Can't We All Just Float On Flamingos?

📷: the fabulous Kevin Toukoumidis @ dSPACE Studio

Hello, June!
​Our struggling lawn and new plants do thirst for rain, but I have to say . . . I can’t recall a more spectacular start to the unofficial summer season.

Mike and I had plans to do all kinds of projects last Monday afternoon, but then we got the invitation for a swim. I was a “yes” even before knowing there was a giant inflatable flamingo involved! ​

I hope no matter where you are, you’re enjoying some spontaneous moments that spark joy.

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“I would love to live like a river flows,
​carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”
~ John O’Donohue

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How To Practice Heart Coherence:
Shift and Lift ​

Thank you. Last week’s newsletter about “closure” was challenging to write, and I’m so glad I went there. What you shared with me as a result? Wow. I am grateful for every follow up conversation, and I appreciate your courage to connect.

So many of you spoke about a song, a smell, a seemingly innocuous moment that brings in a wave of unexpected pain. The kind that almost takes you out at the knees.

It seems that grief hiding in plain sight is quite universal. I see this as another good reason why we should be kind to our fellow travelers. You just never know what is happening for the person behind you in the checkout line, and kindness always goes a long way.

As temperatures increase, and construction begins, and more and more people make their way to the beaches and the lakeshore . . . this is a wonderful moment to pause and fortify our own toolkit. Because, let’s be honest; most days we are not simply floating around on flamingos. 😉

Today, I want to talk about Heart Coherence. It’s an exciting time to be a yogi because modern medicine, and smart scientists, are providing us with so much data about our bodies and our well-being.

Most of us understand the feeling of being in flow . . . where everything moves a little more easily. We feel calm, present, and connected. Turns out, when we have these feelings, a graph of our heartbeats would look like a beautiful sine wave curve. Gently moving up and down in a gorgeous, symmetrical pattern.

Conversely, when we are agitated, stressed, frustrated, or impatient? Our heart graph would look completely different. Jagged. Irregular. All out of sorts.

Our heart rhythm has huge impact on our emotional flexibility, our social connectedness, and our cognitive functionality.

And, guess what? We can learn to regulate our own heart rate variability. That’s right! We can practice bringing ourselves into coherence. We can learn how to shift into that beautiful place of flow.

Even better? It’s free, it takes only a few minutes, and every single one of us can do it. Simple as 1. 2. 3.

I learned the “Shift and Lift” technique from Rollin McCraty, PhD, at the HeartMath Institute.
The HeartMath Institute has been “developing reliable, scientifically validated tools that help people reduce and avoid stress while experiencing increased peace, satisfaction and self-security” since 1991. I’m super thankful for the work they do.

For this technique, you can sit, and find stillness, and close your eyes.

But, that’s not necessary. Your eyes can be open. You can use this while in conversation, or in a meeting, or whenever things are going a little sideways or getting a little tense.

Please join me; it’s time to Shift and Lift:

1. Tune in to heart-centered breathing. Breathing in and out from that space in your chest while directing your awareness there. Wherever your awareness goes, your energy flows.
2. Then, come in to feelings of Kindness. Appreciation. Connection. And a deep space of listening. If you have trouble accessing these feelings, think of a specific person, or moment, that you are grateful for and build from there.
3. Then, radiate out that heart-centered energy. That’s right. Let those feelings  of kindness, appreciation, connection, and deep listening expand beyond the walls of your own chest. It is the magnetic energy of the heart that will shift the energy and be felt. It is the heart that is the portal to the highest best self, and it is the heart that is the first to receive and emanate energies. It is the heart that sends signals to the brain, not the other way around.
   
   

So simple. Maybe seemingly too simple, but how often do we actively utilize a technique like this in the moment? 

Remember, this can be used when tension is building. Or frustration. Or impatience.

This technique is effective in business, relationships, family . . . it can even be done in advance. I find that fascinating, and I can’t wait to put it into practice. You can send out heart energy to the upcoming meetings and interactions that you know will be happening in your day. You can consciously seed this type of raised vibration.

Incredible!

Here’s to having a heart coherent day, everyday.

~ m ♥️