In these times of uncertainty, the need to show compassionate latitude towards others and ourselves is of utmost importance. It carries with it an attitude of understanding that most people are doing the best they can based on their stress overload, anxiety, and the clouded thinking so many are experiencing. The need for more compassion and latitude is a profound necessity that emerges as we witness rising stress levels, global discontent, and ever-widening divides among individuals, communities and nations.

Emotional Patterns Worldwide

A snapshot of the current state of global emotional well-being is indeed unsettling. According to a recent Gallup poll, over half of Americans report experiencing substantial daily stress, with a significant percentage also dealing with worry, anxiety, and anger. But this trend is not just an American problem; similar emotional patterns are manifesting across nations.

One noticeable root of this widespread unrest is the rise in separatist beliefs, leading to actions that are non-inclusive. When decisions stem from fear, anxiety, or self-serving motives, the resulting actions often occur without considering what a compassionate heart might suggest. This lack of care and compassion affects individual well-being and impedes the manifestation of collective solutions for the greater good of all.

Recognizing Our Shared Human Experience

So, what can help? Compassionate Latitude – the joining of two heart principles, compassion and latitude. Compassion, at its core, is about recognizing the shared human journey, acknowledging that beneath the many personal experiences lies a universal story of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. Latitude, on the other hand, expresses heartfelt understanding, allowing individuals the freedom to undertake their unique journeys without being judged.

Incorporating compassionate latitude into our lives amplifies our care and adaptability to the missteps of others. Recognizing that many are treading the same troubled path can influence how we engage with one another, prompting heartfelt interactions we would like everyone to experience.

Real-World Health Benefits

Compassionate Latitude isn’t about mere passive acceptance. Compassion, when practiced, holds tangible health benefits. According to a study by the HeartMath Institute published in the Journal of Advancement in Medicine, an act as simple as feeling compassion can bolster one’s immune system. Stanford Center’s research reveals that compassion training lessens anxiety, inducing a sense of calm – a trait that is increasingly hard to find amidst surging collective stress. And Harvard social scientists suggest that witnessing acts of kindness is infectious, inspiring others to manifest their best selves.

From Judgments to Understanding: Respecting Unique Worldviews

In this context, latitude represents an attitude enriched with patience, tolerance, and reduced criticism. It’s not an endorsement of differing views but an understanding that everyone possesses a unique worldview. By replacing judgments, frustrations, and divisive tendencies with genuine care and compassion, we can diminish stress and enhance our ability to find peace and balance in our lives.

The practice of compassionate latitude is distinct from mere passive acceptance or tolerance. It asks individuals to shift from a rigid mind stance, which often cultivates separation and misunderstanding, to a heart stand – a position of care, understanding, and genuine heartfelt connections.

Expanding Our Reach: Compassion towards Different Perspectives

The best way to understand the magic of compassionate latitude is to practice it.

Here is a simple exercise to get you started:

1. Start with quiet breathing. Imagine your breath is flowing in and out of your heart or chest area, breathing a little slower and deeper than usual. This helps to shift our energy from the mind to our heart.
2. Think about where you could give others more compassionate latitude at home, at work, watching the news or sorting out challenging communications.

3. Now, visualize yourself replacing judgments, angered responses, lack of tolerance, or separation with compassionate latitude (care, kindness, acceptance). Practicing several days in a row helps to anchor this valuable habit.

   Remember, practicing compassionate latitude is good for your health and the health of those around you.

4. Continue by radiating care and compassion to people with different biases whose polarizing views are creating separation, stress, and chaos.

As we move forward, embracing compassionate latitude becomes essential. It holds the possibilities of a harmonious world where care and compassion aren’t random but an intelligent way of living our life. By embracing it, we enhance our personal journey and contribute to a world where everyone feels seen, heard and genuinely cared for.

Please share your experiences with Compassionate Latitude. We’d love to hear your story.

In a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Association, it was revealed that over 6 million people in America are currently living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). This devastating disease slowly erodes the minds of people we love and care for, but a ray of hope has emerged with a groundbreaking study that suggests heart coherence training developed by HeartMath Institute (HMI) may offer help to millions of individuals and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Heart coherence refers to a specific rhythmic pattern of heart rate variability (HRV), which is the variation in the time intervals between consecutive heartbeats – the beat-to-beat changes. To achieve heart rhythm coherence, individuals are guided to consciously slow their breathing while engaging in specific techniques developed by HeartMath. These techniques typically involve slow-paced heart-focused breathing while self-generating positive emotions such as calmness, gratitude, appreciation, or compassion.

Groundbreaking Study Reveals Potential Intervention for Alzheimer’s

A groundbreaking study was published in Nature Scientific Reports on March 9, 2023. Dr. Mara Mather, the principal investigator of the study, utilized the emWave^® Pro software and sensor developed by HeartMath for training participants in slow-paced coherence breathing and found that it had a profound impact. Participants were divided into two groups: one group practiced slow-paced breathing at the cardiovascular resonant frequency of 0.1 HZ, also known as the coherence frequency, to increase heart rate oscillations. The emWave Pro software and sensor provided real-time HRV biofeedback, enabling participants to optimize their breathing technique. The other group used individualized strategies to reduce heart rate oscillations.

Heart Coherence Breathing Impacted Alzheimer’s Biomarkers

Dr. Mara Mather commented on the study: "Our research indicates that slow-paced breathing exercises combined with HRV biofeedback training decrease plasma levels of Aβ. In healthy adults, higher plasma Aβ levels are associated with higher risk of AD as well as cardiovascular death."

Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., the director of research at the HeartMath Institute, expressed his excitement about the study’s findings, stating that they were remarkable and encouraging. He commended Dr. Mara Mather for conducting the research and expressed the institute’s desire to see further work in this area. McCraty stated, "The study demonstrated a significant link between increased heart coherence and reduced biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease, opening up avenues for further investigation. The precedent set by this initial research confirmed and validated the efficacy of HRV coherence in helping prevent or lessen the effects of this debilitating condition."

Pioneering Stress Reduction Techniques for Cognitive Health

Multiple research studies point to chronic stress as a significant contributor to cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease. As such, interventions focused on mitigating stress and enhancing emotional and mental well-being may help to preserve our cognitive faculties as we age. While breakthroughs in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s remain somewhat elusive, HeartMath is providing a beacon of hope. An earlier study titled "Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer’s Disease: Successful Pilot Project" also utilized HeartMath HRV coherence feedback technology for participants to manage stress as part of their intervention. This study, published in 2022 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, also reported promising results, demonstrating a reduction of Alzheimer’s Disease symptoms. HeartMath Institute has had an ongoing focus on optimal functioning research since its founding more than three decades ago. In the 1990s, its researchers made an important discovery: Intentionally invoking positive emotions is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reduce unhealthy stress. Emotions such as appreciation, care, compassion, and love have been shown to lower stress, increase heart coherence, and enhance cognitive functions, including memory and focus. HeartMath’s tools have also been found to help improve memory.

"Research has shown that sustained positive emotions lead to a highly efficient and regenerative functional mode associated with increased coherence in heart-rhythm patterns and greater synchronization and harmony among physiological systems," McCraty wrote in his paper, Heart Rhythm Coherence – An Emerging Area of Biofeedback.

HeartMath Tools: Practical Solutions for Stress Reduction

HeartMath tools, such as the Quick Coherence^®, Heart Lock-In^® and Freeze Frame^® techniques, and the emWave^® and Inner Balance™ HRV coherence technologies, provide practical solutions for individuals looking to mitigate the effects of stress. By boosting heart coherence, these tools help people restore both physical and psychological balance and calm.

Prospect for Non-Drug Strategies to Preserve Cognitive Health

As we face an anticipated surge in Alzheimer’s prevalence, interventions that aim to reduce stress by enhancing heart coherence and invoking positive emotions become all the more crucial. While this won’t cure Alzheimer’s, it can significantly contribute to reducing one of its major risk factors – chronic stress – thus offering an empowering way to help people preserve their cognitive health and reduce key biomarkers associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

HeartMath Institute President Sara Childre is among the millions of people who have been touched by Alzheimer’s: "My father had Alzheimer’s for eight years. It is a tough disease. He was quite brilliant, had an economics degree, and was a three-star general in the Marines. It was so disheartening to see his cognitive functions just melt away. I do believe all the stressors of wars – WWII, the Korean War and two tours in Vietnam – added to the severity of the disease."

HeartMath Institute is providing hope that with further research, we can discover more powerful non-drug strategies for managing stress and preserving cognitive health in our aging society.The Institute’s research continues to push the boundaries of science and shed new light on the intricate relationship between our heart, brain, and overall health and wellness.

Forgiveness is a personal decision we have to make in the quietness of our heart. At times our spirit gifts us with the inspiration to forgive and release energy blocks with each other and ourselves. These cause our heart to shut off which creates glitches and separation in our relationships.

Many people feel separation and lack of deeper connection with friends or family because, in the past, they were emotionally hurt by them. Learning to release these feelings of disharmony is a powerfully effective tool for personal peace and happiness. It’s understandable why we feel it’s appropriate to hold onto bitterness and anger because this habit has been handed down from generation to generation and passed off as normal.

However, more people are realizing that holding onto and replaying these hurt or resentful feelings blocks our heart’s care, which is important for creating coherent energetic balance in our system and with others. Bitter energy, sustained and unchecked, has been proven to release hormones and neurochemicals that drain our energy system and put our wholeness health in harm’s way, especially if a lot of charged emotion was involved.

A Favor for Ourselves

It’s common for us to feel that forgiving someone is about doing them a favor. However, we are especially doing ourselves a major favor by releasing these stored feelings of hurt and emotional pain and the negative effects they create in our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. In some cases, forgiveness can be the difference in preventing major health setbacks or not. Through time these repressed feelings not only siphon our energy levels but also tax our resilience and reasoning capacity, along with creating shades of flatness in our joy and happiness.

Science and psychology have demonstrated the mental, emotional and physical benefits from releasing these stored feelings. Sure, some situations are harder to release, yet they cost us more to store them, even if we don’t think about them all the time.

Today there is plenty of evidence of the debilitating effects of repressing disharmonious energies. It’s understandable why forgiveness can be hard, but it’s a giant step in self-care if we go to our heart and gently start the process, even if it’s a little at the time, which is more effective in many cases.

Why the Heart is Essential

Our heart is the secret sauce for forgiveness. Good luck if you try forgiveness from the mind alone. Yet it is often approached that way. Our heart knows we are gaining something by forgiving, while the mind can resist forgiveness because it feels like it’s giving up something owed. It’s the heart that adds the love, understanding and patience to stick with the intention. Just know that forgiveness wouldn’t have increased in popularity in the last ten years if there wasn’t something significantly beneficial that comes with it.

Our spirit provides energetic encouragement and wholeness healing as we genuinely commit our heart’s intention to release the old, even if it’s a little at a time. More people are reporting nowadays that they are being intuitively nudged to review their mental/emotional storage lockers and clear out old energies that are repressing the spirit of peace and happiness within them. Forgiveness will get easier in the future as we realize it’s not just about doing a good deed; it’s a highly intelligent move in the game of life if happiness is our goal.

(The technique below can help with general forgiveness, but complex forgiveness issues may require more involved information from various other sources.)

Cut-Thru^® Technique

The following Cut-Thru^® technique was designed to help create objectivity which is often necessary to experience forgiveness. When our mind is racing and our emotions are on fire, it is hard to imagine experiencing forgiveness, whether it is forgiving ourselves or others.

The easiest way to begin using the Cut-Thru steps as a forgiveness tool is to practice on a person or an issue as you read the steps. First, pick a minor issue to start with, not one that’s highly charged emotionally, which often is more resistant to change. Think of someone or something that you want to forgive and you feel that you can because of the work you have already done. This will increase your confidence and resilience for taking on highly charged situations you wish to forgive or be forgiven. Remember to keep your attention and energy focused in the heart throughout the steps to stay coherent.

We are not bad for having judgmental feelings, as these challenges are part of our learning and growing in spirit and personal empowerment. Yet, we are happier, healthier and more alive when these dark spots in our heart are relit with warmth and connection.

If you don’t get an insight or feel forgiveness right away, practice the technique again at another time. Know that deeper, more complex situations can require a deepening connection with your genuine heart to release. Even if it takes weeks or months, it’s worth staying with the practice. The benefits will be worth it.

For more help with forgiveness, search the internet for deeper dives into the subject or consult a health professional.

We would love to hear about your experience using your heart to find forgiveness.

In a world that can be chaotic, noisy, and full of distractions, it’s common to lose sight of who we truly are. Deep down inside ourselves, we all have a true self, a core essence that is unique and authentic. Finding our true self requires us to slow down, quiet our minds, and tune in to our heart’s inner voice.

One way to reconnect with our true self is to spend time in nature; it has a way of calming our minds and reminding us of the beauty and simplicity of life. Another way to find our true self is to engage in activities that bring us joy. This could be anything from writing or playing music to volunteering or helping others in need. When we do things that align with our true selves, we feel a sense of purpose and meaning.

Finding our true self is a lifelong journey that requires ongoing effort and self-reflection. But when we are able to connect with our heart’s intuitive guidance, we are getting the feel and field of increased information from our true self. As we practice stepping into the guidance from our deeper heart-speak, we increasingly get better at navigating the ups and downs of life while finding more meaning and purpose along with deeper discernment and clearer choices. As more of humanity deepens the connection with their heart’s guidance, this will inform and awaken people to realize the intelligence and energy economy of getting along with each other. (The missing piece which is generating most of the stress in our present collective experience.)

The Answers Lie Within Our Hearts.

The heart is more than just a physical organ; it’s also a source of intelligence and wisdom that can guide us and bring out the best of who we are, which is contagious.

Finding our vocational purpose often comes easier as we first realize that serving others is part of our innate collective purpose for being on earth.

Some people grow up connected with their sense of purpose. Others have searched far and wide for teachers or signs to point the way, while many others are not presently concerned with purpose. Early on, our sense of purpose can bounce around and shape-shift at times. This is because, as our heart’s intuition starts to increase, this raises our spiritual awareness, which often changes the course of our desires and directions. Our minds can search endlessly for confirmation of purpose. Yet, as we begin to care more for each other, this starts to ‘draw’ more intuitive guidance for understanding the deeper wisdom and effectiveness of our purpose. If you ever feel without purpose, start loving and caring for others and yourself with heartfelt kindness, compassion, forgiveness and other effective qualities of the heart. This advances you into a Purpose spelled with a big P. Then, you benefit anyway, regardless of how your vocational choices play out in life. There’s nothing wrong with searcing for purpose, and there is nothing wrong with knowing you can step into an advanced level of purpose wherever you are, whatever your vocation or your life situation.

How do we merge with the essence of our true self?

Let go of old patterns and beliefs.

Our true self is the essence of who we are beyond our personality, ego, and external circumstances. To merge with it, we need to let go of old patterns and beliefs that may be holding us back. This requires true self-reflection and introspection to identify these patterns and beliefs and a willingness to release them with practice. (This is just a topical answer as this short article wouldn’t be the place and time to cover such an in-depth subject.) It is the connection with our heart’s guidance that patiently guides us through the merger with our true self.

Align with the greater good.

In the last few years, more people have begun to realize that purpose is not just about ourselves but also about serving the greater good. When our hearts align with the greater good for the whole, we’ll find a sense of adventure, along with joy and fulfillment in serving others. Our love will expand past our small circle to include the greater whole, which is not only an aspect of our purpose but our collective mission.

Learning to listen to our heart’s intuitive guidance ultimately becomes our straightest line to manifesting the peace and happiness we really want. Establishing more trust in our heart’s wisdom creates a baseline that makes it easier for our internal and external purpose to create harmonious alignment with each other and earth. This will unfold collective healing of many things that seemed impossible and will release solutions that have been hidden in the open, waiting for love, kindness and compassion to precede our request.

HeartMath provides practical tools and exercises for enabling us to access the wisdom and insights needed to connect with and live our larger purpose starting the next moment. It’s the heart’s care in our interactions that draws the fulfillment aspect of our purpose and mission. We are here first, to love and care for each other.

We would love to hear about your heart journey to finding your true self and purpose.

You are invited to attend the third annual HeartMath Institute Global Coherence Initiative virtual event, Unleashing the Power of Collective Heart Intention: Manifesting a New Era of Care, Compassion and a Cooperative World.

This interactive, uplifting event will take place online Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 31, April 1 and 2, 2023. Each day is 4½ hours – from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time and includes daily break out sessions for you to participate in.

During this special virtual event, you will be able to share in daily heart-focused meditations and experience proven practices for expanding our heart’s care and compassion. You will experience when groups of people come together in the heart with a collective intention. This uplifts our personal vibration helping to bring about the changes we wish to see in our lives. Most importantly, it creates beneficial changes for humanity and our planet.

HeartMath Presenters and Guest Speakers

The event will be hosted by Steve Havill, HeartMath Community Activation Facilitator, and led by three HeartMath Master Trainers and Executives, Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Deborah Rozman, Ph.D., Howard Martin and HMI Researcher Nachum Plonka, Ph.D. We are delighted to have four guest speakers, Lynne Twist, Ervin Laszlo, Ph.D., Patricia Van Pelt, Ph.D., and Dillon Brooks.

Our Guest Speakers…

Lynne Twist will share how having a purpose larger than yourself leads to deep fulfillment and why it’s so important that we listen deeply to our hearts to find and unfold our larger purpose. Ervin László, Ph.D., as an advocate of the theory of quantum consciousness, will talk about a new paradigm research of the cosmos, life, consciousness and society emerging. Patricia Van Pelt, Ph.D., will share about her goal in life is to advance civilization and helping to help solve world problems, especially by empowering underserved communities. Dillon Brooks will talk about his TikTok community for Gen Z’s and Millennials called "Citizen Scientists." He’ll share what this means and why it’s important for creating the positive change we desire personally and collectively.

Click here to read more about each presenter.

You will learn…

• The importance of collective compassion to facilitate humanity in getting along with each other – a most vital step forward.
• The difference between taking a "heart stand" that unifies people rather than a "mind-stance" that separates.
• Why meaningfulness (genuine heart intention) is the action word in all practices to experience the deeper benefits of who we truly are.
• Ways to slow down the vibratory rate of the mind and emotions to access sensitivity to your heart’s intuitive choices and unclouded discernment.
• Why listening to your heart’s intuitive guidance is a most important step for manifesting your purpose.
• Why Heart Connections Matter.
• Scientifically proven techniques to help you find calm under any circumstances, increase your immunity, and gain a renewed sense of vitality and focus.
• About the New Global Consciousness Project 2.0 and ways to be involved as a Citizen Scientist.
• How planetary, solar, and cosmic energies affect our emotions, mental functions, health, and behaviors.

You will experience…

• Inspiring presentations from each of our key presenters, including three HeartMath Master Trainers, Rollin McCraty, Deborah Rozman and Howard Martin, HMI Researcher Nachum Plonka, and four special guest speakers: Lynne Twist, Ervin László, Patricia Van Pelt, and Dillon Brooks.
• How getting in sync with other people’s hearts strengthens our collective contribution to lifting our personal and global energy field.
• Spirit-lifting breakout sessions with other "like-hearted" participants.
• How to reboot our spirits when we fade into a lower vibration and release the stress that comes with it.
• How to replace separation with deeper connection by using the Coherent Communication Technique.
• How to create your own group and build a collective energy reservoir using the Global Coherence app.
• Take-Home practices specially selected for Unleashing the Power of Collective Heart Intention.

One particularly fun exercise will be using the Global Coherence App together with everyone participating in the virtual event around the world. It is a richly heartwarming experience to see the lights representing all who are sharing in the experience on a global map. You will also get to see the group’s level of collective heart coherence in real time during the meditations.

Here are a few topics that will be discussed…

• What is needed to Co-Create a New World?
• Why the Softener Practice – a new heart frequency for boosting our love, compassion and the connection with our heart’s wise guidance.
• New paradigms are needed for humanity to thrive and live more peacefully together – and this starts with small groups empowering a collective heart intention.
• How to reset your vibration when needed and anchor inspiration and insights so they are more available to you after the event.

Prior to the event, each participant will receive free access to the HeartMath Experience video program. You will also receive the new edition of our e-book Heart Intelligence: Connecting with the Heart’s Intuitive Guidance for Effective Choices and Solutions by Doc Childre, Howard Martin, Deborah Rozman, Ph.D. and Rollin McCraty, Ph.D.

Daily Time Schedule for the 3 days:

• 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. – Break for 10 minutes.
• 10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. – Break for 10 minutes.
• 11:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. – Break for 10 minutes.
• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Click here to download the full schedule.

This is what will happen during the daily break-out sessions:

• 12 people will be randomly selected and placed into a group.
• A group question will be presented.
• Each person can talk about how they relate to this.
• The group will pick a spokesperson to express the group’s viewpoint.

All proceeds for this virtual event will go towards funding the Global Coherence Initiative and research.

Join us for this transformational event as we unleash the power of collective heart intention, experience heart connections and enjoy our interactions.

If you have any questions, call Toll Free (800) 711-6221 or send an e-mail to info@heartmath.org.

For international calls: 1 (831) 338-8500.

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All proceeds for this event will go to support the Global Coherence Initiative and its vital research.

Contact Information

For more information about this event, call Del Walker at (831) 338-8502 or toll free at (800) 711-6221, or e-mail him at delwalker@heartmath.org.

For international calls: +1 (831) 338-8500.