Member Article

Doing the maths is good for your heart

Staff at a deadline-driven packaging firm in Northumberland have been learning how to improve performance and reduce stress with a new technique to help them balance how the brain interacts with the heart. Employees at Blyth-based packaging firm, aps (Assembly and Packaging Services) took part in a HeartMath seminar, which showed them how they can alter their level of success, wellbeing and quality of life using rhythmic breathing techniques.

The system is the brainchild of the Institute of HeartMath, which has conducted research on the relationship between the heart and brain and the ways in which this relationship affects physical, mental, and emotional health and human performance.

Mark Tough, practitioner of naturopathic tools and techniques, said: “HeartMath demonstrates that the message the heart sends the brain can profoundly influence perception, emotions, behaviours, performance and health. “The staff at aps could see the changes in their heart rhythms within minutes – they were quite surprised to learn the instantaneous and positive impact the breathing techniques had on their state of mind as a result.”

Mr Tough runs Life Phorce, a health clinic in Gateshead which helps people with major digestion complaints, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, weight loss issues, stress related disorders, poor sleep and pain.

Tony Davison, a planner at aps, said: “The impact of how we behave on others really hit home with me. Stress affects both work colleagues and the family – it will be interesting to see if people’s perceptions change if I can implement the Heartmath technique into my daily routine.”

For more information on HeartMath visit www.lifephorce.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .