Meditation for chronic body anxiety.
I'm glad you're here to practice with me today.
Living with chronic anxiety,
Especially the variety that seems to be purely body-based without the typical mental emotional looping is very challenging.
Body anxiety can arise from many factors,
Head injury,
Hormonal issues,
Endocrine or sugar imbalances,
Heart conditions,
Lung issues,
Chronic fatigue conditions,
Drug side effects,
And many other conditions that tend to dysregulate our nervous system.
It can be difficult to maintain balance when your mind and heart feel steady,
But your body seems automatically locked into anxiety patterns.
We are hardwired to pay close attention to body sensations of anxiety,
Pounding heart,
Upset gut,
Shakiness,
Dry mouth,
Or sweating as these sensations normally alert us to danger.
It's also very challenging when doctors cannot determine what is causing this body anxiety.
My intention is that this meditation can hopefully provide you with some tools to be with your anxiety with less fear,
More compassion,
And the intention to remind your body of balance and steadiness.
Let's begin.
Come into a comfortable position,
Sitting or lying down.
Take a moment to adjust your body to be as comfortable as it can be.
Then consciously acknowledge to yourself that you are in a safe enough environment to do this practice.
Feel your body being supported by the surface beneath it.
Let your weight really sink down,
Consciously softening your muscles to land into the support.
As you turn your attention inwards,
Sensations of anxiety may likely be the first awareness you have.
So say hi to your anxiety.
I see you.
You've been a constant companion with me for a while now.
Notice and name the sensations you are feeling right now.
Perhaps a fast heart rate,
Upset stomach,
Tight muscles,
Or other sensations.
Pace yourself as you attend to these sensations.
You may only be able to greet them quickly before you need to shift your attention.
And then some of you may be able to linger a bit longer,
Noticing them,
Naming them,
And sensing where they are.
Spending too much time focusing on the sensations can lead to some overwhelm,
Which will not be helpful.
So it's best to start with attending less rather than attending more.
Now shift your attention to a time when you felt less anxious or more regulated.
This can be a time in the last few weeks when you had some good moments of rest or lessening of body anxiety.
Some of you experience your anxiety only at night or only during the day.
So shift your focus of attention to a time when you have had less anxiety sensations.
Remember these moments kind of fill in the sensations that you have when you have a little less anxiety.
What do you notice?
Softer muscles,
Easier breathing,
Or perhaps a greater sense of steadiness?
Embrace the goodness of these remembered sensations,
Even if they feel so far away or such gentle wisps of memory.
If you can't remember any moment specifically,
Try imagining what it might feel like to have less anxiety.
Sometimes just this practice itself of remembering and helping our body to remember moments of less anxiety can ease our experience even just a bit.
Next,
Invite your body to come into dialogue with you.
You can open this conversation with statements like,
Dear body,
I see you are struggling.
I know intrinsically that you want to come back into balance.
It's so hard to be anxious all the time for both of us,
Isn't it?
I know you're doing the best you can.
How can I help you come back into regulation?
Notice if your body has any response to your statements of care and kindness,
Or perhaps your body might have information to give you.
These responses may come in the form of images,
Sensations,
Insights,
Or an intuitive nudges.
Try not to think with your conscious mind what the answer might be.
And nothing may seem to come.
So please don't worry.
It takes time to build rapport and dialogue with our body.
Next,
I'd like you to imagine a room or area in your body where all the intricacies of our body processes can be modulated.
Perhaps it might look like a control room with a panel of dials or levers.
Or maybe it's a cozy cushioned room where you can settle.
Whatever your imagined place is,
See if you can find a lever or a dial or a switch that can either turn down or turn up your anxiety.
Notice on a scale of one to ten how much anxiety you are feeling right now.
Are you at a level three or level seven in this moment?
See if you can turn the dial or lever down just one notch.
As you do this,
Imagine signals going out to your brain,
Your nervous system,
And body that tells it it's okay to soften the anxiety.
You may visualize or feel these signals as electrical sensations or images of little sparks moving along your neurons or perhaps chemical packets being transported to the area of your body that needs settling.
Invite your imagination to really be creative.
And notice what begins to happen in your body as you play with these levers or dials.
Now try turning the dial up on your anxiety.
This may feel counterproductive,
But just experiment.
Be really curious.
Do you feel more anxiety sensations as you move the dial up a notch?
Now try turning the dial down again.
Notice what,
If anything,
Happens in your body.
You can practice turning the dial or lever up and down if you wish,
But do it slowly and with great curiosity.
This practice invites us to give our body a kind nudge or intention that it can come into balance,
Even just a little bit,
Even just for a short time.
We are opening the space for the body to come down from sympathetic fight,
Flight,
Anxiety activation into more of a rest and digest parasympathetic response.
Be very patient.
Depending on your condition,
Medications or illness,
There might not be much change for a long time.
But just doing this practice can give you a sense of agency with your challenging sensations,
Rather than feeling helpless.
Remember that our body is always striving to come back into homeostasis or balance.
It always wants to heal.
And when you do have moments of respite from your body anxiety,
Really deeply savor them.
Embodying the felt sensations of peacefulness or slowness or softness can help our body remember them when it's feeling anxious.
Easy breathing,
Relaxed muscles,
Slow heart rate,
A content stomach,
Softness.
Remember these states daily.
It's very good medicine.
Thank yourself and your body for being willing to focus in the way in this way.
And remember your imagination and curiosity for other images or ideas to help yourself modulate your anxiety.
And above all,
Be so very kind to your body and your heart.
I wish you each peace and deep rest for each of you.
