Introduction:

This session guides you through a full Heart Space Expansion practice.

It blends tantra, breathwork, mindfulness, mantra, visualization, and Internal Family Systems-style inner connection to support healing and integration.

We begin with a gentle hand-to-heart warmth practice, then add a visualization of a light or flame growing in the heart space. We also introduce the mantra “Ham Sa” (or “Love / Trust”).

From there, we move the flame through the body in rhythm with the breath, letting heart-space energy connect with every part of you, including the places where the past is still holding on.

We close with a full heart-space expansion, visualizing the flame extending to surround your entire body, and ending with the words: ‘May I always find refuge in my heart, may I always be self-led, may I always remember I can heal and regulate myself.

Goal:

To reconnect with the heart space (Self) and use that connection to heal and integrate.

Summary:

Place a hand on the heart.

With the breath, visualize the heart space as a flame, light, or energy growing stronger and brighter.

Entrain (add) a mantra of your choice and connect the movement of the flame to the breath

Send this energy to each part of the body and to a part of the past that is holding on.

Expand this energy to the entirety of your being

Add the intention behind the words, ‘May I always find refuge in my heart, may I always be self-led, may I always remember I can heal and regulate myself.

Progression:

During this practice visualizations, images, connections, insights and other inner awareness and physical sensations may arise. Explore and accept them all with compassionate curiosity and calm confidence.

Whatever arises, offer it loving connection with the suability, delicacy, and persistence of the breath.

Listen next:

Explore more foundational healing practices (or via iTunes, Spotify, & Amazon). You can also find 100’s more tracks, talks, and full courses on the Insight Timer app, and in The Art Of Self-Connection community.

Book a session:

This session was just an introduction to the practice. If you would like to go deeper I also offer 1:1 sessions.

Mindfulness Meditation is the act of purposefully paying non-judgmental attention to the present moment.

Mindfulness both focuses the mind and increases our chances of catching ourselves when distracted by thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

Daily mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve performance, reduce addiction, and lead to all kinds of health benefits.

Description:
This session guides you through a basic mindfulness meditation practice. You’ll adopt a comfortable meditation posture, choose an anchor (the breath at the nose), and rest your attention there. When you notice your mind has wandered, gently and lovingly return it to your anchor. Repeat daily.

Goal:
To build awareness of the nature of the mind and train focus.

Summary:
Sit in a comfortable meditation posture

Use the breath at the nose as your anchor (point of focus)

Notice the sensations of breathing (air moving in and out)

When you notice the mind has wandered, gently return to the breath

Repeat for the length of the session, then practice daily

Progression:

Addition: Posture
Sit upright in chair or on floor. Relax shoulders, soften face. Choose position that feels sustainable, not forced. One that is pain free.

Addition: Labeling
When you notice you’ve drifted, silently label it, “thinking,” “planning,” “remembering,” “hearing,” “feeling”, then return to the breath. If you cannot name a specific thing, label it as “cloud”.

Addition: Counting
When breathing in, silently repeat “in”. When breathing out, silently repeat “out”. Alternatively, count with each breath up to ten, then begin again at zero. This process can increase focus.

Addition: Mantra
Similar to the counting above you can add a mantra that is pegged to the breath, said internally. Eg: “Ham Sa” or “Love/Trust” or any other word or phrase of your choosing. This process can increase focus.

Listen next:
Explore more foundational healing practices (or via iTunes, Spotify, & Amazon). You can also find 100’s more tracks, talks, and full courses on the Insight Timer app, and in The Art Of Self-Connection community.

Book a session:
This session was just an introduction to the practice. If you would like to go deeper I also offer 1:1 sessions.

Box breathing, also known as 'Square' or 'Tactical' breathing, is a simple and always available technique that will help calm the nervous system and regulate.

Use it in response to heightened emotions, anxiety, or when you are not feeling grounded.

Description:

This session guides you through box (square) breathing, a simple four-count pattern that helps reduce anxiety and support calm. There’s no lead-in or introduction and no counting, just clear cues to breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold. Calming background music plays throughout.

Goal:

To reduce anxiety and promote calm through breathwork (activation of the parasympathetic nervous system)

Summary:

Breathe in for four seconds

Hold for four seconds

Breathe out for four seconds

Hold for four seconds

Repeat

Progression:

Addition: Visualization

In your minds eye picture a square.

Starting with the in breath at the bottom left corner, visualize yourself (or a ball of energy) moving up. As you hold the breath, visualize it moving to the right, then as you hold visualize it moving down, and as you breathe out visualize it moving back to the start point.

Addition: The 'Yogic' Breath

All breathwork that aims to calm the nervous system can be summarized as: 'Nose, Low, and Slow' - but for a more comprehensive instruction, we explore the 'yogic' breath:

Inhale slowly through your nose, letting the breath fill your belly first, then rise into your chest, and finally lift toward your neck/collarbones.

Exhale slowly in reverse, releasing from the neck/collarbones, softening the chest, and emptying the belly last. Keep the flow smooth and unforced.

Addition: Finger Counting

Connect the thumb and pointer finger together for one set of box breathing, then connect the thumb and middle finger for another set of box breathing (repeating for ring and pinky finger).

Place attention upon the sensations of the fingers touching.

One ‘hand’ is for cycles of 16 seconds, thus approximately one minute of meditation.

Listen next:

Explore more foundational healing practices (or via iTunes, Spotify, & Amazon). You can also find 100’s more tracks, talks, and full courses on the Insight Timer app, and in The Art Of Self-Connection community.

Book a session:

This session was just an introduction to the practice. If you would like to go deeper I also offer 1:1 sessions.