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LESSON 2

T Take a Breath & Touch Your Heart

“Your heart is the strongest part of you.

When you tap into that feeling of connection
and love and compassion — for yourself and
others — you’re capable of anything.”
— Marie Forleo

LESSON RECAP

Now that you’ve said “Everything is figureoutable” out loud, you’re ready for
step two: Take a breath and touch your heart.

• When you perceive a threat, your amygdala floods your system with stress
hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.

• Your prefrontal cortex is the command center of your brain. But when
you get stressed, it goes offline, making it harder for you to control
your emotional impulses, understand consequences, and make complex
decisions.

• Breathing is a simple and effective way to get your prefrontal cortex back
online so you can think more clearly and effectively.

• By touching your heart during this process, you create an anchor. You’re
reminding yourself to tap into that deeper source of wisdom and to
respond from a place of love and compassion. It’s a way to get your brain/
body connection going and align your head with your heart.

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INSIGHT INTO ACTION

1. K N OW T H Y SE L F

Before we can gain clarity by taking a breath and touching our hearts, it’s
helpful to know when you go into stress mode and what that looks like for
you.

Was there ever a time you reacted out of fear, anger, or upset and caused
yourself or others more pain? What actionable lesson can you take away
from that experience?

When was a time you had a strong negative emotional reaction, but wisely
took a moment (or day) and responded from your highest and best self?
What was the result?

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Go ahead and touch your heart, and take a few breaths. What changes do
you notice? Who or what do you think about? What do you feel when you
intentionally touch your heart in this way?

2 . TA K E A BR E ATH

Remember, taking a breath is meant to

counteract your brain’s natural fight or TRY THIS!

flight response when things go wrong. Box Breathing

While helpful if you’re getting chased
by a bear, this stress response isn’t
always helpful when you’re confronted
with a surprise credit card bill, traffic
Mark Divine, a former Navy SEAL,
popularized this technique — a slow,
controlled breath that helps you
feel deeply grounded, yet alert and
focused. It only takes 5 minutes and
you can do it anywhere.

jam, or bad day at the office.

Instructions
1. Inhale for 4 seconds.
Deep breathing activates the 2. Hold the air in your lungs for 4
seconds.
parasympathetic nervous system,
3. Exhale for 4 seconds, emptying all
bringing us into a relaxed state. the air from your lungs.
4. Hold, with your lungs now empty,
for 4 seconds.
In other words, breathing triggers our
This is one circuit of box breathing.
“relaxation response.” 5. Repeat for 5 minutes.

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A recent study1 found that just two minutes of deep breathing will improve
your decision-making performance and prevent stress under pressure.

So when it comes to figuring out a problem, always take a moment to

B R E A T H E.

Okay, ready? BIG INHALE and…

3 . T OUC H YOU R H E A RT

The heart communicates with the brain and body in 4 ways2:

• Neurologically (the nervous system)

• Biochemically (through hormones)

• Biophysically (through pressure waves)

• Energetically (through your electromagnetic field)

As we get our hearts, minds and bodies aligned — what’s known as emotional
coherence — our physiological systems operate at a higher level. This helps us
make better decisions.

Exercise Instructions
Think about the thing you’re trying to figure out right now. Touch your heart,
inhale and exhale. We suggest at least three deep, full breaths, but please
continue as long as you’d like.

_________
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30826382

2 https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/heart-brain-communication/

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Notice how you feel when you’re doing this. What feels different about the
challenge you’re facing? What feels possible after you’ve tapped into your
heart and inner wisdom?

The next time your landlord calls to say that he’s raising your rent, or your
dog throws up on your brand new carpet, or you get some other frustrating
or disappointing or alarming news, say “Everything is figureoutable” out loud
(Step 1), then take at least three deep breaths as you touch your heart (Step
2). In just a few seconds, you’ll feel more grounded, clear and present.

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QUIZ + REVIEW

Testing your knowledge will help you install these principles more deeply
in your brain. We’re all about integrative learning here, so don’t skip this
step! If you need it, the answer key is on the bottom of this page, or you can
reference the transcript for this video.

1. When you get triggered into fight or flight mode, your brain gets
drenched in _______________________________________ .

2. The part of your brain that helps you make thoughtful, emotionally-
intelligent decisions is called the _______________________________________________________ .

3. “Fight or flight” is also called the __________________________________________ .

4. Breathing helps change your _______________________________________________ .

5. By touching your _________________ ________ during this process, you create a

powerful anchor that reminds you to tap into that deeper source wisdom
and respond from a place of love and compassion.

5. Heart.
ANSWERS: 1. Cortisol. 2. Prefrontal Cortex. 3. Stress response. 4. Biochemistry.

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BR I L L I A NT !
This simple process will help you excel in the face of life’s challenges.
The more you practice, the more automatic it will become.

Remeber to complete

THE EVERYTHING
IS FIGUREOUTABLE
TM

DAILY PRACTICE
See you tomorrow for step three!

“The wisest one-word sentence? Breathe.”

— Terri Guillemets

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