A Meditation On Dealing With Fear

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today I want to talk a little bit about dealing with fear,

And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently.

Fear is a natural and often necessary emotion.

It has the power to protect us from harm,

But it can also hold us back if we don't manage it effectively.

We deal with fear from the time we're babies.

It's our body's way of protecting us,

And our fears are learned.

They become conditioned,

Like being afraid of falling because you're always falling down.

Fear triggers the flight or fight response,

A survival mechanism controlled by the autonomic nervous system,

Particularly the sympathetic nervous system.

Here are just a few of the physiological changes that occur when you're afraid.

Increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Your body's getting ready to fight or run.

Rapid breathing.

Your respiratory rate increases to bring in more oxygen.

Your pupils dilate.

Your muscles tense.

You often begin to sweat.

Your digestive system slows down because blood is diverted away to the large muscles to help you fight.

Your senses are heightened.

Your hearing and vision become more sensitive.

And your body releases stress hormones,

Adrenaline,

Noradrenaline,

And cortisol,

And they flood your bloodstream,

Increasing your alertness and energy and reaction speed.

Your blood flow is sent to the major muscle groups,

Like your arms and legs,

And less goes to your extremities,

Like fingers and toes.

These reactions are designed to protect you,

But chronic fear or stress can lead to long-term health issues,

Including anxiety disorders,

High blood pressure,

A weakened immune system,

And more.

But I want you to think about this,

And if you only take one thing away from today's talk,

Let it be this.

Meditation reverses all of the symptoms that fear causes.

Let me say that again.

Meditation reverses all of the symptoms that fear causes.

Close your eyes now,

And let's get in touch with our breath.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Or lying down.

The only thing that truly matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.

So as we begin to relax,

Let's focus on our breath,

Breathing in and breathing out,

Just one breath at a time.

Relax your face,

Unfurl your brow,

And unclench your jaw.

Relax your neck.

It's a common place of tension in today's world.

Relax your shoulders.

Just let your arms drop.

Look for any tension in your chest and belly.

Relax your arms and your hands.

Relax your legs and your feet.

And as you begin to relax,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

Our breath is our anchor.

It's there for us in all moments.

It's there for us in times of joy,

In times of sadness,

And it's there for us when we are fearful.

Now remember that meditation takes care of all of the symptoms that fear causes.

And our breath is there to help us,

To guide us through our fear,

And help us to be more relaxed and more calm and less fearful.

Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.

And our breath is always there for us,

And you have to know that.

Just breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time,

And then again,

And then again.

And that's the way to be in the present moment.

Fear is a construct of our mind,

And we can conquer it by getting in touch with our breath.

Fear becomes a vicious cycle where our mind spins and spins.

Even when the thing that we're afraid of is gone,

The fear cycle can go on.

Now here I'm going to pause for a minute,

So you can just sit and breathe and think,

And I'll be back in a minute.

Now,

Just continue to follow your breath,

Continue to breathe,

And notice where you feel the breath.

Don't just breathe,

Notice your breathing.

Maybe a cool sensation in your nostril as the breath flows in,

Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

Just follow your breath and listen to my voice.

When our fear is focused on a person or a situation,

The fear can linger for years.

And what I need you to know is that we are more powerful than our fear.

Let me say that again.

We are more powerful than our fear.

And here are a few thoughts on dealing with fear.

Acknowledge it.

The first step is to recognize your fear and avoid denying it.

Try to understand the root cause of your fear.

What exactly are you afraid of?

Breaking it down can make it feel more manageable.

Depending on what your fear is,

Face it gradually.

Confronting your fear in small,

Manageable steps can help to desensitize you to it.

Gradual exposure can build your confidence and reduce fear over time.

Practicing meditation and mindfulness.

Techniques like deep breathing and yoga and exercise can help calm your mind and reduce the physical symptoms of fear.

Positive visualization can also help with fear.

Imagine yourself successfully overcoming your fear.

Visualization is a powerful tool to boost your confidence and reduce anxiety.

Sometimes the best way to deal with fear is to take action.

Break down the steps needed to overcome your fear and start making those steps no matter how small.

Remember,

Fear is a common human experience and you're not alone in feeling it.

Everyone has fears and it's okay to be afraid.

The key is not to let your fear control you,

But to use it as a stepping stone to become stronger.

You know how I like quotes.

I'm just going to give you two.

One is from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu who said,

Concise and to the point.

And Nelson Mandela said,

Now just continue to follow your breath.

Our breath is like a river.

It flows,

Flows in and flows out.

Contemplate each breath.

Follow your breath.

Let your breath flow like a river.

Sure and tranquil and calm.

And if you have thoughts,

Just let them go.

And if you hear sounds in the room,

Just let them go as well.

We needn't trouble ourselves with sounds when we're meditating.

Now,

If you feel agreeable,

I'd like you to visualize something.

I'd like you to imagine yourself in a place where you feel completely safe and at peace.

This can be a real place,

A place that you've been or a place that you've created in your mind.

It could be a spot in a book or in a video game.

The most important thing is that you feel safe and comfortable there.

Picture every detail.

Picture the sights,

The sounds,

The smells.

I always pick a forest.

And I imagine the sounds of the birds and the squirrels.

The light coming through the leaves and the trees.

Just feel a sense of calm and security in this place.

Now gently bring your mind to a fear or anxiety that you have.

And without judgment,

Just acknowledge its presence.

Now picture it as a dark cloud.

And as you breathe in,

Imagine drawing in light and strength.

And as you exhale,

Imagine that dark cloud of fear dissolving and becoming smaller and smaller with each exhale.

Just continue to breathe.

Breathing in calm and strength and breathing out fear and anxiety.

Now if you're willing,

I'd like to say some positive affirmations.

I'll say each one twice and you can say it to yourself or out loud.

I am more powerful than my fear.

I am more powerful than my fear.

I will conquer my fear.

I will conquer my fear.

And last one.

My fear will not control me.

My fear will not control me.

Now as we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.

How good it is to be in this moment.

Fear comes to all of us,

But we can conquer it.

And as people who meditate,

You're in the best position to conquer your fear.

Remember,

Meditation negates all of the symptoms that are caused by fear.

Just get in touch with your breath.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.

Till next time.