HeartMath researchers have found that interventions to transform anxiety are most effective when you intentionally engage the heart’s intelligence system. Their research has proven that with practice, you can learn to engage your heart’s rhythmic activity. In other words, learning to intentionally change the pattern of your heart’s rhythm will also change how you feel and perceive. In addition, HeartMath researchers have demonstrated that the process of creating a sustainable emotional shift can be facilitated by shifting a heart rhythm into a coherent pattern. Thus, finding coherence in the heart rhythm while awake, promotes a calm yet alert and responsive state of well-being.

One specific HeartMath technique is called the Cut-Thru technique. It shows you how to work through the many accumulated anxiety and fears in order to feel more in control of yourself. Accumulated anxieties are composed of feelings, perceptions, and energy stored in cellular memories. If you practice this technique on a regular basis you can learn to transform cellular patterns into insight and effective action.

Cut-Thru’s six steps were designed to help you through the process of release. HeartMath has demonstrated that each time you repeat the steps with the right attitude, the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions are released from your cells. It’s recommended to start with a minor anxiety issue to start practicing the Cut-Thru technique.

The Cut-Thru Technique steps:

1. Be aware of how you feel about the issue at hand. Learn to observe and name your feelings. Be honest with yourself. Admitting what you are truly feeling is the first step in transformation. Write down your issue and how you feel about it.

2. Center yourself by breathing in through the heart and out through the solar plexus. Breath love and appreciation through this area for at least 30 seconds to help anchor your attention on your positive feeling or attitude. Breathing in the area of your body helps generate the coherent power needed to shift disturbed feelings toward a calmer state.

3. Assume objectivity about the feeling as if it were someone else’s problem. Practice how to disengage from an issue for a few moments so as to release the feeling. Pretend that you are watching another person dealing with your emotion. Distancing yourself from your problem can help you access more compassion and understanding for the other person. Compassion is a core heart feeling that helps with the synchornization of the heart and brain. Keep your attention and energy on the heart to stay in coherence. If the emotions overwhelm you, go back to step 2 and breathe genuine care and compassion for yourself. Write down any shifts in perceptions or other ways of addressing the issue.

4. Rest in neutral, in your rational, mature heart. By finding some objectivity, you get closer to a state of neutral and can rest in a more peaceful heart. Learn to become neutral toward your uncomfortable feelings, or memories regarding your issue. Try and embrace an attitude of “I don’t really know” which can help the mind become open and humble so that heart intelligence can surface to show you a different perspective. Write down your feelings and perceptions.

5. Soak and relax any difficult or perplexing feelings in the compassion of the heart. When you feel disturbed about something, realize it’s not the problem that causes energy drain as much as the stored significance you have assigned to the problem. Use the coherent power of the heart to decide to let it go. Practice respect and compassion for yourself and release any self-judgments. As you continue to practice dissolving the significance and transforming the stored incoherent energy, you will gradually release the pattern and experience more peace and satisfaction. Write down your feelings and perceptions.

6. After dissolving as much significance as you can, access your heart and ask for appropriate guidance or insight. If you don’t get an answer, find something to appreciate for a while. Remember that heart intelligence comes to you subtly and softly. If a perception is peaceful and feels good, follow it even if it seems too easy. Write down your feelings and any perceptions.

Ideally, practice the Cut-Thru technique in a distraction-free space for 10 -15 minutes a day. Approach practice sessions with a peaceful and genuine frame of mind. The more you practice, the more you’ll be able to build your coherence power. To make your practice simpler, you can record the technique steps at a pace that feels right for you. Then you can listen to the recording and guide yourself through the steps. For others, it might be helpful to write the Cut-Thru steps on sticky notes and place them on your computer screen. Be sure to have paper and pencil available to write down your feelings and perceptions after each step.

Source:  Transforming Anxiety by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman.

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