HeartMath Breathing: reduce panic attack and anxiety

What is Heart Math Breathing?

It is a simple and beneficial technique to quell stressful feelings and to enhance calmness and wellbeing.

1. Close your eyes and relax.

2. Place your hand over your heart and focus your attention into that area.

3. Breathe deeply but normally and feel as if your breath is coming in and out of your heart area.

4. Begin to regulate your breathing to a count of six.

5. Breathe for a count of six seconds into your heart space.

6. Breathe for a count of 6 out of your heart space.

7. Keep breathing in for six and breathing out for six.

8. Do this for 2 minutes if you can, focussing on your heart area.

Occasionally during a consultation a client may experience a panic attack or become highly anxious because they have accessed an old trauma. HeartMath Breathing can sort out this upset very quickly and bring the client back into the present and distanced from the triggered trauma.

When to use HeartMath Breathing

1. As part of general wellbeing.
2. To stop panic attacks and to reduce high anxiety.

General Wellbeing

Using H.M.B.regularly and incorporating it into everyday life is recommended. The heart plays a critical role in how we feel emotionally and energetically. The Institute of HeartMath in California has found that there is a nervous system pathway that carries signals from the heart to the brain as well as the one which carries messages from the brain to the heart.

If you are interested in keeping a healthy heart I recommend this exercise as part of a daily routine.

Panic Attacks and living with high anxiety

Without doubt HMB will help if anxiety kicks in or a full blown panic attack almost overwhelms. I say almost because if you are alone and suffer a panic attack I am unsure how long it would take for you to remember to do the breathing.

When I have assisted at Karl Dawson’s EFT and Matrix reImprinting courses, an occassional newbie can go into panic mode just as a practitioner’s client can do too. Watching Karl keep the person safe and focussed is impressive and we practitioners need and have to do the same too on occasion.

It is essential that the person suffering the attack focus on the breath.

If you have a sense of an attack building up whether alone or withsomeone, or if you are witnessing a panic attack here’s what you can do. Let’s recap.

1. Focus on the person you are with or focus on an object.
2. Breathe in for a count of 6.
3. If you lose count, immediately re-focus.
4. Focus again on the inhalation for a count of 6 (build up to a count of 6)
5. Then breathe out slowly, aiming for a count of 6.
6. Maintain this breathing for a couple of minutes. It Works!

This is manageable. Once you or the individual has a sense of safety and security and are in the present; having an awareness that the fear is internalised and not in front of you allows you to maintain this breathing for a short while.

When I worked at CancerWise in Chichester offering EFT, one of my clients commented on the HeartMath Breathing I had introduced him to. Previously he had been taught EFT at the Centre and raved about how it had helped him. He actively practiced it when out and about. Anyway he is now using HMB and very happy with the results.

His words: ‘Thank you Susan, you too have changed my life. This Breathing to sort myself out is amazing.’

Joy to my ears.

TOP TIP to reduce panic attack or high anxiety

A Panic Attack or high anxiety can be triggered in a moment. Anger, fear, frustration, feelings of uselessness, feelings of not having control, rage, overwhelm; they can all be reduced if you take that moment to start breathing long and deeply, in and remember to breath out, until the moment passes.

From a Lifestyle Prescriptions® Health Coach perspective

Panic/ Overwhelm: How this stress may impact on physical health, I would question very specifically  and initially, around heart or ear symptoms.

Heart : Myocardium, Cardiac Muscle. Overwhelm, Overload.

Ear: Inner ear ducts out of balance/control, feels like falling. Vertigo.

The client will resonate.

Resources- (Resource: Transform your Beliefs, Transform Your Life)

HMB = HeartMath Breathing

Find out at Hampshire-EFT how I can help you to

• increase confidence
• lower anxiety
• enjoy life
• set and achieve goals.

Susan is the author of Survive and Thrive after Trauma.

Call for a 20 minute chat Mobile: 07917 680967