The Quiet Heart
by Peter Gruenewald
supports the theme, Putting Stress In Its Place. His innovative approach,
HeartSpheres,
combines
the latest on medical research and holistic medicine. Gruenewald
recorded the results of case studies where his clients used these
techniques and reclaimed power over their emotions and their lives.
This is where the book picks up, as it brings us the means in our every
day experiences to take back our lives.
Whenever
I read a book that instructs you on how to do things, I always get
restless with what seems like the 8th or 9th explanation of any given
point. This book is different, in that it allows you to skip
around, looking for what you really need. Its 1, 2, 3 approach makes it
easier to take what you want from it and get the most out of the read.
The Quiet Heart
has
been organized quite conveniently into 3 parts. The first part
addresses the actual breathing and visualization practices, independent
of lengthy descriptions of said techniques. You can advance at a
comfortable pace and not worry about missing anything at all.
The
second part of this book touches base with the background of what is
being said. If you get stuck somewhere in part one, you can move on to
part
two.
Chances are that there's an answer to a question you might have. For
example, If stress is bad for you, why are we even capable of being
stressed? or, Why should a
breathing technique
do
anything to the years of stress I've built up in my lifetime? When you
get your answer, you can go back and pick up where you left off without
having to read about things you may already understand or don't think
you need.
Part
3 is titled Origins and Related Approaches. That means that when you
ask yourself, How did the author come up with these unique ideas? you
can to jump ahead to part three, get your answer and return again to
where you left off.
All
in all, I would definitely say this book is more than worth the read. I
don't find myself stressed out often but that didn't stop the practices
from helping me! At a mere 158 pages, I feel that anyone can the find
time to read this book and walk away with more than they have put into it.
Dr. Peter Gruenewald is working at the Hale Clinic, London.
The HeartSpheres approach is an integrated
psychological and medical approach that teaches how to change patterns
of emotional and physiological response to stressful life situations.
That means it works with daily life events: past experiences, in order
to take feelings like resentment and fear out of emotionally loaded
experiences (review as an observer - dissociated) and with future
events, by mentally rehearsing difficult events in a state of focussed
relaxation. The breathing technique doesn’t just serve as means of
relaxation, but helps to transform emotions during the exercises and to
change the physiological patterns underlying these experiences.
It furthermore works with a contemplation
technique (positive self-talk) that allows to transform guilt feelings
and denial into a state of acceptance and inner forgiveness. This can
be profoundly effective in order to transform very difficult and
burdened human relationships in presence and past.
Not all techniques suit all clients and patients and the coaching is carefully adjusted to individual needs.
The HeartSpheres approach is therefore a differentiated self-help technique
that works with breathing techniques, focussed relaxation,
contemplation, imagination, affirmation and positive feelings to
transform pathological, physiological and psychological patterns into
patterns of health and enhanced performance.
The approach has not only been used in individual
health care, but is also applied in individual and group executive
coaching for professionals and managers in corporate business, NHS and
schools to promote health and enhance performance. All elements, that
have been introduced to the HeartSpheres approach have been used
outside HeartSpheres for many years and their efficacy and safety have
been scientifically validated. Besides collecting individual and group
case studies, we are in the process of setting up two pilot research
projects, that are not clinical trials, but physiological studies.
The unique aspect of the HeartSpheres approach is
the integration of research on physiology (heart rate variability,
health and illness and breathing) and psychology (emotional management,
developing of emotional intelligence, motivational psychology) to
create a highly effective self-help technique that empowers people to
promote personal development, to live a healthier life in a stressful
environment, managing day-to-day challenges more proactively and
creatively.
View our Booklist
HeartSpheres website www.heartspheres.com
For more information visit www.anthromed.com
This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Merlian News. www.merliannews.com
Copyright 2007 Merlian News LLC
