Heart Rate Variability Podcast

This episode launches a series based on the book The Heat(beat) of Business: Positioning Heart Rate Variability as a Competitive Advantage. You can download a free version of the book at: Optimalhrv.com.

In this episode, Inna Khazan and Matt discuss the strategy of taking a heart rate variability reading every morning and how some new upgrades to the Optimal HRV app support morning readings.

Dr. Fred Shaffer joins the podcast to discuss his nearly five decades of work with heart rate variability and biofeedback. Such an honor to have one of the pioneers in HRV as our guest! http://fshaffer.sites.truman.edu/

In this episode, Santiago Brand joins the show to discuss his work with HRV, neurofeedback, and biofeedback. Brand's story really shows the positive impact this science has for a variety of conditions. Find out more about Brand's work: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SantiagoBrandqEEG Instagram: neurosantiago Website: www.themind-lab.com

HRV biofeedback pioneer Dr. Gevirtz returns to the show to discuss HRV biofeedback as an effective treatment for gut and digestive issues with Anna and Matt. Learn more about Dr. Gevirtz at https://www.alliant.edu/faculty/richard-gevirtz Dr. Richard Gevirtz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology for the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. He has been in involved in research and clinical work in applied psychophysiology and biofeedback for the last 30 years and served as the president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2006-2007. His primary research interests are in understanding the physiological and psychological mediators involved in disorders such as chronic muscle pain, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal pain. In this vein, he has studied applications of heart rate variability biofeedback for anxiety, pain, gastrointestinal, cardiac rehabilitation, and other disorders. He is the author of many journal articles and chapters on these topics. He also maintains a part time clinical practice treating patients with anxiety and stress related disorders.

In this episode, Matt interviews Diane Wilson about the role of HRV and biofeedback in her recovery from a traumatic brain injury. Diane also shares some insights and themes of her new book Brain Dance: My Journey with Invisible Illness, Second Changes, and Wonders of Applied Neuroscience. Diane Wilson, LCPC, BCN, is a coach, psychotherapist, and applied neuroscientist. Her company, Grimard Wilson Consulting, Inc. will tailor services to help you become The Optimal You in work and life. https://www.grimardwilson.com/ Brain Dance is a medical memoir, an Amazon number one best seller, and winner of multiple awards including "No. 1 Best Nonfiction Book of the Year" and "No. 1 Best True Drama". People describe Brain Dance as a book on neuroscience that seems like a novel—one that’s hard to put down. It's for anyone who loves learning about the brain, has even had a bump on the head, or has felt totally lost in life, for any reason, and needs to start over. https://braindancebook.com/

In this episode, Matt interviews Dr. Khazan about the power and science of resonance frequency breathing. Learn how this powerful approach can build the resiliency of the nervous system and why Matt believes it has been life-changing in his own life.

Jeff and Matt return to the N=1 series with a look at Matt's recent struggles and HRV crash. They explore the reasons for the drop and lessons learned as Matt recovers.

In this week's episode, we are back with Doctoral student Alicia Johnson talking about HRV and the Menstrual Cycle. Alicia and Dr. Dave talk about the basics of the menstrual cycle and how it relates to HRV, then they go down the rabbit hole of research on the subject. This is a very empowering episode.

Jeff talks with Matt this week about his recent experience at the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) Conference. Statistics are emerging to show the devastating effect of the last two-plus years of stress, burnout, and trauma. While not all industries have been hit as hard as healthcare, their lessons can inform how other's can view their own health and the health of their organizations.

In this week's episode, Dr. Dave is back with his student, Randy. They cover a bit more on HRV physiology and then go into some interesting studies Randy has recently found, including the impact of almonds on HRV.

In this episode, Matt and Jeff discuss what called Matt to revise his book Heart Rate Variability and what readers can expect in the revised and expanded version.

In this episode, Jeff and Matt interview educator John Houle. John is finding innovative ways to bring HRV into the classroom to help those with cognitive and behavioral struggles. John's stories (and outcomes) are truly inspirational!

Today Dr. Elizabeth Turner comes on the show to talk about HRV and dentistry. Dr. Turner goes deep on the science of airway and breathing and how this connects with dentistry. Her passion and knowledge for come through to bring this episode alive. https://foxpointdental.com/

This week on the optimal HRV podcast Dr. Dave chats with two of his students who are helping with HRV research. We talk about a novel meditation approach and dive deep into HRV physiology.

Matt is going on vacation and just finishing writing about the benefits of HRV friendly vacations. Now that summer is officially here, no better time to think about how your time off promotes resiliency and wellness.

This week's episode features an interview Dr. Dave Hopper did with the Warrior's Edge Podcast. This interview covers a variety of topics and features heart rate variability's role in peak performance and recovery. Check out the Warrior's Edge Podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/warriors-edge-podcast/id1583789523

How's your stress level? How about your HRV? In this episode, Jeff and Matt revisit allostatic load and how everything happening in the world is impacting our nervous system and overall health.

Dr. Rob Gregory joins the show to talk about acupuncture and heart rate variability. We explore a range of topics on how to improve the health of the vagus nerve. Find out more about Dr. Gregory's work at http://www.longevityfit.net/

In this episode chiropractor and HRV pioneer, Dr. David Fletcher joins Matt and Dr. Dave to discuss his groundbreaking work with HRV. Dr. Fletcher's expertise highlights the history of HRV and how he sees it as a powerful tool for health and performance. David is a renowned chiropractor who practiced in Toronto for many years. He and his associates had a thriving, cash-based family practice that served hundreds of patients weekly. As the owner of CLA, David oversees our clinical, technological and practice development strategies while mapping a future vision for both CLA and the chiropractic profession. https://insightcla.com/about/#

Big announcement. Matt, Inna, and Dave are excited to officially announce the publication of The Heart(beat) of Business: Positioning Heart Rate Variability as a Competitive Advantage. In this episode, we discuss some of the insights we each had in the journey of writing this book.

Dr. Richard Gevirtz join Matt and Anna to talk about his work and research in applied psychophysiology and biofeedback especially as it relates to heart rate variability. Dr. Richard Gevirtz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology for the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. He has been in involved in research and clinical work in applied psychophysiology and biofeedback for the last 30 years and served as the president of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 2006-2007. His primary research interests are in understanding the physiological and psychological mediators involved in disorders such as chronic muscle pain, fibromyalgia, and gastrointestinal pain. In this vein, he has studied applications of heart rate variability biofeedback for anxiety, pain, gastrointestinal, cardiac rehabilitation, and other disorders. He is the author of many journal articles and chapters on these topics. He also maintains a part time clinical practice treating patients with anxiety and stress related disorders. https://www.alliant.edu/faculty/richard-gevirtz

In our third episode on healthy breathing, Dr. Dave returns to discuss healthy breathing strategies. Learn how to take a healthy breath and why it is so important. Matt also asked too many questions about the pelvic floor!

In this episode, Jeff and Matt interview Dr. Janell Mensigner from Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Mensigner utilized Optimal HRV for a powerful research study on disordered eating. Her insights demonstrate the huge potential of HRV in research. Janell Mensinger, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical and School Psychology at Nova Southeastern University. She teaches a graduate level eating disorders theory and intervention course as well as graduate statistics and measurement theory. Janell is a Fellow of the Academy of Eating Disorders and has been doing research in the field eating and body concerns for over 20 years. She is widely published and has presented all over the world on topics related to her program of research which is primarily focused on weight-inclusive models of healthcare and more specifically, weight stigma and eating disorders. More recently, in search of digital approaches to treatment for individuals who are struggling with eating and body concerns, she has studied the use of a smartphone-based heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback app for enhancing mindful self-awareness and reducing disordered eating. Her work seeks to promote health for individuals of all sizes and improve access to stigma free care.

In this episode, Anna Pollard joins Matt to discuss her experience as a student and biofeedback practitioner. We discuss the intersection of technology and mental health and she integrates HRV with clients. Anna is currently an APA doctoral intern at the St. Cloud, MN VA in pursuit of her PhD in clinical psychology. She is board certified in biofeedback and is in the progress of becoming board certified in neurofeedback. Anna specializes in health psychology including chronic illnesses, trauma, and co-occurring substance use disorders. apollard@alliant.edu

In the last episode, we discussed the importance of low and slow breathing with Dr. Inna Khazan. This week, we talk about the benefits of nasal breathing.

Optimal HRV's Chief Science Officer Dr. Inna Khazan joins Matt to talk about proper breathing. Dr. Khazan dispels several common myths about breathing, HRV, and stress management.

In this episode, Emily Kwok joins the show to talk about her life in martial arts and how it informs her work in human performance in a range of settings. Find out more about Emily's work on emilykwok.com

In this episode, Dr. Dave and Matt discuss pain from both a medical and psychological perspective. This episode is very important for people or professionals who work with pain and how HRV can help improve outcomes.

Supplements are tricky. How effective are supplements at meeting our nutritional needs? Are all supplements created equal? How does HRV help us tackle the supplement issue? Dr. Dave, Matt, and Jeff explore these issues in this episode. The episode referenced in this show: Dr. Dave Interviews a Patient about HRV.

As we hit the two-year anniversary of Covid starting to shut down our societies another stressor hits, a war in Europe. While living through a global pandemic like Covid was a challenging new stressor for most people, the talk and threats of nuclear war might stir up old feelings and trauma for those of a certain age. In this episode, Matt talks about his own retraumatization and how it is impacting his heart rate variability and mental health.

Dr. Ron Siegel joins Inna and Matt to talk about his new book The Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary and his decades of experience in mindfulness and meditation. Dr. Siegel is an Assistant Professor of Psychology, part-time, at Harvard Medical School, where he has taught for over 35 years. A long-time student of mindfulness meditation, Dr. Siegel serves on the Board of Directors and faculty of the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy and the faculties of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion at the Cambridge Health Alliance and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He teaches internationally about mind-body medicine and the application of mindfulness and compassion practices in psychotherapy and other fields. Find out more about Dr. Siegel's work at https://drronsiegel.com/ Check out Dr. Siegel's new book at https://amzn.to/3Ik2LpR

In this episode, Dr. Dave, Matt, and Jeff discuss the connection between exercise, movement, and HRV. We discuss our changing relationship and thinking about exercise as we learned more about HRV.

Dr. Dave, Jeff, and Matt enjoy a good drink occasionally. However, their heart rate variability data is making them rethink alcohol. In this episode, we explore the science behind alcohol and wellness.

In this week's episode, the madness continues as Dr. Dave, Inna, and Matt continue their exploration of the vagus nerve.

In this episode, Dr. Germer joins Matt and Inna to discuss his work with Mindful Self-Compassion and how it relates to heart rate variability. Chris Germer, PhD is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010 and MSC has since been taught to over 100,000 people worldwide. They co-authored two books on MSC, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. Chris spends most of his time lecturing and leading workshops around the world on mindfulness and self-compassion. He is also the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion; he co-edited two influential volumes on therapy, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy; and he maintains a small private practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, USA.

We are excited to introduce Dr. Inna Khazan to our audience as part of the Optimal HRV team. Inna is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in biofeedback and mindfulness-based approaches to optimizing health and performance. Inna is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School, where she teaches and supervises trainees. She has over 20 years of clinical experience in helping people overcome various personal and professional challenges. Recognized as a pioneer in mindfulness-based biofeedback, Inna is a popular speaker at national and international conferences on the topics of biofeedback and mindfulness.

Optimal HRV has some big news about the app. In this episode, Ben Riley and Vivian Lobo join Jeff and Matt to discuss the new release of the app and what it takes to build and develop a heart rate variability app.

In this episode Will Deroode, a Trauma Informed Practitioner, discusses his HRV journey. He describes how finding HRV has improved his own mental and physical health and how it has become a vital part of his coaching work. Will provides some inspiring examples of how his clients have leveraged HRV to quantify and improve their nervous system health. About Will: Will is a Trauma Informed Practitioner who offers Nervous System Support & Coaching. In his work, Will emphasizes proactive nervous system education, regulation and daily resonance frequency breathing to heal and experience greater well-being. Applied Polyvagal Theory, Neuroplasticity, HeartMath tools and daily HRV biometrics recording are all foundational parts of his coaching approach to help his clients experience quantifiable improvement in their wellness. will.deroode.official@gmail.com

This week Dr. Dave Hopper interviews one of his patients on her experience using the Optimal HRV app. She covers the ups & downs of her HRV trends and how Optimal HRV and Dr. Dave help her guide day-to-day choices for a healthier life each week, month, year, and beyond.

In this episode, Dr. Dave and Matt continue their conversation about HRV hacks. Increase your HRV and improve mental and physical health. Little things with big impacts.

In this episode, Dr. Dave and Matt talk about HRV hacks. Increase your HRV and improve mental and physical health. Little things with big impacts.

In this episode, Dr. Dave details how he incorporates HRV into his Chiropractic care and how it helps him better communicate the efficacy of his work with his patients.

Meet Dr. David Hopper, chiropractor and HRV nerd. We are excited to welcome Dr. Dave to our team and bring his expertise and passion to our podcast audience.

In this episode, Jeff and Matt talk about some insights Matt got from his attempts to recover from the craziness of the last year and a half. Matt demonstrates how tracking HRV can help measure the effectiveness of wellness efforts.

Jeff and Matt return! In this episode, we challenge you to apply some of the lessons learned from elite athletes’ struggle with mental health to your own life. How can you train to bring your best self to the different roles in your life?

Jeff and Matt return! In this episode, we challenge you to apply some of the lessons learned from elite athletes’ struggle with mental health to your own life. How can you train to bring your best self to the different roles in your life?

We are taking a short break. Keep us in your stream as we will be back with new content and some great new guests!

We are taking a short break. Keep us in your stream as we will be back with new content and some great new guests!

In this final episode of the transition back to normal series, Jeff and Matt examine the importance of health and wellness during a transition into the new normal and a post-covid reality.

In this final episode of the transition back to normal series, Jeff and Matt examine the importance of health and wellness during a transition into the new normal and a post-covid reality.