173: Heart Rate Variability, Breathing and Yoga - a podcast by Lucas Rockwood

You’ve probably measured your heart rate while exercising with a chest strap or a wrist device - but have you ever measured your heart rate variability (HRV)? It’s fascinating stuff for yoga students. Ronda Collier joins Lucas Rockwood on this week’s Yoga Talk Show to explain why HRV is a crucial health metric, the importance of "coherent breathing", and how all of this ties in with your yoga practice.

Ronda has more than 25 years of experience in high technology product development with a proven track record of delivering leading-edge consumer electronic products within both privately held startups and Fortune 500 corporations. She spent years as an independent scholar researching non-invasive health monitoring techniques to improve overall personal well being, research that led to the founding of SweetWater Health in 2010.

SweetWater is a leading tech company provided heart rate variability monitoring software you can use on your smart phone.

What You'll Learn:

• How your breathing and state-of-mind dramatically impact your heart rate


• How your heart rate variability can act like a sneak peek into what’s going on with your central nervous system


• Why high frequency heart (HF) rates are associated with parasympathetic nervous system response


• Why low frequencies (LF) are associated with sympathetic nervous system response


• Why elevated heart rate + reduced high freq waves + increased low frequency waves = stress response

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Why you should be drinking turmeric tea

Links & References from the Show:
SweetWater Health 

Got questions?
Write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Thanks to our sponsor!

Magic Carpet Yoga Mats
Magic Carpet Yoga Mats are hand-painted by Sophie Leininger and printed in California. Magic Carpet Yoga Mats are made in the USA.They are non-toxic, phthalate, latex, and lead free as well as certified child safe. They also just launched a new line for kids and babies!

Further episodes of The Lucas Rockwood Show

Further podcasts by Lucas Rockwood

Website of Lucas Rockwood