of coherence in your heart.
Step 7: Move Your Attention to Your Brain
Going with the attention to your brain, become aware of the same frequency of coherence, in the present moment.
As the science has shown that the heart’s electromagnetic field is 60 times larger than the one of the brain, be aware as your heart generates coherence on your brain.
Become aware that your brain and your heart are now in perfect tune, they are synchronized, they are in coherence.
Conclusion
If you practice this method daily, soon you’ll be able to go into this heart-brain coherence on command and feel deeper and deeper feelings of love, bliss, joy, peace, serenity, etc.
Do this with consistency, and it gradually becomes your natural state of being; your “operating system.”
Now that’s just one simple technique to create heart-brain coherence. There are, however, many other ways to achieve this inner state, described in the sacred texts correspondent to authentic spiritual paths.
Find what works for you, and create that coherence every day. Before you know it, you’ll be embodying the phrase, “living from the heart” and remaining centred there amidst all of the upheaval we’re seeing in the world.
Author: Stephan Parato
yogaesoteric
December 22, 2025