Heart Rate Variability Podcast

In this episode, Jeff Somers and Matt Bennett celebrate Matt's 50th birthday by discussing what helped him achieve health at 50 and his plans to stay healthy. Not surprisingly, heart rate variability plays a key role!

Dr. Aseem Desai joins Matt Bennett to discuss how the heart and heart rate variability inform his view of cardiovascular and overall health and wellness.

Dr. Aseem Desai, the “Heart-Mind Doc,” is a Stanford-trained cardiologist, author, and speaker,
known for his expertise in heart rhythm disorders and the connection between heart health and
mental well-being. As Co-Director of Mission Heritage Heart Rhythm Specialists and author of
the Mindful Beats blog on Psychology Today, he offers practical insights on living a balanced life
by blending science with personal experience. Inspired by his father’s heart attack at age 3 and
subsequent cardiac arrest, Dr. Desai dedicated his career to preventing and treating sudden death.
Drawing from his own mental health challenges and the struggles he has seen in his patients,
colleagues, and healthcare workers, he integrates heart and mind health in his work. He is the
best-selling author of Restart Your Heart: The Playbook for Thriving with AFib and the
forthcoming Restart Your Mind: The Playbook for Finding Balance in a Sometimes Chaotic
World, where he introduces the M.I.N.D. and R.E.S.T.A.R.T. Frameworks for mental and
emotional balance. His work has been featured in Forbes, Men’s Health, Healthline, and Thrive
Global. Dr. Desai's "5 Life Rhythms" approach—physical, mental, emotional, social, and
spiritual balance—is featured on his website. He enjoys yoga, mindfulness, and playing guitar in
his personal life. Learn more at draseemdesai.com.

In this episode, CaraMia Alberga joins Matt Bennett and Dr. Dave Hopper to discuss how HRV and the autonomic nervous system informed her research on growth mindset, regulation, trauma, and health outcomes.

In this episode, Stephanie White joins Matt Bennett to discuss the benefits and methods of 24/7 heart rate variability monitoring.

In this episode, Dr. Lauren Kennedy-Metz joins Matt Bennett to discuss her journey with HRV and an HRV research study in operating rooms, which should transform healthcare! 

Dr. Donald Moss joins Matt Bennett to discuss his book Integrating Psychotherapy and Psychophysiology. We discuss the benefits of integrating heart rate variability biofeedback into coaching, therapy, and counseling. 

In this episode. Dr. Judith Andersen and Matt Bennett discuss how she integrated heart rate variability and HRV Biofeedback into her work with police officers and the development of the International Performance, Resilience, and Efficiency Program.

In this episode, Dr. Brendan Parsons joins Matt Bennet to discuss his integration of HRV Biofeedback into Neuroscience. 

In this episode, Dr. Fredrick Shaffer and Matt Bennett discuss heart rate variability biofeedback, mindfulness, and interoception.

Website:https://www.biosourcesoftware.com

Email:[email protected]

Bio: Fredric Bruce Shaffer, PhD, BCB, BCB-HRV, is a professor of psychology at Truman State University and an adjunct faculty member at Saybrook University. He earned his PhD and MS in Psychology from Oklahoma State University and a BA in Psychology and Political Science from Claremont Men’s College. Dr. Shaffer is a BCIA Senior Fellow in Biofeedback and holds certification in HRV Biofeedback. He has served as President, Treasurer, and Program Chair of AAPB, as well as Treasurer, Chair, and Board Member of BCIA. Additionally, he co-edits "Evidence-Based Practice in Biofeedback and Neurofeedback". Dr. Shaffer has been honored as a Distinguished Scientist and an Honorary Fellow by AAPB and received the Outstanding Research Mentor award from Truman State University. He has taught a range of courses including Clinical Psychology, Crisis Intervention, Experimental Psychology, HRV Biofeedback, and Physiological Psychology. Dr. Shaffer has presented extensively on HRV biofeedback and neuroscience at professional conferences and webinars. He can be contacted at [email protected] or 660-349-9522.

In this episode, David Lowenfels joins Matt Bennett to discuss the baroreflex and heart rate variability in depth. 

- David’s Baroreflex Sketch https://imgur.com/Jrb2Anj
- Supplementary images: https://imgur.com/a/ZLoB8FB
- Video of David demonstrating cardiovagal and neurovascular resonance frequencies with Pranawave software: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRS5-rBw-0w
- Vaschillo et al. (2002) on Baroreflex Resonance Loops: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11368894
- Atasoy et al. (2016) on Brain Connectome Harmonics: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10340
- Mather & Thayer (2018) "How heart rate variability affects emotion regulation brain networks": https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cobeha.2017.12.017