Find Your BRAVE SPACE

  • Research by Bessel van der Kolk demonstrates how stress becomes stored in the body.  Learning how to acknowledge bodily sensations and release emotional energy helps alleviate distressful bodily impact.
  • When you are grounded, your energy resides low and deep in your body, giving you a feeling of openness or relaxation. When you are stressed or anxious, your energy rises up in your chest. You may feel uptight or flighty.
  • You have probably experienced this when you received bad news; your energy leapt up in your chest and unconsciously you gasped and grabbed your chest.  Why?  Because your body already knows how to help you stay grounded.  The Anchoring Heart Technique simply applies this innate body wisdom-applying it consciously.  The result?  You become aware of the brave space that resides within you that is capable of holding your emotional pain.

Anchoring Heart

This simple 3-step self-help tool connects you to THE brave space within yourself

step 1

Place one hand or both hands firmly and tenderly over your heart. Breathe deeply.

step 2

Feel whatever you are experiencing, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

step 3

Be curious about the place inside you that is strong enough to hold your pain without fear. Get to know your BRAVE SPACE.

The Anchoring Heart Technique...

Is an act of self-compassion that creates brave inner space.

Opens connections to the grace of your BE-ing.

Re-trains your brain to remain peaceful, (not fearful) when hurt and stress abound.

Anchoring Heart Stories

Marie Bainbridge

Marie Bainbridge, a Vietnam Veteran Bronze-star recipient, uses the Anchoring Heart Technique when her PTSD is triggered. However, she says she also uses it in many ordinary situations: "I can be impatient in traffic. If I'm in a store and someone is blocking the aisle so no one can get around them, I want to huff and puff and complain about their self-centeredness. Now, I use the Anchoring Heart Technique to cultivate patience, courtesy, and self-control. It really helps."

Ralph Ozmun

Ralph Ozmun was the Volunteer Coordinator at Smoky Mountain Home Health & Hospice. After learning about the Anchoring Heart Technique at a Soul Injury conference, he went back to his agency and provided an inservice on the topic. Below is what he writes about what happened following the inservice: