Unlock Your 2025 Potential: Your Heart Holds The Key

As I write my first blog for 2025, I find myself wondering: when do we stop wishing people a "Happy New Year"? I haven’t figured that out yet, so for now, I'll simply wish you a Happy New Year!

Let me start by addressing the elephant in the room - New Year's resolutions. They are not broken because they are resolutions; they fail because they focus on unrealistic changes without a clear intention of who you want to become. A resolution becomes a wish when it does not account for your identity. Lasting change happens when we stop chasing outcomes and start committing to the kind of person we’re ready to grow into.

Achieving lasting change takes more than thinking differently, it’s about aligning your heart and mind, and one powerful way to do this is through the practice of heart coherence, which helps create a deeper sense of balance and clarity. Let's explore.

Why Thinking Alone Isn’t the Answer

You have learned to rely on motivation and willpower to solve problems, but this approach often falls short. When your mind is overwhelmed, stuck in negative loops, or hijacked by stress, it struggles to find solutions. Thinking your way out of a problem without addressing the root emotional and physiological states creating it is like paddling against the tide; you work really hard without getting very far.

Heart coherence offers a way to break this cycle. You can shift out of reactive patterns and tap into your full potential by calming your nervous system and creating a harmonious connection between your heart and brain. From this balanced state, clearer thinking and better decisions naturally follow.

The key to progress requires you to give yourself entirely to the process.

The Heart's Surprising Influence

It makes perfect sense to me that most people think the brain calls all the shots, but the heart plays a more significant role than you might expect.

The heart sends far more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart, with 80-90% of the vagus nerve's signals flowing from the heart and body to the brain, impacting emotion, stress, and decision-making. Additionally, the heart has its own "brain", a network of about 40,000 neurons that process information and adjust the body’s responses accordingly.

Your vagus nerve is a key part of your body’s communication system. It is the longest cranial nerve, running from your brainstem to your abdomen, connecting your brain, heart, lungs, and digestive system. It plays a pivotal role in regulating your nervous system and controlling functions like your heart rate, breathing, and digestion.

When the heart’s rhythms are chaotic, as they are in the presence of stress or overwhelm, your brain receives disorganized signals, impairing your focus and judgment. But when your heart’s rhythms are smooth and coherent, the brain gets clear instructions, creating a state of calm, clarity, and emotional balance. This is the foundation for staying consistent and achieving your New Year's resolutions.

A study by McCraty et al. (2009), published in Integral Review, supports this connection. Their research shows that during heart coherence, achieved through focused breathing and positive emotions, the heart’s rhythmic patterns become more orderly, communicating coherent signals to the brain. This process enhances activity in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher-order thinking, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.

A Simple Practice to Transform Your Year

Heart coherence is not complicated; it’s a practical, science-backed method to regulate your nervous system and create the internal environment needed for success. Here’s how you can start:

Step 1: Heart-Focused Breathing

1. Find a quiet space and sit comfortably.

2. Place one hand over your heart. Some of my clients have a high level of interoception, which allows them to feel more internal awareness. Don't worry if you do not notice anything.

3. Breathe deeply and evenly, imagining your breath flowing in and out of your chest. Aim for a rhythm of 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out.

   
   

Step 2: Generate Positive Emotions

Recall a memory or thought that evokes feelings of gratitude, joy, or love. It can be anything, don't overthink it. This step is crucial for creating smooth, harmonious heart rhythms.

Step 3: Enhance with These Additions

• Physiological Sigh: Take a deep inhale, then a second quick inhale before exhaling slowly with a sigh. Repeat as many times as necessary (usually between 2 and 30) until you experience an uncontrolled yawn (sign of relaxation). If you notice any lightheadedness or tingling, stop the practice.

• Collarbone Tapping: Gently tap the inner edges of your collarbones while focusing on something that evokes positive emotions. Once you experience the yawn, breathe normally and continue tapping for 30 seconds, still focused on the positive emotion.

• Humming: On each exhale, hum softly to stimulate the vagus nerve, enhancing relaxation and coherence.

Bonus: Cold Stimulation

End your session by splashing your face with cold water or placing an ice cube in a Ziploc bag and gently rubbing it around either eye five times. This helps further calm your nervous system.

Why This Is A Game Changer For Your Resolutions

When your heart, brain, and nervous system are in harmony, you create a foundation of clarity, resilience, and emotional balance. These qualities are essential for:

• Building Momentum: With a calm, focused mind, you are less likely to give up on the first obstacle or give in to limiting beliefs.

• Making Better Decisions: Coherence sharpens your ability to prioritise and follow through.

• Reducing Stress: By regulating your nervous system, you’ll prevent overwhelm from derailing your progress.

• Moments of Opportunity:  Coherence creates a moment of opportunity for new possibilities, allowing you to observe moments for growth and adaptation that might otherwise pass unnoticed.

Make heart coherence a daily routine instead of relying solely on motivation and willpower this year. Start with just 5 minutes, and watch your inner calm and focus support your growth in 2025.

2025: The Year Of Alignment

The beauty of this practice lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. By bringing moments of calm to your body, you are equipping yourself with the resilience and clarity to realise your resolutions finally.

2025 is your year. Let’s make it one of proper growth your future self will be proud of.

Thank you for taking the time to read. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to follow me on socials for more insights.

Your coach,

Brett

References:

1. McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Tomasino, D., & Bradley, R. T. (2009). The Coherent Heart: Heart-Brain Interactions, Psychophysiological Coherence, and the Emergence of System-Wide Order. Integral Review, 5(2), 10-115.