Free technique · Heart breathing
Heart breathing for anxiety, a free guided audio.
Heart breathing is a simple breathing step you can use the moment anxiety starts building, anywhere, without anyone noticing. It's one of the tools I teach anxiety clients in their first session. The guided audio walks you through it in about four and a half minutes. It's free, and there's nothing to sign up for.
Before you press play
- Get comfortable in an area without interruptions.
- Put on headphones if you have them.
- Press play, close your eyes and follow along.
Do not listen to this or any hypnosis audio while driving.
Justin Turpin · Certified hypnotist since 2013 · NGH & ICBCH certified · Lancaster, PA
No headphones? Read the steps
How to do heart breathing, in three steps.
Here's the same technique in plain words, so you can use it without the audio.
Move your attention out of your head and down to the center of your chest, around your heart.
Breathe naturally, a little deeper than usual, and imagine the breath flowing in and out through that area.
When a thought pulls you away, bring your attention back to your heart and keep breathing through that area.
Give it a minute and notice what changes. No one around you will know you're doing anything.
When to use it
It works best when you're already starting to feel anxious, or just before you walk into something that usually sets it off. Keep breathing this way as you go through it.
In the car
You can do this before you pull out, at a red light, or on the road. Keep your eyes open and on the road the whole time. The guided audio is different. Listen to it at home or parked, never while driving.
Why it works
Why your breathing can calm the alarm in your body.
Heart breathing: why it works. Justin explains.
When something sets off your alarm, your body shifts into fight, flight or freeze. It sends its resources out to your arms and legs so you can react, and clear thinking gets pushed to the back seat. The opposite setting is rest and digest, where your body slows down and goes back to looking after itself.
Most of that system runs on its own. You can't decide to slow your heart down. But breathing is different. It runs on its own, and you can also take it over on purpose, which gives you a lever on the rest of the system. It's like steering a big ship: a small tab on the rudder moves the rudder, and the rudder turns the whole ship.
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★★★★★It's been a blessing
"It's been a blessing... the tools Justin gave me are a God send. I make a point in my morning routine to do the tools and resources he's given me to start my day. Thank you for EVERYTHING and being so patient and kind to me. Means alot!!"
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★★★★★I have no idea why - but it works!
"Justin - I've been using the tapping. It's crazy! I have no idea why - but it works! I have used it each day to deal with items at work that usually cause anxiety for me, and it's beautiful. Thank you so much! This is amazing."
Leigh E
Calm now, or change the pattern
Heart breathing calms the moment. Hypnosis works on what sets it off.
Tools like this are worth having, and they work in the moment. But calming the alarm on Tuesday doesn't stop it from going off again on Wednesday. For that to change, the settings have to change.
That's what we work on together in sessions. Hypnosis adjusts your alarm's settings, so you can feel calm in the moments that used to set it off.
Sessions
Hypnosis for anxiety
How my anxiety program works, one-on-one in my Lancaster office or over Zoom.
See how it works
From the blog
What a dysregulated nervous system feels like
Why your body stays on high alert when nothing is wrong, and what helps it settle.
Read the postFree audio
The 25-Minute Reset
A free hypnosis audio for when you've forgotten what relaxation actually feels like.
Get the audioQuestions about heart breathing.
More answers about sessions are on the hypnosis FAQ page.
Can I do heart breathing while driving?
Yes, with your eyes open and on the road. You can use it before you pull out, at a red light or in traffic. The guided audio is the exception. It asks you to close your eyes, so listen to it at home or parked, never while driving.
How often should I practice?
Once a day with the audio for the first 10 days, then a few times a week after that. Like anything, you get out what you put in.
What if my mind keeps wandering?
That's normal. When a thought pulls you away, bring your attention back to your heart and keep breathing through that area. Coming back is the practice.
Can I use this alongside therapy or medication?
Yes. Heart breathing works alongside medical and mental health care, never as a replacement. If you've had chest pain, or a panic attack for the first time, get checked by a doctor before anything else.
Your next step
If the alarm keeps going off, let's talk about why.
Heart breathing gives you a way to calm things down in the moment. If you'd like the alarm to stop going off when nothing is wrong, the next step is a conversation. The discovery session is a free 30-minute phone call, with no obligation.
Book your free discovery session30 minutes on the phone, free, and no pressure to sign up for anything.
On the call you'll get:
- Straight answers to your questions, from a certified hypnotist who's been doing this since 2013.
- A clear picture of your anxiety. What keeps setting your alarm off, and how hypnosis can work with it.
- An honest evaluation. You'll know whether hypnosis is right for your situation, and the pricing will be laid out plainly. If we both agree to move forward, we'll schedule your first session right on the call.