Happy March!
It’s hard to believe it has been a year since life was ‘normal’. I have good news for you – you’ve made it this far, and from what I’m hearing it’s not much longer to go…we can do it!
This month I’m sharing some fascinating info and a short heart centered practice that I hope you enjoy.
Personally, I’ve had a year where I’ve been able to clean, sort, purge, and organize my home, office, file folders, and my bookcase, and most importantly re-focus my priorities, and spend more focused time on the things that really matter to me. I am passionate about wellness, health, and my work as a hypnotherapist and anxiety expert. I’ve been grateful to have some more time to work on these passions, take new courses (virtually of course!) and have a chance to look back at so much information that I’ve compiled over the last few years of teaching, leading groups, and working with private clients.
Have a wonderful and healthy month!
~Marnie
Heart Coherence Practice
It is interesting to notice that when people are referring to themselves, they usually point to their heart and not their brain.
And did you know that the heart sends more signals to the brain than the brain sends to the heart? Because of this, the heart has a significant influence on our body right down to our cellular level. Emotions such as anger and frustration produce an irregular erratic rhythm between heart beats, while feelings of joy and peace produce a coherent rhythm.
Ideally, we want to have a coherent rhythm as much as possible so that the message to the brain is all is well, release the good hormones. By purposely generating upbeat emotions we are able to cause a harmonious rhythm in our heart which enhances our wellbeing and emotional regulation.
Next time you feel worried, stressed, anxious, overwhelmed, stuck, judgemental, impatient, or any emotion that is making you feel unsettled, take five minutes to settle yourself. These five minutes are like deposits of gold into your health bank!
1) Connect with your breathing. Let a heartfelt sigh out. Now pretend that you are actually breathing in and out of your heart. If it’s comfortable, rest your hand on your heart while you do this.
2) Inhale and exhale slowly and comfortably. Have your exhale extend longer than your inhale. Silently say to yourself “Inhaling I breathe calmness into my heart centre, exhaling calmness flows all around me.”
3) After a couple of minutes of relaxed breathing like this, start to generate a feeling of gratitude for something you have in your life. It can be literally anything that when you think about it, you feel good. Usually, the first thing that comes to mind is the easiest.
As you think about it, really feel the emotion and imagine gratitude flowing to every cell in your body. Do this for another minute or two.
Check in with how you feel – better? More connected? How does your heart feel?
By practicing this technique often, you will build resilience as well as shift yourself into a more peaceful state of mind by choice. The more you do it the more your heart will stay in coherence and you will reap the benefits of feeling calmer, more at peace with yourself and the world.
Breathing in and out through my heart centre not only centres me, it reminds me of the power I have to connect with myself in a profound way to keep me moving towards the light of peace. ~Marnie