Are you feeling stuck in survival mode, battling a racing heart, or overwhelmed by digital overload? In today’s episode, we step away from the noise and focus on somatic healing to bring your body back to a state of safety.Using Coherent Breathing, a science-backed biological hack, we aim to balance your heart rate variability and exit the "fight or flight" response.
The Somatic Manual Override: A guided walkthrough of Coherent Breathing ($5$s inhale / $5$s exhale) to stop shallow chest breathing and signal safety to your brain.
The Anchor Visualization: A powerful mental tool to help you remain steady amidst fragmented attention and external chaos.
The script
Transcribed from the audio, so the odd word may be off. Tap any line while it plays to keep the words in step with Martin's voice.
If you feel like you're stuck in survival mode, with your heart racing and your mind spiraling into over thinking, stop for just a second. You aren't broken and you aren't losing it. You're just experiencing a nervous system that is doing its job a little bit too well. We're going to step out to the digital noise and system checking right now.
In the next few minutes, we are going to use the somatic manual override to signal safety directly to your body. You are safe. I'm here with you. Let's breathe.
Hi there. I'm Martin Hewlett, Clinical Hypnotherapist, former paramedic, and you're listening to calming anxiety. This is your place of calm. Today, we're going to use coherent breathing.
It's a powerful tool for nervous system regulation. This isn't just deep breathing. It's a biological hack to balance your heart rate variability. So find your quiet place today.
Somewhere comfy, you can choose to sit or lie down, the choice is yours. Headphones as well if you wish, and if it's safe, close your eyes. We'll inhale for five seconds and exhale for five seconds. No pauses, just a gentle circular wave of air.
Be ready to breathe in, inhale one, two, three, four, five, exhale one, two, three, four, five. Feel the air moving deep into your diaphragm, moving away from the shallow chest breathing that keeps us on higher alert. In a moment, we'll do that again. I'll count you follow, and I'll keep going for a minute.
Ready? Inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five.
Inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five.
Inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five, inhale two, three, four, exhale two, three, four, five, inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five, inhale two, three, four, five, exhale two, three, four, five.
And now just let your breathing settle, however it wishes to. Reach out with your mind and feel the rise and form of every breath, truly connecting deeply, spiritually with every moment. Now with your body beginning to settle, I wonder if you could visualize an anchor, not a heavy rusting iron one, but a go in pillar of light at your center. As the world outside moves with fragmented attention and chaos, your body steady.
With every out breath, that pillar of light radiates, giving you comfort and warmth, pushing away the negative words and actions of others. And within this moment of true connection, of self-worths and love, visualize these beautiful words, powerful and positive, repeating them within your mind.
I am the calm center of my own life. I am returning to my natural state of peace.
I release the need to control things that are not mine to carry.
And with every repetition, you allow yourself to heal, to find your moment of balance and peace, to bring stillness to the monologue of your thoughts.
Relax now. Every out breath, that wave of warmth and calmness spreads through every fiber of your being. Deeper and deeper, you imagine yourself drifting.
And still within the beauty of this gift of time, imagine and repeat.
I am the calm center of my own life.
I am returning to my natural state of peace.
I release the need to control things that are not mine to carry.
Because they're in further, into a natural, trance like state, you imagine yourself drifting, taking back control of the negative thoughts that plague us all. And once more, imagine I am the calm center of my own life.
I am returning to my natural state of peace.
I release the need to control things that are not mine to carry.
And within this moment, here are your three daily caring tips for a happier life. One, the two minute tech fast. Before you check your emails or social feeds today, give yourself two minutes of silence to simply be. Two, soften the gaze.
If you feel hyper-vigilant, look at the horizon and soften your focus. It will tell your brain there is no immediate predator. And three, hydrate with intent. Take a glass of water slowly.
Notice the temperature and the sensation. This is a simple, somatic grounding technique. Now wiggle your fingers and toes and bring your awareness back into the world around you. Take a deep breath in and then as you breathe out, stretch out the arms overhead and now open your eyes.
Thank you. We've done incredibly well today. You've taken a proactive step forward towards mental clarity and away from the noise. If you found this helpful, please check out my course at calminganxiety.fm.
I'm back tomorrow with part two to help you move from this calm into a deeper sense of stillness. Until then my friend, in everything. Be kind.