Anxiety Relief

Anxiety comes in various shades and forms and although it is arguably a necessary part of the human condition,

It can also be extremely debilitating and damaging if not managed or controlled.

Anxiety can be triggered by many things,

An experience,

An insecurity,

A feeling of self-doubt,

A feeling of not being good enough,

A fear of failure,

A fear of being hurt,

A fear of being found out.

The list can go on and on but ultimately the overarching feeling we have is simply fear.

The aim of this meditation is to try and help you manage and maybe over time help free you from your anxieties and fear.

All our fears start off as seeds.

Once the seeds have been sown in our minds we unwittingly cultivate them.

By allowing our minds to drift from the present moment we harvest negative energy from our past or our futures to feed these seeds.

When we drift off we really labor on the good things that have happened in our lives or the good things that might happen in our lives.

The more we harvest these negative energies,

The more we feed these seeds.

The more they can consume us,

The more likely we are to manifest them in reality.

The more likely we are to enforce negative behavioral patterns.

The more likely we are to lose confidence in ourselves,

In our abilities,

In our potential,

In our perceived worth.

This potential spiral of self-destruction can shape us,

Hinder us,

Make us deeply unhappy and ultimately prevent us from realizing our true potential.

I now invite you to find a comfortable position that you can hold without discomfort.

Try and close your eyes or take a soft gaze,

Not focusing on anything specifically.

Settle into your position and then draw your awareness to your natural breath.

Don't alter the pattern of your breath,

Merely focus on the natural inhales and exhales.

I invite you now to balance your breath so that your inhales are the same length as your exhales.

Choose a breath pattern that is comfortable and sustainable for you today and then try to maintain a balanced breath throughout this meditation.

Perhaps start by trying to inhale for a count of four and then exhaling for a count of four.

For example,

Inhale two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale two,

Three,

Four.

Inhale two,

Three,

Four,

Exhale two,

Three,

Four.

Remember there is no right or wrong and you might need a longer or maybe a shorter breath count today.

Either way,

Just enjoy slowing down and connecting with and balancing your breath without fully immersing yourself into your fears and invite you to try and feel them now.

Explore how they make you feel.

Be honest with yourself.

How does it affect your breath?

Does your breath shorten?

Does it become shallow or even panicked?

How does it affect you physically?

Can you feel your posture change?

Does it feel as though you withdraw into yourself?

You start to slouch or sink into yourself or is it worse do you feel out of control and powerless?

It may feel like you're using your body as a shield to weather the storm.

Whether in the emotional assault hoping that it will end soon focused on merely surviving and keeping your head above water.

I invite you now to try and picture this fear as a room.

Go into detail.

What is the lighting like in the room?

How many walls does it have?

What is the color of the room?

Are there windows?

Does it have furniture?

What is the temperature like in the room?

What does the energy of the room feel like?

Is there a smell to the room?

Now notice if the room changes in size or shape as your emotions change.

As your fears magnify how does that affect the room?

Does the room become darker?

Does it feel like the walls are closing in?

Does it feel like there's no room to move?

No room to breathe?

Conversely I now invite you to try and notice what the room feels like when you are not so overcome with these negative emotions.

Does the room feel lighter?

Not just in color but also in shape and space.

Do you feel as though the walls are further away?

That you have room to breathe?

To maneuver?

To make decisions?

Do you feel as though you have options?

Room to be creative?

I now invite you to be brave and voluntarily walk into this room.

You notice that this time you instinctively feel different in there.

You walked into the room with confidence and with a different energy.

An energy of strength,

Power,

Stability and self-belief.

Initially you might feel this is not possible because instinctively you start to shrink back into yourself.

A hard land response,

A survival technique,

An involuntary protection measure.

However you feel different today and instantly notice how the room starts to change.

The more you slow and deepen your breath the quicker the room expands and lightens.

This gives you slow but gradual confidence and feeds the embers of self-belief.

You are fortified by the empowering realization that fear and the subsequent emotional spiral that usually follows are totally within your control.

In fact more often than not we generate in our minds the worst possible scenarios that usually never happen.

But despite our rational selves we still torture ourselves mentally.

Either agonizing on decisions we made in the past or worrying about what might happen in the future.

You then notice that the speed in which the mind can make this imaginary room close in on you can also be applied to push the walls back.

Picture yourself pushing them back with every long slow rhythmical breath creating space and light until eventually you completely remove the walls.

You then notice you're surrounded by a beautiful shimmering protective bubble of light that forms all around you.

This bubble is filled with a feeling of love,

Positivity and optimism.

You notice that the slower,

Deeper and more rhythmical you make your breaths the more the bubble expands and the more you feel the light and warmth within it.

Now imagine seeing the room being replaced by beautiful open space.

Rolling fields full of flowers,

Trees and long grass gently sway in the warm breeze,

Bees buzzing,

Birds chirping.

An intoxicating feeling of happiness,

Security,

Space,

Creativity come over you.

The more you feel it the taller you feel.

As you sit there feel your spine lengthen,

Your chest puff,

Your chin rise.

You feel a large smile come across your face.

Allow that feeling of expanse and the smile to come across your face.

Feel the frequency of your energy change within you.

Allow the warm embrace of happiness,

Empowerment,

Self-belief and love wash over you.

If your mind wanders gently bring it back to your breath,

To your shimmering bubble,

To that warm embrace of happiness,

Empowerment,

Self-belief and love.

Feel it and encourage it to wash over you once again.

Now notice how creative and energised you feel,

How confident you feel in yourself and your abilities.

This feeling is actually self-assurance.

No one else can give it to you and more importantly no one else can take it away from you.

Embrace the realisation that you are enough as you are right now,

That you have the power and potential already within you.

Remember that those dark clouds of fear,

Self-doubt and pressures of life will always be around you but the massive difference now is that you have unlocked the power to create this safe space,

This protective bubble that enables you to move out of survival mode and into a state of thriving.

You now have an overwhelming feeling of resilience,

Happiness and power.

You feel ready to take on new challenges,

To roll with inevitable punches that life will throw at you,

To see failure as the foundation of future successes.

Now bring your awareness slowly back to the room.

Now notice how tall you are sitting,

How high you're holding your head,

The smile on your face.

Notice the feeling of light shining from you,

Illuminating your path into the future,

Guiding you and protecting you,

Motivating and inspiring you and those around you.

You are the source of this light and remember no one can take this from you.

However if later in your day or week it feels as though the walls of the room have returned,

That they are closing in on you once again,

Then merely try to carve out some time out of your day for you and revisit this meditation.

Knowing that the more often you meditate,

The more often you create space for you,

The more often you can give back to yourself,

The easier it will become and the more rewarding it will become.

You