While many of us see the heart as fragile and emotional, the qualities and feelings of our "True Heart" are a source of strength, clarity, knowing, power, healing, care, compassion, wisdom, love, courage, peace, and joy.

Forgiveness, appreciation, and love actually lead to coherent, harmonious heart rhythms and affect the physical heart's electrical output, as seen in an ECG. These sincere positive feelings generate heart frequencies that are felt by every cell in the body. Positive feelings boost the immune system. Repeated stressful reactions, such as frustration and anger, cause nervous system imbalances that are detrimental not only to the physical heart, but to the brain, hormonal production, and the immune system. Even remembering an upsetting experience can reduce the heart's pumping efficiency by 5-7%, and decrease the immune system's potency for many hours. On the other hand, one five-minute episode of feeling genuine care or compassion enhances the immune system, causing a gradual climb in IgA (an antibody and one of the body's first defenses against colds, flu, and other infections) for the next six hours. Feelings of happiness and joy benefit the white blood cells that are needed for healing and defense against invading pathogens, including cancer and virus-infected cells.

Take a few minutes to ponder the implications of this data. Astounding! For example, the next time a flu bug is making the rounds, consider take several strong doses of nurturing and fun-filled time with your child, even for five minutes every few hours, rather than just reaching for the cold medicine, vitamin C or Echinacea!

Now to place the above data alongside just a few of the statistics about the status of children in the US, as shown by surveys conducted by the Children's Defense Fund. Almost 20% of children ages six to twelve hadn't had a ten-minute conversation with a parent in a month. Seven million children are "latchkey kids." Nearly 60% of youngsters surveyed nationwide said they worried about becoming a victim of violence at school. Over 80% of teenagers were worried about violence, drinking, guns, sex, drugs, and getting a good job; 60% had contemplated suicide; and, as mentioned before, 80% expect these problems to get worse.

The HeartMath Institute believes that our children's hopelessness reflects the perceptions of the adults and society around them, and that the cure is a paradigm shift to the heart--loving, caring, and effective action. Hope for such a shift is present in that, more than ever before, people are examining the assumptions that have directed their lives.

This self-reflection of ordinary people, recognizing that there are more efficient ways to perceive and respond to life, will herald the most powerful paradigm shift of all--the shift to heart perception.... Heart intelligence is the hope for the 21st century. —Doc Childre

If we are to accept the responsibility we carry to offer our children knowledge of how to respond to stressful situations then we, ourselves, need practical tools to release stress--for our own well-being and that of our children. Heart intelligence is designed to take care of our entire unconscious and conscious system, and increases exponentially our creativity and resiliency in dealing with stress.

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