A Change of Heart Changes Everything Heart Lock Technique This week may bring up challenging feelings for many of us. I am reprinting the message that our founder Doc Childre offered last year at this time and following it with the Heart Lock-In technique to help you or those around you deal with those feelings. Institute of HeartMath research has shown that the Heart Lock-In technique and breathing through your heart in times of crisis can help ease depression, anxiety or fear. While techniques can help, understand it will take time for emotional stabilization and renewal. During times of crisis, emotional re-stabilization has a recovery curve, so no tools are going to dissipate all emotional stress overnight. Have compassion and allowance for yourself while you're going through your own recovery. Self-compassion helps to reduce the amount of emotional drain and especially lessens nervous system overload. Practicing the Heart Lock-In can help you save energy in the recovery process and shorten the time period of emotional re-stabilization. The Heart Lock-In technique (below) has been modified to help you during these times. 1) Gently shift your attention to the area around your heart. 2) Shift your breathing so that you are breathing in through the heart and out through the solar plexus. 3) Activate a genuine feeling of appreciation or care for someone or something in your life. 4) Make a sincere effort to sustain feelings of appreciation, care or love while radiating them to yourself and others. 5) When you catch your mind wandering, gently focus your breathing back through the heart and solar plexus and reconnect with feelings of care or appreciation. Use Heart Lock-In for emotional renewal as often as needed, based on your personal situation. Remember to have compassion for yourself through these times. And remember to serve and bond with others when convenient, because that's proven to be one of the highest forms of emotional restoration and a regenerator of hope.   BEST TO YOU Denny (C) Copyright 2002 HeartMath® LLC A Change of Heart Changes Everything Denny Howe     14700 West Park Avenue    831-338-8776 HeartMath® LLC   Boulder Creek, CA 95006    831-338-9861 fax dhowe@heartmath.com   http://www.heartmath.com