Integrating Mindfulness and Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Therapies to Foster Courage, Confidence, and Resilience

Abstract

Field studies and laboratory research have documented that resilient individuals employ positive emotions to reduce their physiological arousal and bounce back from negative experiences. In the present article, we present a protocol for integrating mindfulness and heart rate variability biofeedback to increase an individual's ability to identify as well as access resonance-producing emotions, increase low frequency heart rhythms, and improve cardiovascular recovery from stressful situations. The proposed training approach introduces mindfulness-based strategies to help individuals amplify their abilities to flexibly alter affective as well as physiological responses and match the demands of frequently changing environmental stressors. Participants will learn to develop somatic awareness, connect to physiological experiences, and train the heart to access courage and confidence on demand.