How often do your listen to your heart beat? Do you place a hand over your heart and connect with the beautiful beats that bring experience to life? The heart is the essence of where we want to be; hearing, feeling, and living from that sp hearts ace of love and connection.
Yet, we often get carried away by our thoughts, neglecting our and taking advantage of its automatic functions.
Ever notice your heart beat when you're really anxious? Guess what happens? Yep, your heart beat dramatically increases.
It races, creating a state of panic and worry.
It's very uncomfortable.
When this happens, many people experience fear.
We end up expressing the panic and anxiety, panting in freak out mode, shortening our breath, and reducing the oxygen to our brains and bodies.
It's a vicious cycle.
It can be really scary! What we need to do is to figure out ways to end the cycle.
We need to create some healthy techniques we can utilize to help ourselves get more in touch with our hearts.
Anxiety is physiological and psychological.
Our emotions and behaviors create painful feelings of apprehension and worry.
  Often, this is unavoidable because it's a normal reaction to stress.
When you experience anxiety, your body reacts.
You'll shorten your breath, sweat, get a headache, stomach ache, feel chest pain, nausea, or experience heart palpations.
  When any of these reactions occur, the heart rate and blood pressure significantly increase.
Most people react to these physical changes with fear.
As a result, your mind creates more havoc by generating thoughts that predict stressful situations in the future.
You worry, and that feeds the fear and anxiety.
Coming back to the present moment is a way to have power over anxiety.
Saying to yourself "its okay, I'm here.
I'm breathing.
I'm doing all right" will help you calm down and be more present.
What about your heart? Since your heart pumps the blood, it is important to acknowledge it when you're feeling anxious.
Bring all of your mind's awareness to your heart and its beats.
Take the time to stop everything, place a hand over your heart, and feel or listen to its beats.
If it is beating fast, consciously breathe more deeply and focus an intention of your heart slowing down.
With awareness of your heart, you will notice how quickly and effectively your anxiety reduces, slows the heart rate, and allows you to be more present to your inner being.
You've only got this moment, and that's where the power resides! To become more self aware, start practicing meditation.
If you already meditate, start teaching someone else.
This will deepen your practice.
By practicing meditation, your self awareness  will develop and that will help you master your reactions to anxiety and worry; the culprits of stress.
  Reid Peterson is has a C.
M.
T.
certification (certified massage therapist) and is a AMTA associate member.
You can also find out more about Reid and get more help with anxiety and meditation by visiting   his website and reading his blog, listed below.