Heart Coherence Breathing

This 7½-minute guided practice is based on 34+ years of HeartMath research on the powerful connection between the heart, breath, and mind. By breathing in a slow, steady rhythm while focusing on uplifting emotions like gratitude or love, you shift into heart coherence — a state where your heart rhythms become smooth and harmonious.

Heart coherence increases heart rate variability (HRV), a key sign of nervous system balance and resilience. Higher HRV is linked with reduced stress, improved emotional regulation, sharper focus, and a greater sense of well-being.

In this meditation, you’ll focus on the area of the heart, breathe calmly, and connect with a positive feeling. This simple, science-backed technique helps quiet the mind, balance the body, and create lasting emotional alignment — leaving you feeling grounded, connected, and at ease.

Transcript

This breath technique is called heart coherence.

It's designed to increase heart rate variability,

The variation in time between each consecutive heartbeat.

According to the HeartMath Institute's 34 years of research,

HRV is one of the most reliable indicators of how well your body adapts to stress.

The higher your HRV,

The more resilient your nervous system.

It also enhances coherence,

A state where your brain,

Heart and emotions operate in rhythm.

If HRV is the quantity of stress adaptability,

Coherence is the quality of it.

It feels like a car,

Like clarity,

Like home.

This is a down-regulating breath practice that balances your nervous system,

Helps you feel emotionally grounded and brings you back to the heart.

You will feel centred,

Calm,

Connected and hopefully more compassionate.

To begin,

Close down your eyes and draw your awareness inward.

Allow the shoulders to drop and the breath to settle.

Now,

Wherever you are in your breath cycle,

Let go of your air through your mouth.

Start to breathe gently in through the nose for 5,

4,

Let the breath be soft,

Let the breathe be still and as you continue that rhythm in for 5 and out for 5,

Bring your attention to your heart space.

You might like to place a hand there if it helps.

Imagine that you're breathing,

Not in and out through the nose,

But through two nostrils in the centre of your chest.

Breathing into the heart and breathing out from the heart.

In for 5 and out for 5.

Repeat for about 5 or 6 cycles.

Notice the heart space expand with every breath in and contract your breathing.

Now bring to the mind a feeling,

A quality of love.

It might be care,

Kindness,

Gratitude,

Compassion,

Empathy,

Forgiveness or appreciation.

Choose one.

With each inhale,

Breathe that feeling into the heart and with each exhale,

Let it radiate through the body.

Breathing that feeling into the heart,

Exhaling and letting it radiate through the body.

Imagine this emotion expanding outward.

Let it fill your chest,

Let it fill your being.

Continue expanding this emotion as you continue your breath cycle in and out 5 counts.

Now you might like to paint an image,

Expanding on that feeling of love with a picture of someone or something you feel that emotion towards.

Notice the subtle nuances of that figure.

What do they look like,

What do they smell like?

Feel the emotion expand as you expand the image of that someone or something.

Now gently letting go of that image,

Gently letting go of the emotion and return simply to the count.

Whenever you're ready,

Bring your breath back to a natural rhythm.

Begin to wiggle your toes,

Fingers,

Roll out your wrists and ankles,

Move anything that requires a little bit of movement.

And in your own time,

Gently open your eyes,

Bringing your awareness back into the space around you.