Heart Rate Variability: Harnessing Your Own Personal Superpower | Inna Khazan | TEDxBostonCollege

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk for medical advice. This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of heart rate variability training. Several therapies discussed in this talk currently lack legitimate scientific support. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/t...
Discover a practical, powerful, scientifically proven strategy for improving your health, wellbeing, and everyday performance.
Inna Khazan, PhD, BCB is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, where she teaches and supervises trainees. She is a clinical psychologist specializing in health psychology and performance excellence training using biofeedback and mindfulness-based approaches. Dr. Khazan is the founder of Boston Center for Health Psychology and Biofeedback, working with clients on optimizing their health and performance. She also serves as chief science officer for Optimal HRV. Dr. Khazan is a popular speaker at national and international conferences on the topics of biofeedback and mindfulness. Dr. Khazan serves as president of the board of directors for Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy (IMP), board member for the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB), and chair elect of Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA).Dr. Khazan writes for Psychology today, is the author of numerous journal articles and three books. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@annja1516]

Brilliant talk! And very valuable content! Thank you Dr Khazan!

[@stevencole4602]

I feel the need to congratulate this lady on a wonderful talk👍🏻 you did excellently well.

[@DISABLED12-7]

Excellent talk. The content was interesting, and gave me much to think about, but the delivery especially was masterful. So much to learn from rewatching this.

[@OKCThunderPOD]

Great talk! Here's my quick recap: Breath in like you're smelling a flower and out like you are blowing out a candle. 4 seconds in & 6 seconds out. Start practicing 5 minutes a day and increase 5 minutes per week until you reach 20 min a day. (10 minutes 2nd week, 15 minutes 3rd week, 20 minutes 4th week).

[@dianasolfest7237]

Wonder why this is the only instance I've seen to exhale with mouth?! Every other heart Coherence & Heaty math - they always emphasise breathing & exhaling from nose only. Unless of course , it's impossible to be done. Still won't get full benefits, though. As there is very specific reasoning behind the why nasil breathing only.

[@kasperkarup8640]

@@dianasolfest7237 The inhale through the nose is more important than the exhale, as long as you make sure that you exhale slowly and softly through the mouth. The nasal exhale is usually great to slow down the exhale, but you can can also do that with pursed lips and by contracting your vocal cords on the exhale. I do however always teach my students to do only nose-breathing unless we're doing different types of 'power breathing' or sighing exhales.

[@JorgeJauregui]

I have read and watched a lot about HRV without understandig the simple basics she states, She explains it easy and clear. Kudos for Dr. Khazan.

[@chandanritvik1]

Me too! No one explains this clearly! Kudos!

[@mvrao29]

Inna gave an Excellent lecture on HRV training with Simplest examples. Great Job 👍

[@mad8298]

This was one of the best TED talks I have seen. I finally understand HRV. Thank you Dr. Khazan for being so clear and concise and confirming what I understood about RFB and its importance.

[@user-jl1gw8ye5x]

Inna Khazan's TEDx talk on heart rate variability (HRV) is truly eye-opening! The potential of HRV training to improve resilience and well-being is absolutely thrilling. The idea that we can enhance our mental and physical health through simple techniques like resonance frequency breathing and use apps to track our progress is incredibly empowering.

[@textron4593]

Are you an NPC?

[@rejuvenatinglifestyle1400]

Yes, I have looked up several of Inna Khazan's studies. She is the pioneer. I just try to bring practical applications to of her work to my clients at the Abliene Brain Center and to share what is working for us at the Abilene Brain Center.

[@pattys235]

Thank you Inna!! This was wonderful - I was looking for a clear and thorough explanation : ) I too had the same anxiety you did as a kid - congratulations on overcoming!!

[@grainnecatherinewalsh442]

Excellent talk and quite revealing with something that up till now, I took for granted: my breathing. Thank you Inna!

[@dadominate]

Excellent presentation! This is useful information that all of us have the power to act upon.

[@CoachAdamRuns]

WOW. This is so cool. Wonderfully delivered talk. Thank you.

[@rogannaful]

Excellent. Fascinating content and you spoke so well.

[@vcom2327]

That a once extremely shy lady can give a 20 minute on stage presentation, is amazing in itself. I know from person experience how difficult that is ...

[@beatrizfriedmann4472]

Wonderful presentation and content! Such an important topic.

[@gotchugarrosh6825]

Great explanation, easy excercise, great pictures to explain. Thanks for this talk. Greetings from Kiel/northern germany.

[@awfully.average]

Im 43 , relatively fit with regular weekly cardio exercises, my yearly health check up is great. And im very surprised to see thst my hrv is only 43 on average , then she mentioned depression and anxiety and it all made sense

[@grappler7343]

Me too. And I don't feel well rested when I wake up. I only feel good when I'm working out

[@PVVI2015]

Thank you😊 That was interesting and very helpful!

[@denissexton5617]

Very interesting talk and well delivered in a quiet non pushy tone.

[@fightingcancerwithpositivity]

Beautifully explained thank you 👏

[@jf1890]

Thank you! Learning more about HRV since my personal HRV is, on average, 16ms. Sounds scary. It might explain my lightheadedness lately.

[@voyd1507]

That was a great training I practice it for several years now. Thank you.

[@marinashtern2763]

Fantastic talk!

[@prakashvakil3322]

Aatmiya DIVINITY HARE KRSNA............ This Presentation is full of confidence, data information and supported with practical utility. Wonderful. Valuable physiological benefits in over coming stressful Conditions are scientifically established. MEDITATION is described. Love 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

[@Star_Light_4]

HRV and the understanding and practice of it is key to a more peaceful and civilized society.

[@Eric-tj3tg]

Yes...Complex trauma (C-PTSD) survivors, as discussed in "The Body Keeps the Score", by Van Der Kolk, speaks of increasing HRV, as a method of helping such clients. A couple of years ago, he revealed on a vid on YT; that that he himself had low HRV (wounded healers), which has improved for him with a body-based modality (name escapes me), which is a "structural (skeletal)", long term one.

[@shaxpx]

Many thanks for the amazing insights

[@VirtualTrailRunning]

Interesting! Thank you for sharing!

[@JarahOnDrums]

Wow. This was so awezome!

[@SVent1981]

@minute 13:36. She mentioned that the cardiovascular system is a resonant frequency system. Where the breath stimulates the heart rate. So...Resonant frequency breathing. Frequency=the measurement of an oscillating system. Ok. So many years back i came across this expression, "Liquid Crystal Oscillator". This is the term a cardiologist would use to describe the heart. Just saying. I learned something new this morning. It might be a good day today. 🤷👋

[@62Sketch]

I have a low resting heart rate in the 40s. My max HR while exercising is in the low 180s. When I stop exercising my HR recovers back to normal very fast. All signs of very healthy heart. Yet my HRV is in the tank. Very low. I think this HRV thing is very misunderstood. For me slow deep breathing results in a much higher HRV, my HR increases significantly with a deep breath. But who actually breaths like that. A normal small slow inhale and exhale, I would not expect it to elicit a big change in heart rate.

[@msnb14]

Excellent talk and very informative, thank you.

[@AlbertWeijers]

How are the HRV's in milliseconds calculated in the first slide?

[@mpocock2632]

You kept it so simple, explained the problem and then offered a solution. Your talk helped me to put the pieces together. Thank you so much ❤

[@TameraEdwards]

I must be about dead. Mine is between 20-38. Lord! I’ve even lost 40 pounds and I’m at my trim weight with 110/70 bp. But yet I must be so unhealthy. I do have asthma and haven’t worked out for 4 years since Covid. I will try working out again and see if my hrv changes.

[@JonesF1983]

This video is a great place to start learning about HRV training. Thank you!

[@jessicaf6358]

Our body will store for later what it cannot diffuse or use in the moment.

[@GiantChihuahua2000]

I FINALLY get it. Thank you!

[@matthewbennett7060]

Tedx, please explain "lacks legitimate scientific support." I've seen every word of this talk backed up in peer-reviewed journals.

[@patricknardulli98]

Matthew, Would you be willing to share the peer-reviewed journals you reference?

[@karamcginnis3045]

I agree, Matthew. This is what all of HeartMath's research is about.

[@karamcginnis3045]

This IS a little different from Heart Math....but similar.

[@joellenlin1212]

wait, so TEDx is saying that all the money I spent on Oura ring trying to measure my HRV, plus all the exercises and meditation I do trying to increase my HRV are waste of time, money, and energy? 🙀

[@matthewbennett7060]

@@joellenlin1212 Right!

[@rogerlin9602]

14:09 Resonance frequency breathing rate is 4 to 7 breaths per minute for most people. Thanks. 18 March 2024。🍑💫🛍🌺🥢⛳️⚓️🏃🖖🔔🐥💖

[@erinstark777]

It’s awful that TEDX claims none of this is based in peer-reviewed science. I wonder what their agenda is to outright lie on her video like that.

[@garyanderson5446]

Totally agree! Cluelessness often passes as authority today.

[@hernancoronel]

HRV is too cheap to sell and not patentable. Anything too cheap or not patentable is discouraged by corporations and forcefully lobbied against…

[@Musingsonthelawofattraction]

​@@hernancoronelAbsolutely correct and shocking too. Everything is designed to disempower us, so we need to exercise caution.

[@lisabrusaxon7919]

My variability flat lined during this talk.

[@vcom2327]

You didn't explain how to find one's resonance frequency!

[@azharhussain9617]

Quick on the screen the diagram suggests shift to belly breathing, but she doesn't explain it verbally? Amy ideas?

[@ashacherian3353]

Basics of yoga...

[@garychristopher5480]

99'% of yoga being done today is wrong breathing with the mouth and loud is not yoga true you was about Prana and breath alone in silence.

[@1commonplace519]

@@garychristopher5480 dunno about the rest of the world but at least in my country (india) it's done correctly.

[@retribution999]

I was just thinking that

[@bhavanova2849]

Thanks Doc!

[@Dinckelburg]

"Nothing like an Olive Garden salad. Nothing like it!"

[@j-trandell9274]

Wonderful talk - Thank you!

[@SMarkGee]

jeez. hrv4training and hrv4biofeedback are the two hrv apps that do it all properly. you can't train for hrv, it just shows how your body copes

[@rafisalfonsonin4908]

How I measure my HRV or get my heart trained? Where do I go? Is there a machine>

[@elenabrunner4345]

I can highly recommend the oura ring for that!

[@joellenlin1212]

I do Oura Ring for that, and I like to look at my HRV trend and noticed that I feel better on the weeks when the trend is up. It’s now a bit confusing with TEDx warning that the talk is not scientifically proven…I feel like what TEDx is saying is that all the money and tracking we put into Oura Ring is a waste. 🙄🤦🏻‍♀️

[@heidikamrath1951]

My Oura ring measures HRV at night. To measure whenever you want, check out the devices she describes (and has images of on-screen) at 15:08. These can be used for training.

[@debjames4048]

EMWave by Heartmath

[@kimhodgson1748]

​@@debjames4048 what is EMwave?

[@jembesjembes1]

Can someone recommend an APP for HRV breathing ? Thank you

[@solsol766]

OptimalHRV has everything you need for HRV monitoring and training.

[@michaelchaplin866]

Pranayama breathing from the west, that is, resonance breathing 😊

[@shaquechiro]

👌

[@christophercucchi6048]

This is incredible

[@b22chris]

It’s very odd bc my HRV is very low (average of 42) but I feel very little stress, worry hardly ever, and I’m in peak health. Meanwhile my wife HRV is around 120 and she’s stressed all the time, worry, anxiety, gets colds often. I never get nervous talking in front of a crowd or to a room full of people. But according to this metric I’m very unhealthy.

[@livinglifethehardway5596]

The thing with HRV is, the own personal normal range of HRV is the most useful point of reference, the absolute numbers don't matter that much... If your HRV dropped below 20 or your wife's was as low as your normal HRV, then something would really be off. That's why my Garmin watch needed 2 weeks or a month of data to calibrate. My HRV is usually about 50-60 ms. When I am tired it is lower. 2 weeks ago I had an infection, needed lots of rest, slept a lot. The thing is, the watch realized it, my HRV dropped to about 20... Therefore training readiness was very poor even though I had perfect recovery time, lots of rest, great sleep. All that accurate information by measuring the lower than usual HRV. Also if you overtrain, you might even feel good. Your heart rate might even be low for the amount of effort you put in, wrongly indicating to you, that you maybe didn't train hard enough when in reality you were just overtrained and tired which the watch would measure (lower HRV than usual)

[@b22chris]

@@livinglifethehardway5596 all good info. Seems like this HRV thing is more of a piece to the overall picture than a clear cut identifier of health. I have recently started doing more cardio and breathing routines to try to improve my HRV. Never ending process of trying to get better everyday!

[@livinglifethehardway5596]

@@b22chris beautifully said! I totally agree that it's all part of a bigger picture. Like other health parameters it s all good as long as it s in a normal range. But if it is is very low or suddenly drastically different, something is up. Like you said, the same with all other parameters of physical and psychological health and wellbeing. I listen to the Rich Roll Podcast; guests there (top athletes) train differently and much more efficiently since they considered HRV in their training routine. If HRV is good and people still feel tired, the problem is somewhere else I was just astonished, how being ill showed a drop in HRV as does to little sleep for me (but by far not as extreme) I have not done any HRV-excercises yet but will start soon, maybe I can include it in my meditation practice.

[@JesusChrist2000BC]

You're mixing it up. With HRV a lower score is better and higher is worse. So that explains your comment perfectly.

[@amyshannon8718]

@@JesusChrist2000BC everything I've read about HRV says you want a higher score. You want more variability which means a higher number. The lower the number the lower the variability.

[@DialoguesByDrNirmalGupta]

One statement in her talk needs correction “deep breath in slows the heart rate due to parasympathetic stimulation” as against her statement “heart rate increases with deep breath in”. Rest is all fine.

[@amyshannon8718]

Correct, the in breath speeds up (activating the parasympathetic)and the slow longer out breath slows down(deactivating parasympathetic or activating sympathetic). She said it wrong. Don't know if she meant to say that or not.

[@solsol766]

The statement in the talk is actually correct. During resonance frequency breathing, heart rate speeds up during the inhalation, and slows down during the exhalation. The whole process is indeed parasympathetic.

[@solsol766]

@@amyshannon8718 parasympathetic nervous system slows down most physiological activity (except for the GI system, which is activated by the parasympathetic NS). Sympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, activates most physiological activity. However, there is no involvement of the sympathetic NS in the process described here (resonance frequency breathing). It used to be believed that inhalation activates the sympathetic NS and speeds up the heart rate, while the exhalation activates the parasympathetic and slows down the heart rate. Recent research, however, has shown that the entire process is parasympathetic. As we inhale, the parasympathetic brake comes off, allowing heart rate to increase. As we exhale, the parasympathetic brake comes back on, slowing the heart rate down. The statement in the talk regarding breath and heart rate interaction during resonance frequency breathing is entirely correct.

[@michaelchaplin866]

I see with the polar h10 chest monitor and Elite hrv app that indeed the heart rate goes up when breathing in, especially if its a long deep breath. This would make sense logically as the heart response to oxygen intake and you would think it would try to maximise the amount of uptake from the blood in the lungs, so increase its beats. Makes sense to a logical mind. It would be silly to think the heart would become lazy, so to speak, when one of the most important elements is entering its system for its survival.

[@1eingram]

I had fantastic HRV until I got a pacemaker.

[@kellyodowd3949]

Go back at past 15 min to use this video later. I will be lol.

[@noobiedooby26]

My heart is too responsive lol. Just thinking about my heart rate and it increases...

[@retribution999]

Wim Hoff

[@meditativeTV]

This talk should be a 5 min talk

[@JCN257]

This prana Yama in Yoga 😂

[@Flutemusicinc]

Play the flute!

[@BetaBuxDelux]

Can’t I just smoke?

[@mikemar988]

Lol only bongs allowed

[@pablohussein2797]

couldn't this produce bradycardia?

[@jack-lo7vd]

Interesting question ;) so what is the difference?

[@phillykish]

Excellent talk!