Learning Emotional Regulation Through Heart-Focused Breathing
Learning to settle the heart and mind
Have you ever noticed how quickly your body responds when something troubles you? Your breathing changes. Your chest tightens. Your thoughts begin to race. Before you have worked out what to do, your whole being seems to be involved.
This is one reason I take a whole-person approach. Our thoughts, emotions, relationships and physical responses are connected. Caring for ourselves involves more than trying to think our way out of everything we feel.
Heart-focused breathing offers a practical place to begin. It gives us something simple to practise when we need to slow down and become more aware of what is happening within.
What is heart-focused breathing?
The HeartMath Institute teaches a breathing practice in which you can gently bring your attention to your breathing in the area of your heart. Yes, your lungs are doing the breathing, but imagining the breath moving through your chest is a way of directing your attention while you establish a comfortable rhythm. It needs to be smooth, not forced, breathing through the nostrils and not through the mouth.
In HeartMath’s approach, “coherence” refers to a more ordered pattern in the changing intervals between heartbeats. Their Quick Coherence technique also invites you to reconnect with a pleasant, calming experience: someone you love, a pet, a special place or a meaningful accomplishment. Let yourself remember the feeling, or gently focus on a sense of calm and ease. If you are interested, you can read their own explanation and instructions of this technique [1].
The heart has its own nervous system
The heart has its own network of neurons and synapses. Research describes forms of learning and memory within this network that help regulate the heart’s activity.
HeartMath describes short- and long-term memory within this cardiac nervous system. Neurocardiology researcher J. Andrew Armour explains how activity in these nerve networks can carry information from one cardiac cycle into later cycles and help regulate cardiovascular function. This gives substance to the point that the heart does more than pump blood. [2] · [3].
A simple practice
- Pause. Sit comfortably and allow yourself a few moments without another task demanding your attention.
- Bring your attention to your chest. If helpful, rest a hand over that area. You are giving your attention a place to settle.
- Breathe smoothly. Try about five seconds breathing in and five seconds breathing out, only if that feels comfortable. Do not force the depth or pace of your breathing. Breathe through your nostrils where possible.
- Remember something you appreciate. This might be a person, an experience of kindness or a moment of genuine thankfulness. Stay with it gently rather than trying to manufacture an emotion.
- Notice the difference. Has your breathing eased? Are your shoulders less tense? Is there a little more room to think before responding?
Stop and return to ordinary breathing if you feel dizzy, breathless or more distressed. If focusing on your chest is uncomfortable, discuss another approach with your therapist.
Make room for practice
Give yourself time to practise. Five to ten minutes is a useful starting point. As you become comfortable, you may choose to build towards ten to twenty minutes a day.
During a short practice
A short breathing practice can help settle the body in the moment.
With regular practice
With regular practice over the following weeks, the benefits can become part of how you respond to the stresses of everyday life.
Clinical experience and research with several breathing methods have reported improvements in stress, sleep, attention and the body’s regulation of its stress response. These methods vary, and so do people. The amount of practice and the changes experienced will depend on the individual and their circumstances.
Make room for practice. Give yourself that opportunity to become familiar with a calmer rhythm. Heart-focused breathing, or another suitable gentle breathing method, can become a valuable part of caring for yourself.
What researchers and clinicians have observed
Here are examples of what has been observed with different breathing practices.
- Sleep and heart rhythm over 30 days. In a study of 64 healthy young adults, 15 minutes of slow breathing each evening improved reported sleep quality and overnight heart-rate variability compared with the group using social media. Heart-rate variability describes the changing intervals between heartbeats. [5]
- Attention and the stress response over eight weeks. A small controlled study involving 40 healthy adults used 20 coached sessions, including 15 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing per session. It reported improvements in sustained attention and lower cortisol, a hormone involved in the stress response. [6]
- Clinical experience with regular practice. Gerbarg and colleagues describe 20 minutes of gentle coherent breathing daily for one to two months to develop the skill for everyday use. Their clinical discussion includes anxiety and emotional regulation. This is clinical guidance rather than a timetable that guarantees a particular result. [4]
These practices and study schedules differ. They help us understand what regular breathing practice may offer, while leaving room for each person’s response and circumstances.
The heart matters
We speak of a heavy heart, a broken heart and losing heart because our inner life matters deeply. From my biblical perspective, the heart is central to how we live, believe and respond. A breathing exercise can give us a moment to attend to that inner life. It does not replace the deeper work of understanding what has hurt us or what needs to change.
For those who share my perspective, that pause may also become a moment of prayer and thanksgiving. In counselling, we can consider what fits your needs. Heart-focused breathing is one practical tool within that larger work of care. Make time to practise regularly, and give yourself the opportunity to become more familiar and comfortable with the skill.
Sources and further reading
