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Overview
Throughout history, many cultures and spiritual traditions have shared a regard for the heart as a source of wisdom and positive emotions. Recent scientific discoveries suggest that these long-surviving associations may indeed be more than merely metaphorical. In particular, new understanding of the physiology of positive emotions and the key role played by the heart in the generation of emotional experience have exciting implications for higher-order thinking skills, learner readiness, decision making, and test-taking, as well as for social and emotional behavior. Based on this research, practical tools have been developed that enable students to self-regulate the physiological processes underlying effective learning and performance. Outcome studies show that use of these tools is associated with both academic and social-emotional improvements in students ranging from elementary to college level.
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