instant equilibrium

Hand on Heart

 
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here’s how:

  • Place your hand on your heart. Breathe gently and deeply into that space.

  • Recall a moment when you felt safe, loved, and cherished by another person. This could be your partner, a parent, child, friend, spiritual leader or teacher.

  • Let yourself experience the feelings of your recalled moment. Allow the sensations to flow through your body. Stay with these feelings for 20 to 30 seconds. 

  • Notice any deepened sense of ease and safety.

  • Repeat this practice often (5 times a day for 1 week) so it becomes a pattern in your brain

Here’s Why:

By remembering or imagining a moment when you felt safe and loved, you can activate the release of oxytocin which gives you that same calm and connected feeling. According to Linda Graham, MFT and author of Resilience, this exercise is powerful enough to calm a panic attack in less than a minute. With practice, it will enable you to reverse a difficult emotion before it takes over.