May, 1 2012
BOULDER CREEK, CALIF. – Military service members, veterans and their families are on the Institute of HeartMath’s front line in May as the research and education organization launches a new DVD and campaign to distribute free resources fostering mental and emotional wellbeing for the unique stressors endured by the military.
The HeartMath® Education And Resilience Training (H.E.A.R.T.) DVD, available today, is a new training resource from HeartMath that helps educate veterans and service members on ways to cope with many challenging emotional and physical situations. It is one of many free resources in HeartMath’s “It’s Our Turn to Serve” campaign, which also includes a free teleseminar on May 16th and complementary e-book.
The training DVD is designed to help create resilience in military settings – at home, on base and in combat theaters. It contains four emotion management tools and techniques, research and stories that provide an educational background.
The nonprofit Institute of HeartMath (IHM), which has studied the mental and physical effects of stressful emotions for more than 20 years, is increasing its military outreach in May. IHM is distributing training DVD’swith the goal of raising a collective voice among civilians: “It’s our turn to serve.”
According to IHM President Sara Childre, “May is designated as Military Service Appreciation Month and sets the stage to spark a movement in care from all those who have been served so selflessly by our brave men and women in the military.”
HeartMath Director of Research Rollin McCraty, Ph.D. said, “For many military service members it can be difficult for them to truly feel at home in their heart, even if they’re in an environment of supportive friends and family. A large number of service members and veterans experience PTSD, depression and other related challenges – these conditions can take a toll on military families and their communities too.”
‘It’s Our Turn to Serve’ Campaign Highlights
Military service members, veterans or a spouse of these can apply for a free copy of the H.E.A.R.T. DVD at www.heartmath.org/training/military/heart-dvd-request-form. IHM also has a webpage of free military resources, which include scientifically-validated emotion restructuring techniques, e-books, webinars, research and other information.
The Institute of HeartMath’s free teleseminar, Serving Those Who Serve Us: Overview of HeartMath Programs for Veterans, the Military and Their Families, will be presented on May 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. pacific time (2 to 3 p.m. EST). A panel of experts who coach, mentor and train service members and their families are hosting the event.Building on its campaign, IHM is also launching a special military resource Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/ot-2serve. This page contains a video from one of the H.E.A.R.T. DVD developers, offers
military discounts for training resilience programs and outlines ways communities can help support military service.
How HeartMath Helps
The free resources IHM offers for military are made possible through its Military Service Appreciation Fund(MSAF), which for more than five years has provided programs and services to active service members, veterans and military families. The MSAF has already supported more than 20,000 veterans and active duty service members and is making availability of the H.E.A.R.T. DVD for free for those who need it most.
The H.E.A.R.T. DVD’s tools and techniques have a promising track record for military personnel. Jay P. Ginsberg, PhD., clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist at Dorn VA Medical Center, published research in the peer-reviewed Alternative
Therapies in Health and Medicine (ATHM) journal (July 2010), which showed that coherence-building techniques, some of which are included on the H.E.A.R.T. DVD), along with special coherencemeasuring technology helped combat veterans from Iraq who were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ginsberg and his research team documented significant improvements in the cognitive functioning of the veterans who participated in the coherence practices.
Military Trauma and HeartMath
In a letter to HeartMath members, medically-retired Sergeant Michael Blair, U.S. Marines, wrote, “HeartMath changed my life, literally.” Blair served two combat tours in Iraq suffering amputationthreatening injuries to both his legs after running over
a landmine.
“During my recovery at what is now the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, I wandered into a HeartMath training session that was being led by the Army Center for Enhanced Performance,” said Blair. “My work with HeartMath started that very day, and I
still use the tools and techniques to perform in daily
life.”
Blair said when he uses HeartMath tools, such as Quick Coherence® (taught in the H.E.A.R.T. DVD), he can focus better, control his anger and more easily practice patience with his wife and daughters.
“It’s really hard to put into words all the ways that HeartMath has impacted me and my family,” he said.Retired Army Maj. Bob Bradley who helped develop the H.E.A.R.T. DVD, said, “There is a lot of support to help our troops, but there is still a growing need for more research-based solutions that can help with the unique challenges military men and women face.” Bradley said IHM helps fill that void.
Military Support is a Team Effort
IHM is working hard to a help shorten the reintegration process for troops so they can transition back into their local communities and society quicker and with greater success. HeartMath programs and services are being applied in a variety of contexts, including for PTSD and pain management, family communication and other challenges they face during reintegration.
IHM’s sister organization, HeartMath LLC, is also helping military personnel through their work with VA hospitals and clinics. The two HeartMath organizations provide research and tools and technologies for increasing performance and decreasing stressful emotions to clients such as NASA, Kaiser Permanente, Duke Medical Center and many other healthcare facilities, school systems and thousands of health professionals around the world.
The HeartMath Military Service Appreciation Fund is maintained through contributions from the Institute’s members and supporters. For more information and free resources for active service members, veterans and military families, go to www.heartmath.org/military.
Learn more about the Institute of HeartMath’s latest resources by joining its social networking pages on Facebook and Twitter and its YouTube channel.
About the Institute of HeartMath:
The Institute of HeartMath, www.heartmath.org, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and education organization. IHM has been conducting scientific research on stress, the physiology of emotions and the science of the heart for two decades. IHM, a world leader in stress reduction and emotion-management research, was founded in 1991 by Doc Childre. Through its research and education divisions, the Institute has developed practical tools, education programs and services – collectively known as the HeartMath System – for the mental, emotional and physical benefit of children through seniors without regard to their social, economic or cultural status.