If yoga was a science it would be the science of feeling happy, of making better decisions and being able to regulate our emotions appropriately and this Joy meditation illustrates this perfectly.

Your heart sends out an electrical current that others around us can feel and tune into. When you are in a loving and kind place your heartbeat encourages others to be in that state with you. You might call this resonance.

Several years ago I took a course on Heart Math to learn more about it and to help myself when days seem dark and gloomy. I figured since I did a lot of yoga breath work that this would be a piece of cake. After hooking up the sensor it was easy to get to 80% compliance on heart rate variability. To get into the 90% zone however, I needed to add on the missing piece.

It was amazing to watch the numbers and feel that sense of calm come over your body and mind when you do add in that image of joy.

The other interesting piece that I found through the course, is that it's not always easy to have that image pop into your mind.

If you are feeling very angry or depressed those images of joy are not readily available to call up out of the blue. This is where you internal memory book of images and moments comes in handy. If you have previously “stored” these images away for this purpose they will come to mind a lot easier.

Give it a try, follow this simple heart math exercise which can be done anywhere, anytime.

Connecting your heart and brain to reduce anxiety

Yoga + Breath = Calm

Yoga poses and breathing help to calm our heart rate and reduce anxiety however there is another key piece to the puzzle to add in.

+ Joy

Hooked up to a computer and heart rate monitor I discovered that the power of yogic breathing was enough to put me in the good (80%) zone but to get into that top 90% calm range I needed to add in that picture of joy.

This simple exercise combines the power of yoga breathing with a vision of joy and happiness. Practice this during Savasana at the beginning or end of class.

Joy Meditation to Lower Heart Rate

Start off by being aware of your heart center. Take several breaths focusing on relaxing this area around the heart.

Add in your slow easy breaths – imagining you could draw your breath right into the center of your heart.

Next envision something that brings you joy, something that makes you happy. It could be a person, pet, scene in nature, something you love to do….. Continue to breathe in and out through your heart center as you think about that moment of joy.

When we really need to calm anxiety or anger it can be hard to think of those moments of joy. So start collecting a mental album of moments to think back on so they are ready and available when you need them.

Yoga + Breath + Joy = Calm for Everyone

Give it a try right now and share in the comments below how you feel and where else you will use this amazingly simple tool.