Understanding the interface
and the game

Description of the interface in the exercise

Heart rate in bpm



Time remaining for the exercise



Breathing guide



Level of cardiac coherence



Calibration

You need to wait 40 seconds for the exercise to charge, this time is necessary for calibrating the motor in charge of the measurements and analyzing cardiac coherence.

Description of the respiratory guide

The respiratory guide is set for 6 breath cycles per minute, i.e. 1 inspiration + 1 expiration every 10 seconds.

You may then adjust the inspiration time according to the expiration time to optimize your cardiac coherence level.

Exercise scenarios

The Safari

You are observing the animals of the wild African savanna drinking at a water spot. Your cardiac coherence management will directly act on the animals’ reactions:

• If your cardiac coherence level is low, the animals will not come to the water spot to drink, or they will go away very quickly;

• The higher your cardiac coherence level will be, the more the animals will be trustful and come to the water spot to drink, and you will then be able to observe several of them.

Thus, your objective is to attract as many animals as possible to the water spot to reach the ultimate step where you could see a giraffe.

The Beach

You will bring back a beautiful sun on this paradisiac beach. Your cardiac coherence management will directly impact the meteorological conditions:

• If your cardiac coherence level is low, the beach will remain under a tropical storm with wind, rain and a cloudy gray sky;

• The higher your cardiac coherence, the more you will be able to calm the wind and get rid of the clouds to bring back the sun and a nice weather on the beach.

Your objectives are to bring back the beautiful weather and maintain it in order for the beach to be an idyllic spot of peace and quiet.

The Garden

You will create your Zen garden. Your cardiac coherence management will directly impact, in real time, the growth of the trees, flowers and all the plants in the garden:

• If your cardiac coherence is low, not very many plants will grow and your garden will remain bare and sad-looking;

• When your cardiac coherence is high, you will make a multitude of diverse plant grow and your garden will be beautiful, full of blossomed flowers and plants and great-looking.

Your objective is to grow a maximum of plants out of the 80 that are available in order to create the most beautiful Zen garden possible.

Rowing

You are a participant in a rowing race against another boat. Managing your cardiac coherence has a direct impact on the boat’s speed:

• If you coherence level is low, you will be rowing in a disorganized manner and your boat will move slowly;

• The higher your coherence level, the more fluid and powerful the rowing will be and your boat will speed up on the water.

The second boat is controlled by your smartphone, which simulating random values in order to challenge you constantly. Your main objective is to always be ahead of the other boat.

Results

At the end of the exercise a screen will display the list of all the results.

The result screen sums up all the results of your different sessions. The display shows 7 sessions by 7 sessions and you can scroll to the left to view more.

By clicking on the color bar next to each session, you will be able to view the detailed results of that particular session.

Precautions of use

Our cardiac coherence biofeedback application for smartphones is directed to a large audience and dedicated to a widespread use.

However, this application is not recommended for:

• Paranoid, schizophrenic patients or patients with major depression and obsessive disorders;
• Children who are too young to understand the application’s concept and are unable to control their respiratory movements;
• People wearing a pacemaker.

If you feel the slightest discomfort or feeling faint during your cardiac coherence session (e.g. tachycardia, hyperventilation), you should stop the session immediately.

Objectives and limits

Each user must be aware of the objectives and limits of the application:

• This is solely an assistive and support tool in the framework of the comprehensive management of stress and anxiety;
• It is a not a medical monitoring tool and does not deliver a medical diagnosis;
• In no way should it replace a medical treatment or be substituted for regular medical follow-up when necessary;
• You will always get better results if you are accompanied by a professional and if you use the cardiac coherence application in association with other techniques or methods such as psychotherapy, stress management training, physiotherapeutic rehabilitation, relaxation and other specific techniques;
• Motivation, time commitment and regular practice are also key factors for success.