Heart Rhythm Meditation

Heart Rhythm Meditation (commonly known as HRM) is a type of meditation that involves conscious breathing, in which the conscious control of breathing is meant to influence a person’s mental, emotional, or physical state, with a claimed therapeutic effect.[1][2]

Background

Heart Rhythm Meditation is a method of meditation that has been expanded and developed by Puran Bair and Susanna Bair of the Institute for Applied Meditation.[3][4] The method was described in the 1998 book Living from the Heart, by Puran and Susanna Bair (3rd Edition Published in 2019)[5] and in the 2007 book Energize Your Heart in 4 Dimensions, by Puran and Susanna Bair. The application of Heart Rhythm Meditation to the development of spiritual maturity is described in the book, Follow Your Heart, by Puran and Susanna Bair, edited and illustrated by Asatar Bair published in 2011.[6] The practice originates from the Jesus Prayer and the teachings of Inayat Khan, who founded the Sufi order and is credited with bringing Sufism to the Western world. Puran and Susanna Bair were disciples of Inayat Khan’s eldest son and successor Vilayat Inayat Khan.[7] The HRM founders claim that their approach is non-religious, practical, and scientific.[8]

Techniques

The method was described in the 1998 book Living from the Heart, by Puran Bair (2nd Edition Published in 2009)[9] and in the 2007 book Energize Your Heart in 4 Dimensions, by Puran and Susanna Bair. The method of HRM involves conscious breathing, use of the full lung capacity, a concentration on the heart (both the physical heart and the emotional or poetic heart) and an intervention in the breath to make it rhythmic, through the coordination of the breath and heartbeat. "The Full Breath" technique expands the vital capacity of the lungs with full and deep breathing, while slowing the breath rate to six breaths per minute or slower. This synchronizes breath and heartbeat, creating “entrainment,” a coherent pattern of Heart Rate Variability. Entrainment also decreases production of stress hormones and increases production of anti-stress hormones. Another pattern, “The Square Breath”, involves a longer holding of the breath, so that the holding period equals the breathing period, for example, 8 beats in, 16 beats hold, 8 beats out. The "Square Breath" method is applied for stabilizing quality of breathing in order to reduce anxiety or feelings of panic. Research studies completed by the Heart Math Institute indicate that this sort of entrainment increases parasympathetic nervous system activity, associated with a calm, restful state.[10]

See also

• Heart rate variability
• Western Sufism
• Transcendental Meditation
• Transcendentalism

References

1. Kroeker, J. (2011). "Balancing Mind with Heart:An Introduction to Heart Rhythm Meditation". Davidson Institute. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
2. “Follow Your Hear Excerpts”
3. Piazza, Judith (November 16, 2010). "Judith Piazza's interview with Puran and Susanna Bair". Retrieved 17 May 2019.
4. Origins of Heart Rhythm Meditation”
5. Bair, Puran and Susanna (2009). Living from the Heart (2nd ed.). Tucson, Arizona: Living Heart Media. p. 376. ISBN 978-0-9795269-6-1.
6. Nachman-Hunt, Nancy (November 24, 2009). "Getting to the heart of meditation: An interview with Puran and Susanna Bair". The National Center for Biotechnology Information. 24 (3): 16–20. PMID 20664154.
7. “Hazrat Inayat Library”
8. “The Institute for Applied Meditation”
9. Bair, Puran and Susanna (2009). Living from the Heart (2nd ed.). Tucson, Arizona: Living Heart Media. p. 376. ISBN 978-0-9795269-6-1.
10. Imlay, Elijah (September 15, 2015). "Heart Rhythm Meditation to Reduce Auditory Hallucinations and Anxiety: A Single Case Study" (PDF). Holistic Healing Publications. Retrieved 17 May 2019.