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emWave2 Frequently Asked Questions

How is the emWave2 different from a heart rate monitor? The emWave2 is very different from handheld devices that simply measure heart rate. The emWave2 analyzes your heart rhythms for “coherence”, a term used by scientists to describe a highly organized and efficient physiological state in which the nervous system, cardiovascular, hormonal and immune systems are working efficiently and harmoniously. A heart rate monitor only provides you with information about your average heart rate. How does using this stress management device differ from deep breathing? While rhythmic breathing exercises can help control your heart rate and have a calming effect on the body, shifting attitudes and emotions take more than that. Research shows that the key to learning how to neutralize and counter the effects of stress is by actively adding a positive feeling such as appreciation, care and compassion to the process. Experiencing positive emotions has a much broader range of health and wellness benefits than simply forcing the system into coherence through rhythmic breathing. Generating feelings of appreciation, care or compassion adds a dynamic element for stress management. Using the breathing pacer found in the emWave2 in conjunction with generating positive emotions helps synchronize your nervous system and creates positive changes in your heart rhythm patterns to create and sustain the coherence needed for stress relief. What are some of the benefits I could expect from using the emWave2 and how much time does it take to see results? Frequent users of the emWave2 report:
  • stress reduction
  • increased energy and resilience
  • greater mental clarity for decision-making and creativity
  • enhanced emotional balance and improved listening ability
  • better, more restful sleep
Most people get into medium or high coherence within a few short sessions and feel a reduction in stress. Using the Quick Coherence ® technique, which you can read about in the HeartMath Library or learn from the Coherence Coach ® included in the Games section of the emWave program, is highly recommended as it accelerates the process of learning tools for stress management. Practicing stress management techniques is the key, but results generally come quickly. Additionally, emWave2 includes four challenge levels so that as you practice you can continue to refine your ability to eliminate and counter the negative effects of stress. Change to the next challenge level when you are consistently reaching 80-85% high coherence on a regular basis. How is the emWave different from other stress management devices? There are certainly other stress management devices designed to help people with stress and HeartMath's position is that we are very much in favor of any stress management devices or stress management techniques that can help with the mounting global stress problem. What distinguishes emWave from many other stress management products is the significant body of published scientific research that has been incorporated into its development. Our 20 years of experience, validation and practical applications demonstrate the effectiveness in all of the stress management products that HeartMath offers. Additionally, emWave2 is just one of many products found in the HeartMath system. The system — consists of tools, stress management techniques and proven computer based technology. All HeartMath products and services compliment each other and have been used for stress management and increasing performance by hundreds of thousands of people in over 100 countries, and applied in Fortune 100 corporations, health care systems, government agencies and school systems. emWave2 is an extension of this system and carries with it the breadth of scientific credibility and proven results associated with HeartMath. Has HeartMath done studies to support the benefits of the emWave? HeartMath has done numerous studies on the effect of positive emotions on stress, physiology and human performance. These studies have been published in prestigious journals including Stress Medicine, American Journal of Cardiology, Preventive Cardiology, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science and Harvard Business Review. What is the emWave2 actually measuring? Both the emWave2 and the emWave Pro measure your Heart Rate Variability: the time-intervals between the heartbeats. Whenever we are stressed, these time-intervals become jagged and irregular, sending a chaotic pattern throughout our body and we feel this: our body becomes tense. HeartMath has conducted significant research on the effect of emotions on our body and when we experience positive emotions such as care, gratitude, appreciation and compassion, those time-intervals in our Heart Rate Variability Pattern become very smooth and sine-wave like. This creates a much more organized and balanced pattern in our internal systems, creating a state of coherence. We experience this as a more calm, harmonious state. What does it mean when the flashing blue light at the bottom goes from blue to red? At that moment the unit is showing you it is not receiving enough pulse signal to measure and display your coherence level. A simple remedy is to take your finger off the sensor, rub your finger tip to increase the circulation underneath your skin, and then lightly cover your finger sensor again. Or, if you are using the ear sensor, please take the sensor off your earlobe; rub your earlobe to increase the circulation there and then replace the sensor on the fleshy part of the earlobe. You should see the light at the bottom blink both blue and red while it is re-calibrating to you, and after a few seconds it should continue to blink blue. It now has a good pulse signal and is receiving enough information. My emWave2 unit suddenly turns off while I'm using it. What is going on? When your unit suddenly turns off, it can mean two things. First, it may mean your unit has not been receiving enough pulse signal to continue a reading. If this is the case, the flashing blue light at the bottom will have turned red (see the answer above). If it doesn't receive enough information for 10 seconds the unit will shut off to retain its battery power. In this case, simply rub your earlobe or finger tip and restart your session. Second, it may mean your unit is in a different mode all together. Often people access the 'Advanced Mode' inadvertently, accessing a specific setting called the 'Stealth Mode'. The Stealth Mode can be very useful when you are in situations where you don't want to attract attention, since you won't see any of the blinking and moving light feedback on your unit. But getting into this mode by accident can be confusing and disconcerting, however, it is easily remedied. To find out if you are in the Stealth Mode, turn on your emWave2 unit and listen to the number of beeps it makes. If you hear two beeps, the first answer given above will apply, however, if you hear three beeps, your unit is in the 'Advanced Mode'. To get your unit out of this mode, back into the 'Basic Mode', simply press and hold the top of the sensor button (closest to the word 'emWave2') for at least 10 seconds. You will hear four beeps. After you hear these four beeps, your emWave2 has been reset into the 'Basic Mode'. It will now work normally again. Can I save my session or transfer data from my emWave2 to my computer software program? Yes, you can! Open the emWave2 program on your computer. Plugin your Charge cable to the unit and plug your unit into the USB port on your computer. Click - File and Sync emWave2. Click - OK or Continue to begin the transfer. Please Note: the Charge cable is designed for two-way data transfer, not just charging. Other cables might not have this feature. My lights are suddenly acting strange. What does this mean? First of all, if you are seeing lights, it means your emWave2 is not broken! It simply means you have accessed the 'Advanced Mode' of the emWave2. The 'Advanced Mode' doesn't mean 'more difficult', it simply means it is displaying your information in a slightly different way to give you more information and make your practice more interesting. To know for sure if you are in the 'Advanced Mode', turn your device on and listen to the number of tones. If you hear three tones, it means you have landed in this 'Advanced Mode'. To get your device out of this mode, back into the 'Basic Mode', simply press and hold the top of the sensor button (closest to the word 'emWave') for at least 10 seconds or until you hear four beeps in a row. After you hear these four beeps, your device has been reset into the 'Basic Mode'. It will now work normally again. To verify this, turn the emWave unit off and back on again. You should now only hear two tones as the unit activates. Can I use the emWave2 along with other stress management practices? Yes, emWave2 works well as an adjunct to other stress management practices. It can easily provide verification of the effectiveness of many other approaches to counter the effects of stress and can be used as a friendly facilitator of other stress management methods. Do I need to be experienced with technology in order to use the emWave2 device? No. emWave2 is very simple and easy to use. The Quick Start Guide provides clear instructions on how to easily operate and immediately benefit from your emWave2. If you install the emWave2 software, there is complete instructions for the emWave2. The Library features, in the emWave program, include the emWave2 Handheld and Software Tours as well as instructional videos. Is there training available to help me learn about my HeartMath product? Yes. There are free emWave2, emWave Pro® or Inner Balance training videos at — e-Training, a free emWave® Orientation Class as well as personal HeartMath instruction. Aside from helping to reduce stress, are there other applications for using the emWave that I can benefit from? The applications of the emWave2 include more than stress management. Increasing your coherence level — which is the primary goal of using the emWave2 — increases performance. Whether or not you feel the negative effects of stress, you can use it to improve mental clarity which will have a positive effect on business, communications and creativity. Additionally, emWave2 provides a great way to improve performance in sports. It trains you to more easily enter into a high performance state that athletes call “The Zone”. Our 60-Day No-Risk Guarantee If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it within 60 days for a full refund, less the shipping and handling fees. The product must contain all of its parts and be in a satisfactory condition suitable for resale.