Transforming Stress: The Heartmath Solution For Relieving Worry, Fatigue, And Tension

"The last two reviewers seem to have read two different books - and none of them are the book that I read!
I only give two stars, because the book did not add much to what I already knew about the HeartMath solution. I own the EmWave and am working hard to recover from serious stress, and here there was too little practical help. In stead, the book is postulative ("after reading this book, you will be cured") so much that you start to wonder if they are trying to hypnotize you to get better.
I still have high hopes for the heart coherence technique, but this book was not the 'home run' I had hoped for. But maybe people who are deeply stressed really need personal coaching by HeartMath 'professionals' in the initial phase?"
~ Written on 2008-04-11

"I was astonished to discover that the entire crux of the "heartmath solution" is a very simple, rudimentary instruction in basic meditation. The meditation strategy is simply tarted up in corporate-speak (to obscure the fact that someone's advocating deep breathing to type A executives?) The "heartmath solution" has been explored exhaustively and in much greater, more beneficial detail in any number of excellent books on meditation, and most particularly, insight meditation. There really ought to be a disclaimer here, directing people really interested in meditating to seek other books. I would say that there are about two pages-worth of decent advice in this book--otherwise, it reads like a breathless promo for the "heartmath solution.""
~ Written on 2008-03-30

"First, I would suggest to the highly critical, "bashing" reviewer preceeding this review, that they may have missed the message both regarding meditation practice and this book, which contains many pearls of wisdom, such as the distinction between "heart vulnerability," which is healthy, and "emotional vulnerability," which is unhealthy. Yet to absorb these and the many other excellent insights in the book and the heart coherence approach, it is actually necessary to read the entire book with equanimity, i.e, a "non-agitated" mind.

As a practicing clinical psychologist with 30-years of professional experience,and an equal number of years as a practicing meditator, I am profoundly grateful for the distilled wisdom inherent in "Stress Transformation", and I now routinely recommend it to most of my patients. A concise, precise and lucid presentation of "Transforming Stress" that weaves all the threads of our multi-dimensional humanity into a tapestry of beautifully integrated and meaningful "pattern," which greatly aids the digestion and bodily absorption of heart coherence and its rich nutritional value. A treasure of wellbeing and energy transformation... from existing to vibrant heart-centered Living!

The book also inherently highlights significant and profound differences between the heart coherence method, which so efficiently grounds us in our "embodied" multi-sensory experience, immediately promoting authentic wellbeing, and many methods of meditation which are really forms of "manipulative concentration" designed to bring about relaxing and blissful mind states. Yet other than very temporary and transient relief, these methods simply maintain the "trance" of self-dissatisfaction brought on by our social conditioning and frequent messages of disapproval leading to "dis-embodiment" and overly analytical,judgmental and striving minds seeking unattainable expectations and perfection and inadvertently perpetuating our conditioned discontent and unhappiness.

All the great wisdom teachings culminate in appreciating and expanding our hearts' capacity for love and compassion, and the heart coherence method and em-wave technology, so succinctly and beautifully articulated here, provide a short cut home."
~ Written on 2008-03-28

"Most effective stress reduction method I have ever used. My favorite of the HeartMath books--other people have commented to me that it's their favorite, too."
~ Written on 2007-11-18

"we all have stress and anxiety and it's killing us slowly whether we know it or not. the heartmath approach to dealing with stress and anxiety is excellent. highly recommended for ALL! :)"
~ Written on 2007-05-07