Our heart and brain are in and out of coherence with one and other regularly. When we are in the state of incoherence it causes confusion and negative emotions resulting in stress and anxiety. When this happens it triggers our sympathetic nervous system and our fight or flight response.
We can create coherence between the heart and the brain!
Studies have shown that holding a sustained and positive emotion in the heart can change our heart rate variability. Science has shown the heart has a complex network of neurons - this is the heart brain. The heart brain has it's own intelligence. Our heart brain and mind are connected so our thinking affects our heart brain and our feelings from our heart affects our mind/thinking. Using yoga and breathing we can bring both our heart and our mind back into coherence, creating a measurable coherent wave in the heart and brain. When we do this we feel more peaceful, more focused. more joy and love and more positive.
In classes at Relax and Release Kundalini Yoga we practice this very simple breathing technique regularly. Coherent breathing is practiced sitting with a straight spine and inhaling deeply using the diaphragm for between 4-6 seconds then exhaling slowly for 6 seconds, both through the nose. Placing the hands at the heart centre as you breath and cultivating a feeling of gratitude adds extra force to this simple practice. Gratitude is one of the highest, most life affirming emotions we can feel.
Practice this amazingly simple technique at home every day and you will see changes in how you think and feel. Heres a link to a free, simple app I use at home which uses sound so you don't have to count, you can just relax, breath and visualise.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-breathing-app/id1285982210