Within my private practice and through Let Go & Grow®, there are certain core principles and practices I come back to and draw from, time and time again. In a world filled with shiny objects, I’ve found nothing more refreshing than the tried and true. Because when something works, it simply works and that is what makes it profound. This is one of the many reasons why the heart-based practice is the one and only prescription I write at the end of each new patient appointment. It’s that important, as we move forward, to build a foundation for our work together.

Cue the heart-based practice.

The heart-based practice embodies this simplicity, and it has become a fundamental piece of my healing protocol because of its ability to shift our experience in a just a moment- allowing us to opt out of old, outdated patterns and choose anew.

Over the years, I’ve found this exercise to be one of the most practical ways to interrupt patterns of distress and rewire the nervous system to a more relaxed, calm and connected state, where we can begin to heal in a direct way. 

Here, I will walk you through each step so that you can begin to tap into your own heartbeat, your very own inner compass.

The History, Science & Importance of the Heart

When you begin to form a relationship with your heart, you begin to reclaim your innate power, intuition, and divine intelligence, all of which play a pivotal role in the healing process and in forming a relationship with yourself and others.

Throughout history and across cultures, the power and wisdom of the heart have been revered and well known. Chinese Medicine, specifically, has seen the heart as the master of the mind, since inception, because of its ability to influence our perception, thoughts, and feelings and thus our choices, physiology, and life experiences- leading to more connection, harmony, health, happiness, and other high vibe, expansive states.

Now, modern day research backs this up, providing us with more ways to self-regulate and enter into this flow state. Here is one of my favorite video resources to visualize the power of the heart as a pathway to personal, social and global coherence. The Institute of HeartMath has even found that a state of coherence can be accessed in less than two minutes. 

Through the heart-based practice, we can apply this ancient wisdom and use it as an opportunity to intentionally go within, connect, quiet the mind, regulate the brain and tap into our heart center. The moment you opt out of your head and into your heart, the transformation begins- because now those recycled thoughts, feelings and experiences have somewhere to go and a way to clear. In essence, you opt out of autopilot and into expansion and growth, rewiring your nervous system from a sympathetic, fight-flight-freeze-appease state, to the calm, connected parasympathetic state. 

Ready? let’s begin

Here, within this sequence, you can reconnect to your heartbeat, reset by returning to the present moment and remember who, what and where you are- able to acknowledge, embrace and appreciate what is, shift your perspective, release distress and tension, and allow for a new kind of lightness and freedom to emerge, as you re enter the present moment, reminded.

Here are the steps.

  • RECONNECT: Place both hands over your heart and feel your heartbeat. Inhale and exhale through your heart using resonant breathing (5 to 6 breaths in and 5 to 6 breaths out until you fall into a natural rhythm).
  • RESET: Intentionally, return home to the present moment, where you belong. Allow yourself to observe what comes up with your conscious awareness and loving attention. 
  • REMEMBER: Remind yourself of who, what and where you are. From here, you can re enter any moment realigned, recommitted and renewed. 

The heart-based practice is your reminder to reconnect, reset and remember who, what and where you are and that you can reset and return home any time, anywhere.  

In my practice, I recommend working with this exercise for 3 min. a day, ideally in the morning, to begin with and as needed throughout- as I’ve found it to be one of the most direct ways to go within, self regulate the system and heal- providing a tool to interrupt the old, integrate the new, and rewire the nervous system through a signal of safety that you can send to yourself at any moment- a signal that says, “I’ve got this. I’m capable, I am important, and I can not only meet each challenge with power and authority but see it as an opportunity for growth and development.”

Many of my patients also use this space as a reminder, to quiet the system, set an intention, engage in a specific exercise, ask solution oriented questions, have a conversation with God and in all kinds of other creative ways. This time is yours.⁠

After the beginning stages, once the foundation is built, typically after about four months of treatment or daily implementation, you can feel free to work more intuitively, removing the time limit on this practice and becoming increasingly more creative. In this way, you can do what works best for you, whether you choose to practice with a simple acknowledgment of the heart through the day or for a set time, from 30 seconds to 30 minutes or more, you can still receive the many benefits it has to offer. However, I have found that it is important to be consistent, committed, and above all, present- because like any practice, it won’t work without you.

In this way, through a clearing of the space, the essence of the Let Go & Grow process, a lightness, peace, and experience of support and safety can set in.

Lastly, in the comments, I would love to hear from you!

  • How was your experience with this exercise?
  • Did anything come up- notable feelings, thoughts, visions?

Resources From Dr. Brooke Stuart / Let Go & Grow®

  • For more holistic resources, sign up for our Free Let Go & Grow® Membership, where you will receive instant access to the heart-based practice, a simple 3 min. meditation, a wellness workshop designed to optimize mental health & well-being, and so much more.
  • For Let Go & Grow Publishing House books including the LG&G Holistic Guide Book, LG&G Journal, and the children’s book series Let’s Grow With Zo, check here.
  • For more information, support and a tried and true springboard that can help you address the fundamentals and unlock your power to heal, make sure to schedule a free holistic consultation and check out our Let Go & Grow® Mind Body Reset, a 6 week reset program. To learn more about holistic healthcare and working with Dr. Brooke in private practice, check here.