We live in a culture of change, deadlines and increasing challenges. At the workplace, we must learn to work as a team despite competition and job insecurity. We are exposed to human conflicts never imagined before. Although stress enhances performance initially, chronic stress in increasing degrees can make us more susceptible to physical and emotional illness (like anxiety and depression), burn out, premature aging, and impacts negatively on judgement, performance and decision making.

The effective management of stress at work is essential if leaders want to make the most out of the potential of people. This demands that aside from dealing with the disruptive consequences of emotional stress – such as absenteeism, high turnover, low commitment, missed goals, indecision and customer complaints, individuals and organisations must achieve the following:

• Enhance performance through healthy stress
• Manage the unexpected periods of high pressure
• Recognize the early signs of unhealthy stress before they build up and overwhelm you or your team
• Be confident in coaching a colleague with a stress problem

HeartSpheres is an exciting new approach that enables each individual to manage their own stress, achieve and maintain a healthy life, help develop new inter-personal skills, and promote personal and professional development. In the U.K., workshops are also provided for managers in corporate businesses, government organisations (like the National Health Service) and for charities, helping others manage their stress effectively at work, achieving maximum benefit for both the organisation and the individual.

The HeartSpheres approach provides powerful self-help techniques intended to transform negative conditions, such as stress, anxiety, anger, fatigue and depression, into positive emotional states. As a result, professional and social skills, creativity, intuitive insight and personal development are enhanced. This leads to an overall improvement in performance and increased job satisfaction and ultimately to better emotional and physical health.

Through a deeper understanding of the proven connection between physiology and psychology, HeartSpheres has been able to develop more effective techniques. These techniques are based on the physiology of the breathing process and the unity of the working of the heart and the brain as these relate to human consciousness and positive development.

This approach has been developed by a registered medical doctor in cooperation with a management consultant and trainer. The technique is delivered by and/or under the supervision and training of a medical doctor.

Practising the exercises enables one to achieve and sustain a positive emotional state (such as calmness, appreciation and/or confidence) not only during the exercises, but even during challenging life situations. This is achieved through the regular practice of the exercises. The psychological effects are:

• Reduced levels of disturbing emotions, such as anxiety, fear, irritability, anger, frustration and depression.
• Enhanced interpersonal skills, such as better listening skills, patience, initiative, leadership, etc
• Improved creative problem solving through enhanced emotional intelligence
• Better decision making and performance

Overall, our thinking, feeling and willing capacities work in harmony with each other and our social environment.

Scientific research has shown that combining these positive emotional states with controlled breathing has shown to have the following short and long term physiological effects:

• 1. Balancing the autonomic nervous system:

  Sympathetic (fight and flight response – states of heightened alertness and mobilised energy) and parasympathetic (relaxation and regeneration) activity are balanced during a state of focused relaxation. This newly achieved balance in the function of the autonomic nervous system results in improvement and possibly prevention of stress related diseases, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome and insomnia.

• 2. Harmonising the endocrine system:

  Focused relaxation, combined with positive emotional states and controlled breathing has shown to affect the endocrine system. Stress hormones (catecholamine dopamine and adrenaline) and glucocorticoid (cortisol) are reduced and the blood level of the youth hormone Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is increased. DHEA is a natural hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands, the gonads, adipose tissue, brain and the skin.

The reduction of stress hormones and the increase of DHEA have the following effects:

• Reduced insulin resistance (Reduction of the risk of developing type 2 diabetes)
• Improved moods and relief from depression
• Improved fat metabolism (reduced cholesterol and triglycerides, prevention of associated illnesses, like coronary heart disease)
• Increased immune system function (reduced number and duration of infections, improved recovery)
• Slows down the aging process
• Increased lean muscle mass

The direct cause and effect relationship of increased levels of DHEA and reduced levels of cortisol on certain conditions have been postulated and are currently undergoing research. These include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, disorders of the immune system, depression, osteoporosis, and some sexual dysfunctions.

• 3. Modulating the Immune System

  There are strong indications that practising the HeartSpheres Exercises has a direct beneficial influence on the immune system, improving allergies and increasing resistance to infections.

The name HeartSpheres reflects the harmony of the three spheres of consciousness namely: cognition, emotion and will. Balance in these three spheres ensures the capacity to manage extreme emotions and stress both in the short and long term.

The workshops utilize emotional management tools, based on ground-breaking scientific research which documents the transformation from negative to positive emotional states and the balancing of the autonomic nervous system.

The effect of the autonomic nervous system activity on heart and circulation can be scientifically evaluated by measuring Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its coherence. A high Heart Rate Variability (high amplitude) is found in youthful states of health. Thus, Heart Rate Variability is high in childhood and decreases with age and poor health. Low Heart Rate Variability has been shown to be an accurate predictor of the state of health of a person. Coherence is another reliable indicator for autonomic nervous system balance. High coherence and high heart rate variability indicate effective stress relief and the presence of an equally focused and relaxed state of mind.

The long-term efficacy of the HeartSpheres exercises is measured as follows:

• 1. 24-hour ECG (holster)

  The 24 hour ECG can be used with the HeartMan®, which uses Heart Rate Variability as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for heart attack, diabetes and other serious illnesses. The HeartMan has been developed and researched by Professor Max Moser a medical physiologist at the University of Graz, Austria. Space-medical measurements of cosmonauts, invited by the Russian space medicine group for 9 missions (Austro-Mir project), was the starting point of the HeartMan project.

  The HeartMan creates an autochrone image that is the result of monitoring HRV and other rhythms throughout the day and night. This allows the objective evaluation of the degree of stress during daily activity, the quality of sleep via ECG measurements and the fitness of the person.

  This test objectively evaluates the efficacy of stress management techniques, therapies, preventative-medical applications and life style changes. The test results can also motivate people to change life style.

• 2. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS)

  The individual and collective outcome of the HeartSpheres workshops and individual coaching is audited using a questionnaire, called the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) developed in Australia. The DASS has been standardised for world wide use and is a recognised psychological assessment tool. This assessment questionnaire which consists of 48 simple questions is filled in by the participants prior to the HeartSpheres training. After practising the Heartspheres exercises for four weeks, the questionnaire is again completed in order to monitor progress and outcome.

HeartSpheres training and coaching is provided by a licensed HeartSpheres trainer. The HeartSpheres trainers are rigorously trained and supervision is provided regularly. A HeartSpheres trainer is required to practice the exercises on a regular basis.

Individual coaching includes a careful history taking, as well as an assessment of current and future health risks. It may further include life-style advice (like dietary measures) and a physical exercise program and may be, if applicable, be complemented by other therapeutic interventions or life-skill coaching.

The HeartSpheres approach helps to establish a partnership between self, conscious and unconscious mind, and body physiology in the process of self transformation. This is necessary, as our emotional responses as well as our predisposition for negative stress impact, illness and health are deeply ingrained in our unconscious mind and our physiology (brain and organ memory). They have their roots in inheritance, early childhood experiences, environmental influences and trauma. They therefore require techniques, which help to transform emotional and physiological responses rooted in our body and our unconscious mind. The following techniques comprehensively utilised in the HeartSpheres exercises will help to manage and transform the impact of negative emotions:

• a. Focused relaxation – balance between alertness and dream
• b. Affirmation (repeating of simple positive statements)
• c. Visualisation/sensualisation techniques (working with memory, vision and/or simple symbols)
• d. Creating and sustaining of positive feelings (such as calmness, appreciation and confidence)
• e. Internal Dialogue (positive self-talk)
• f. Mind fullness (intuitive listening and observation)
• g. Controlled breathing (balanced breathing to strongly enhance the permanent effect of the HeartSpheres exercises on our physiology (central and autonomic nervous system, heart etc.)

All these techniques are not new, but they have been part of the wisdom of our ancestors for thousands of years. HeartSpheres has developed a comprehensive way of applying these techniques simply and effectively, so that they can enhance each other powerfully. These techniques are very effective and easy to learn.

The HeartSpheres approach helps to transform negative emotional states into positive action. It therefore is not merely a stress and emotional management tool, but also an easy to apply and very effective tool for personal and professional development. Also it can be used as a technique to acquire any new interpersonal skills, it initially focuses on four core qualities that have shown to be at the core of any stress management and personal development approach. These core skills help integrate the three spheres of our consciousness namely, cognition, emotion and will. In addition, the development of powerful social skills likewise results.

These core qualities are:

• Calmness and security (detachment)
• Care and appreciation (attachment)
• Strength and confidence (empowerment)
• Balance: Empathy and open-mindedness

As well as stress management and personal and professional development workshops, we offer coaching and mentoring.