Heart-centered meditation or relaxation practices give us access to the wisdom of the heart.  They remind us that expressing empathy, compassion, gratitude, and love will bring us closer to peace within ourselves, and foster peace in our relationships and communities, near and far.

Here's a simple and very effective tool that you can use often during the day to reduce stress, cultivate peace in your heart, and support daily actions that nurture peace and health.

This tool was developed by Doc Childre at the Institute of HearthMath, and it has 3 steps:

Step 1.  Heart Focus.  Bring your attention to your heart.  Notice what's most alive in your heart at this moment.

Step 2.  Heart Breathing.  Take a couple of deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly through your heart.  This helps to balance your breathing rhythm and your heart rhythm, and reduces stress.

Step 3.  Heart Feeling.  Focus on a nourishing feeling that would be supportive for you today (appreciation, gratitude, peace, compassion, etc).  You can recall the feeling or imagine it, whatever works best for you.  Breathe that feeling throughout your mind and body, and exhale tension and fatigue...  Next, extend this feeling to those around you, especially into situations where it's most needed.

Use this tool for 1-3 minutes to maintain heart-centered awareness and well-being any time during the day.