Transform Your Anger: Try Attitude Breathing

HeartMath has demonstrated that negative emotions create disordered heart rhythms which then trigger increased levels of emotional distress. In addition, HeartMath has proven that people who learn to generate balanced coherent heart rhythms will experience more balanced emotions. Thus, HeartMath provides you tools to slow down your emotional reactions.

The heart is a primary generator of rhythm in the body. It influences brain processes that control cognitive functions, the nervous system, and emotions. The heart provides an access point from which these system-wide dynamics can be profoundly impacted.

When you shift your heart rhythms into more coherence, you also shift your emotions into more coherence which then brings the autonomic nervous system into balance. By practicing shifting heart rhythms right when you feel anger or frustration, you can harness the physiological power of anger. In other words, you change the information going from the heart to the brain. As a result, you learn to access your higher brain functions and think more coherently.

HeartMath has developed a tool called Attitude Breathing. It is suggested to practice this tool whenever you feel frustrated, angry, or agitated. Attitude Breathing can lessen the intensity of negative thoughts and emotions so they have less power. It requires you to plan ahead by choosing a positive emotion to focus on, like appreciation, love, or compassion. Trying to shift to a positive attitude of appreciation, compassion or love will increase your coherence.

Attitude Breathing

1. To prepare to use this tool, take a moment to build an attitude of appreciation for someone or something in your life. Imagine you are breathing that feeling of appreciation through your heart for 2 or 3 breaths.

2. Focus on your heart and solar plexus (abdominal area) together while you breathe appreciation through that area. Ask yourself, “what would be a better attitude for me to maintain in this situation?” Next, set up an inner attitude like “stay calm,” “breathe,” this too shall pass,” “practice compassion” or whatever attitude you decide is appropriate.

3. Gently and sincerely pretend to breathe the new attitude in through the heart. Breathe it out through the solar plexus and stomach to anchor it in your body. Do this for a couple of minutes until you feel the new attitude has set in.

It is recommended to practice Attitude Breathing when:

1. You wake up in the morning. Negative thoughts and emotions like anger, sadness, or hurt can often creep in as soon as you wake up in the morning. Practice Attitude Breathing for 30 minutes or an hour while you’re getting ready. You can do it while your showering, getting dressed, or commuting to work. Choose attitudes like care or appreciation that would benefit your day.

2. You’re feeling tense. A build-up of tension is an indicator of being out of balance emotionally. Some accumulate tension in the chest area and may experience shortness of breath while others can experience tension as a headache or knot in the shoulders or neck. Use Attitude Breathing to help release tension in your body. While you’re breathing, ask yourself “what would be a more balanced feeling?” Once you feel more emotionally balanced, pretend to breathe the feeling of balance through the area of tension.

3. You want to stop emotional reactivity. During stressful times, remember that many people are experiencing negative emotions such as frustration, uncertainty, anger, or fear. As soon as you notice you are feeling irritated or frustrated, use Attitude Breathing to take the excess negative emotion out of your reaction and to shift into heart rhythm coherence.

Source:  Transforming Anger by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman.

For more information on HeartMath, please call me at 858-243-2684.