Heart Coherence Breath

Before a doctor's visit, after hard news, or any moment the heart feels tight.

1. 1Sit comfortably. Place one hand over the center of your chest.
2. 2Breathe in slowly through the nose for 5 counts.
3. 3Breathe out gently through the nose for 5 counts.
4. 4Imagine warmth and softness flowing into the area beneath your hand.
5. 5Continue for 5 minutes. Notice the breath becoming smoother.

Persian physicians treated the heart (qalb) as warm and moist — easily disturbed by worry, easily soothed by kindness, rose, and slow breath.

Breathing at roughly 6 breaths per minute synchronizes heart-rate variability and blood pressure waves, a state associated with calm focus and cardiovascular resilience.