Just a note to say that if you find yourself feeling heartbroken more frequently these days, it’s important not to jump to pathology. Some big feelings of distress probably mean that you care a lot, that you’re paying attention to the world around you, and your body is having a wise and appropriate reaction to a complex time to be alive. I'm a bit wary of providing individual solutions for systemic problems . . . and yet, finding the right therapy at the right moment can support resiliency and our capacity to care for ourselves and our communities.
So, I hope one of the following practices helps you deepen your connection with yourself, with those around you, and with your purpose.
Six at-home therapies to nurture Heart qi:
Acupressure: Long, broad strokes from the pinky-side of the inner wrist up towards the chest nourishes a depleted Heart. Gentle contact on Percardium-6 "Frontier Gate" (center of the two tendons on the inner wrist, pictured) helps to descend and alleviate congestion in the chest so you can take a clear breath. Heart-7 "Spirit Gate" (pinky side inner wrist) opens the gate to access the Heart and relieves blockages.
Emotional Witnessing Practice: Feelings are real . . . not always true or accurate representations of reality, but real for you and your body. Unprocessed emotions have an even stronger physiological effect on the body-mind state, so tending to your emotional experience is an act of courageous self-care and healing. Try Tara Brach's R-A-I-N exercise or Kristin Neff's self-compassion practices for help turning towards difficult inner experiences. If you find yourself perseverating or consistently trying to bypass an uncomfortable feeling, seek support. This is a sign that the content underneath the emotion may be too much for you to hold alone (a sign of trauma). Compulsive distraction or avoidance of feelings is a sign you may need a safe space and some help being with what's arising for you.
Breathwork: Get specific with a technique that resonates. Long, calm exhales help reset a stressed, anxious baseline. For this choose alkaline breathing or box-breathing (inhale, hold, exhale, hold each to the count of four).
Plant Allies: Get your herbs in. Make a large brew of tea. Infuse 1-2 Tbs in a wide mouth mason jar for 3 minutes. Cool and sip cold in the heat of the summer. Licorice root hydrates and strengthens. Oat Straw nourishes frayed nerves. Holy basil relieves mental stress. Chamomile tames tension. Infusions (short 1-3 minute steeps) with herbal teas are not as strong or therapeutic as individually-prescribed formulas that I prescribe for patients, but they do help. If you feel you need a little more help shifting your state, make an appointment for acupuncture/bodywork and receive a personalized herbal formulation.
Boundaries: In East Asian medicine, the Pericardium channel helps describe the relationship between protection and love. We need safety in relationships in order for the heart to stay open. On the other hand, with sincere love, the heart can stay open even through loss and dire conditions. You can use these principles to inquire about what you need more of to better care for yourself in relationship: more safety, mutual respect, and regard? more genuine unconditional love?
Work with a Weighted Blanket: Yep. The sand and stone elements used in weighted blankets can be calming and restorative for people who have Earth-deficiencies (difficulties finding calm and deep rest; people depleted by over-giving; city-dwellers). Earth deficiencies contribute to depleted Heart qi and anxiety. Making time to resting on the ground or with the support of a weighted blanket on top of you can be restorative for the Earth channels.
Aromatherapy: Fill your space with calming scents like rose/geranium, jasmine, or bergamot to create a peaceful ambiance and also to remind yourself to breathe. This blend is sourced sustainably and has therapeutic benefits for mental-emotional wellness.
Incremental changes matter: bit-by-bit, gathering resources that help you regulate your nervous system and come back to center more often will help over time.
Balancing the Heart qi is delicate inner work. Hopefully some of these concepts and tools help you draw a little nearer to your own center.
RESOURCES