Marcey Shapiro, MD

1. Basic Heart-Centered Breathing
One of my goals in writing Freedom from Anxiety is to help readers develop confidence allowing the heart to guide their decisions and actions, i.e., that they feel secure knowing their connection with intuition is a wise one. This series of exercises helps people to center in their hearts, facilitating improved communication between the heart and the mind. This is one way we can cultivate a “wise heart and a loving mind.”

The simplest form of heart-centered breathing is a variation of basic awareness of breath. It is very helpful for agitation. Begin with basic breath awareness. After a few relaxing breaths, bring your awareness to your heart. Now imagine, as you breathe normally, that your breath is flowing in and out through the heart or breastbone. Let your breath be relaxed, natural, and easy. Take several breaths energetically linking the flow of breath into the heart and out from the heart. Of course, you are physically breathing in and out through your nose or mouth. In these exercises, imagining breathing in through anatomical areas like the heart or the top of your head refers to an energetic flow that accompanies the breath.

2. Head/Heart Breathing
This is another technique that can help us release our focus upon the constant patter of thoughts, by relaxing into a quieter, heart-centered awareness. Begin with basic heart-centered breathing. After a few breaths, shift focus and imagine inhaling through the top of your head and exhaling through your heart or breastbone. Breaths can be normal, or slightly deeper than normal. Do at least three breaths this way, and as many more as you like.

3. Heart/Upper Abdomen Breathing
This technique can be excellent for quelling anxiety, especially “butterflies” in the stomach and nervous digestive disturbances. Begin with either of the heart-centered techniques above. Next imagine that your breath is flowing in through your heart and out through your solar plexus, the area of your stomach in your upper abdomen. All breaths are gentle and natural. Take several breaths in through the heart and out through the stomach.

As a variation, you can go back and forth between the stomach and the heart. Breathe in through your heart and out through your solar plexus, then in through the stomach and out through your heart. Do at least six breaths in this pattern. Many people find this very calming and relaxing and will preferentially perform a few repetitions of this breath when stress begins to mount. Breathing in this manner helps us to stay centered and compassionate.

Excerpted “Sneak Preview” from Freedom From Anxiety: A Holistic Approach to Emotional Well Being http://www.amazon.com/Freedom-From-Anxiety-Emotional-Well-Being/dp/1583946756 by Marcey Shapiro, MD, published by North Atlantic Books 1/14/14 http://www.northatlanticbooks.com, copyright © 2014 by Marcey Shapiro. Reprinted by permission of publisher.

Stay tuned for more thoughts from Marcey Shapiro, MD, on “Transforming Health” and Heart Centered Living.