Calm Anxiety with this simple Heart-Focused Breathing Technique
It’s no secret that anxiety is rife today, with social media, the political climate and economic hardships certainly not helping things. Heart-focused breathing is a simple but highly effective way to calm down your nervous system and reach a place of peace and joy in your everyday life.
Meditate along with the video below and alternatively follow the instructions below:
Step 1 - Ground yourself in a safe area and close down your eyes
Make sure you feel safe enough where you are to turn your attention inwards and close down your eyes
Step 2 - Slow down and become aware of your breath
Notice the air as you breathe in and out of your nose- take note of the temperature of the air, and intentionally slow down your breath slightly. It can be helpful to mirror the tempo of breathing you would have when you fall asleep at night. Slowing down your breath automatically calms down your nervous system
Step 3- Focus your awareness in your chest
With your breath slowing down, bring your attention to your chest space, to your heart. Placing a hand there can naturally bring your attention here. Start to breathe slowly into this area, keeping the same tempo as before. If your chest feels very tight or has a lot of tension in it and you find it heard to breathe into the centre of this area, that’s ok. Just breathe into the edges of the space, or as close to your chest space as your body allows. Continue to breathe into this area for one minute.
Step 4- Visualise a ball of light
Start to visualise a ball of warm light in your chest area. Feel the warmth of it in your chest. Imagine how it would feel in your heart space and slowly picture it becoming bigger in your body, and radiating out of your chest and into the room you are in.
Step 5- Think of something which you feel gratitude for
As you hold this ball of light in your chest area, think of something or someone in your life you feel gratitude for- it could be a person, a pet, a child, a place in nature, a song- anything which you feel thankful for. Hold this image in your mind for one minute, picturing details of how it looks. You will start to feel the warmth in your chest expand.
Step 6- Bring your awareness back to any anxiety you still feel
As you bask in the warmth, return your attention to the situation causing you stress. Breathe and focus on your heart again as any feelings of stress or anxiety come up. Be focused and committed to breathing slowly as you notice and simply accept any intense feelings which come up. If they start to overwhelm you, return your attention to your chest and your gratitude image.
As you continue to breathe and relax and let the feelings wash over you, you will slowly dissipate the anxiety. Repeat until you reach a level of peace in the body.
Next Steps
This simple exercise can be performed anywhere you can find privacy.
If you would like to be guided through this method (and others) over a longer period of time, I offer 1:1 Somatic Healing sessions to help guide your body into safety and calm. Reach out here to book a complimentary somatic taster session and experience the transformative benefits of Somatic Healing
About Me
Christina Shakelian is a Somatic Healing & Nervous System Practitioner passionate about helping people reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and release stuck emotional patterns.
My work focuses on guiding clients beyond purely mental approaches to healing and instead accessing the deeper wisdom of the mind–body connection. Through gentle somatic techniques, breathwork, and nervous system regulation practices, I support clients in developing the skills needed to feel calmer, more grounded, and more aligned in their lives.
If you’re curious about exploring somatic healing for yourself, you can book a Somatic Healing Session or Taster Session and begin learning these powerful tools for lasting emotional wellbeing.