Question about heart pacer

November 7th, 2007

My husband has a heart pacer and it will be triggered if his heart rate goes below 50 beats. Will this be a problem for him during meditation? He is thinking that as he relaxes his heart rate will go down, inducing a deeper state, but which will be made obsolete by the start of his heart pacer. Is this correct?
I would appreciate an answer on this subject as we are very interested in exploring this meditation technique.
Thanking you for your time and attention,
M.-A. Cardinal
Ottawa, ON

Dear Ms. Cardinal,

A heart rate of 50 beats per minute is quite slow, usually attained only by atheletes. I don’t think my own heartrate dips that low. In Heart Rhythm Meditation, the heartbeat doesn’t get so much slower. What it does is get more regular. To be precise, the pattern of the heart rate variability becomes sinisoidal. That is, the heartbeat is changing at a regular rate, faster and slower in a smooth oscillation.
This heartrate pattern has been correlated with increased well-being, a stronger magnetic field of the heart, and more rapid healing.
The best thing would be to try it out. Heart Rhythm Meditation is not too difficult to learn, and the time spent thinking about one’s heart is quite pleasant. The conscious, rhythmic breath is necessary, and a full breath is important.
It’s a wonderful thing to do together, you and your husband, and you can then follow it by a few minutes of speaking from your heart.
Good luck, Puran

Entry Filed under: Heart Rate Variability, The Heart, Health