“Renew thyself completely, each day.” – Henry David Thoreau
What comes to mind when you hear, see, and speak the word renew? What feelings does it evoke?
For me, it brings on a sense of a fresh start, a clean slate and new beginnings. It makes me feel like no matter what kind of shape I am in right now, I can pivot and shift to come out the other side looking, feeling, and being more polished and refined.
Some may find it hard to believe, but we actually are able hit the reset button more often than we think. No matter what we may go through in life, we can always choose to claim our power and respond to life in a way that elevates and refines rather than regress and confine.
One of the most powerful ways that I have learned to reset and restore myself is by using a tried and true method developed by the HeartMath Institute known as the Quick Coherence Technique.
The Quick Coherence Technique is a simple and powerful tool that can be used by anyone at any time. This technique is a great way to create better energy resilience and shift underlying physiological processes into a restorative and supportive manner. It enables an individual to move from a depletive state to an energizing state almost instantaneously.
The foundation of this technique is based in the science of heart energetics. In short, it is a way to create synchronization and harmony between the electromagnetic rate and rhythms of the heart and the brain which then creates a cascade of events throughout the body to help someone feel more peace, clarity and renewed vitality, which over time can then create new baselines for how we respond to stressful situations or patterns.
Think about the last time you felt stress in your life. What was the trigger and how did you react and respond? Furthermore, how long did it take you to come back down to a more neutral state and feeling less stress? Some individuals would agree that stressful triggers can be a slippery slope which leads us to having more exaggerated and prolonged responses to stressful events long after the trigger has left.
The QUick Coherence Technique is an effective strategy at re-educating the mind and the body via the heart, to respond to stress in a more productive and constructive way. With some practice, the individual will notice they can feel more renewed and restored, inside and out any time they want. How cool is that!?!
So, how does it work exactly?
First, it begins with heart-focused breathing. This is a manner of breathing that feels much slower than how you would normally breathe, averaging around 5-7 breaths per minute. It also helps to imagine your breath coming in and out of the body from your heart space. Some clients prefer to rest one or both hands over the heart while practicing this breath to deepen their connection with their heart.
Once you feel you are in a more balanced rhythm of breathing from your heart, you then want to invite the mind to come along for the ride and think about something or someone you feel deep appreciation or gratitude for. This is where the magic starts to happen.
You see, gratitude is considered to be one of the most powerful emotions we can experience as humans. It is an emotion that is capable of shifting and changing our network and framework of perceptions, not just in the short-term, but in long-term methods as well. Countless experiments have shown over and over again the way we can improve our physical, mental and emotional health patterns by practicing gratitude.
As a practitioner, I have seen how this practice has helped clients with anxiety, depression, sleep irregularities, chronic pain, and more.
Back to the technique…so we start with heart-focused breathing in a slow, deep, and gentle way, followed by thinking of what or who we are grateful for and then allowing both of those patterns to simply be.
As with any and all new habits you want to build, it takes practice, it takes time, and it takes dedication. However, the benefits of this Quick Coherence Technique can be felt within seconds or minutes and the effects can last for hours. As a Certified HeartMath Practitioner, I encourage my clients to practice this technique 3-5 times per day for 3-5 minutes per session.
The feedback has been remarkable to say the least and the impact this technique can have in your life and with all of your relationships is infinite.
This is one of those techniques where you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. See for yourself and notice how this simple and powerful tool can help you feel completely restored & renewed, inside and out!
For more information on HeartMath or the Quick Coherence Technique, click HERE.
Peace Be The Journey.
