Recovery Alchemy with Dr. Dallas Bragg
My Story Free Course Meth-Free Blueprint EBook The Aftermeth Podcast Blog
← Back to all posts

Take Control of Your Life - One Breath at a Time

Dec 21, 2024
Connect

How to use HeartMath in recovery.

Do you feel like your life is out of control? As if you are at the mercy of everyone and everything outside of yourself?

It is time to step into your power.

Life in addiction recovery can feel like drowning in the ocean; incredibly overwhelming, hard to breathe, and at the mercy of the undercurrent.


When I quit using the substance, decades of habitual momentum didn’t magically stop. I attempted to find stability by looking for lifelines outside of myself. I fell victim to the volatility of people and things external to me.

I found empowerment through heart coherence.

Once I took control of my emotions, I became my own lifeline. I’ve been able to change the direction of my journey one breath at a time.

Here’s how:


1-Reframe Expectations.

Successful sobriety begins by accepting that it is a long game.

You cannot change the direction of decades of momentum overnight.

Don't set huge goals or make grand resolutions.

2-Become the Observer.

Empowerment is difficult while you are drowning.

Imagine stepping out of the water to observe yourself.

Detach from the overwhelm and simply witness your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

3-Create Gratitude Anchors.

Anchors afford you stillness against the undercurrent.

Find a person or memory that fills you with the most powerful feeling of gratitude.

Now bring this into mind repeatedly.

šŸ’š
My gratitude anchor in early recovery was bringing up the day my kids picked me up from jail for the last time and we went to the park. Standing there I pledged that I would choose them over drugs. That group hug anchored me through MANY nights of temptation and cravings.

4-Change the Course.

HeartMath exercises will allow you to take control of your emotions, which brings the body in alignment.

This is called coherence and daily practice will begin to change the course of your life.

You've taken control from the inside.

🫁
HeartMath Breathing: Turn awareness to the heart, breathe in for 5 and out for 5 long and slow. Bring up the emotion of your gratitude anchor. Your heart tells the brain you are safe, and the brain tells the body to function normally. The Universe can now direct your life.

5-Monitor Through Journaling.

Daily journaling is vital for charting your progress.

Over time, your stress threshold will lower, and you will think clearer, make intuitive decisions, and feel like the author of your story.


So many people are searching for solutions for feeling stuck, finding purpose, or feeling incomplete.

The answers all lie deep within the heart where the entire body is controlled. Once you control your emotions, all of life’s answers come to you by divine grace.

If you’d like to schedule a free session with me to discuss HeartMath more in-depth, email me: at [email protected].

For more on HeartMath visit www.heartmath.com.


Responses

Join the conversation
t("newsletters.loading")
Loading...
Chemfriendly: Safety for Sex Workers
Content Warning: This study guide addresses topics including sexual assault, consent violations, sex work, and substance use in explicit terms. These discussions are intended to support healing and harm reduction. Please engage with this material at your own pace and reach out for support if needed. This week, we welcome AndrƩs Lekanger, chairman of ChemFriendly Norway. This discussion offers...
Choosing Freedom
Ā  This is Part 4 of our 4-part series "Breaking Free from the Approval Trap" (SeeĀ part one,Ā Ā part two, part three).Ā  Marcus's New Path: Conscious Connection Marcus is sitting across from me on our Zoom call, and something is different. There's a settledness in his body that wasn't there six months ago. A quietness in his eyes. "I had a moment this week," he says, "that made me realize how far...
The Art of Intimate Connection
Ā  This week, we take another perspective on the journey to one of, if not the, biggest hurdles for men in chemsex recovery, intimate connection. The path to rediscovering genuine intimacy and connection can feel daunting, especially when substances have been your bridge to physical encounters for so long. Our guest this week, Zari, has created a book of intimacy games titled "Play With Me,"Ā de...

Blog

© 2025 Coaching with Dr. Dallas Bragg | Website by LlanoMedia.com

Join The FREE Challenge

Enter your details below to join the challenge.