Hi,
Welcome to this guided meditation on overcoming your fears.
My name is Juana and I'm honored to guide you through this journey today.
Please begin by finding yourself a comfortable position with your back straight sitting tall.
Place your hands on your knees,
Palms facing upward.
Close your eyes and I want you to imagine you are sitting in front of a big blazing bonfire.
Picture its brilliant flames lighting up the otherwise dark space around you.
Hear the crackling and pops of the firewood beneath it.
Allow the warmth of this fire to comfort you as you settle in.
Begin with some nice deep breaths to help you land here and now.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Slowly and steadily.
Feel yourself melting into a deeper state of relaxation with every breath in and out as you admire the hypnotic dance of the fire in your mind's eye.
If your mind has wandered off,
Which it will,
Just bring it back by reconnecting consciously with your breath and the fire.
Take a moment and relax your attention,
Breathing in a way that feels most comfortable to you.
Fear Fear is triggered by the belief that someone or something is dangerous,
Painful or threatening.
There is an acronym that says that fear is false evidence appearing real.
The truth of the matter is most of the fears we face are false.
This is not to say all fear is delusional or not true.
We need a good dose of fear to protect us from harm.
We need fear to tell us to swerve in another direction when a car is heading straight towards us.
We need our fear to protect us from getting too close to the fire.
Fear has ensured the survival of the human species.
It told our hunter and gatherer ancestors to run from deadly predators wanting to feast on us.
But these deadly predators have now been replaced by our bosses,
Our colleagues,
Perhaps our spouses,
Family,
Venues,
Social media.
That's when our fear no longer serves us,
But rather causes great anxiety and pain.
Our fears have become more imaginative than real,
More mental than physical.
We fear rejection,
We fear taking risks,
We fear standing out.
These sorts of fears don't protect us.
Quite the contrary,
They squander our potential.
They keep us small.
They keep us hidden in our metaphorical caves,
In the same way our ancestors hid in caves.
The difference is they were protecting themselves from lions.
We on the other hand are mostly protecting ourselves from illusions in our head.
And in doing so,
We avoid living our life to the fullest.
Our true power comes in learning to identify fear as an opportunity for growth and not as a trigger to hide or run away.
I want you to take these next moments to reflect on the sorts of fears that are holding you back in your own life.
Use the power of the fire to help illuminate any limiting fears you have.
You may choose to place your hands on your heart during this time of reflection to really dig in deep.
You may choose to place your hands on your heart during this time of reflection to really dig in deep.
Let's use the power of the spawn fire before you to help you release some of these fears held within you through a breathing practice called Breath of Fire.
Please note,
If you have cardiac problems,
Spinal disorders,
Respiratory infections,
Or are pregnant,
Just stick to long,
Slow,
Deep breathing instead.
We will begin slow and build up a comfortable rhythm as we would a fire.
With one hand placed on your belly,
Inhale through your nose,
Feeling your belly expand as you do so.
Without taking any pause,
Exhale powerfully through your nose while snapping your navel back into your spine as your belly draws back in,
Contracting your abdominal muscles.
The inhale is passive while the exhale is active.
Try it again,
Making sure to keep your inhales and exhales equal in length.
Continue the rhythm,
Inhaling passively and exhaling powerfully.
Once you are comfortable with this pattern,
Speed up the inhales and exhales.
Your exhales will become very powerful and loud.
With every sharp exhale out,
I want you to imagine yourself releasing any fear held within you.
Blow it out and into the fire.
Watch it dissolve in an instant,
Engulfed by the purifying flames.
Breathe out all fears that no longer serve you.
Exhale all that is holding you back.
Let it all go.
Let it all burn.
Watch as the fire grows bigger and bigger with each of the fears you feed it.
Let out anything else that needs to go.
Watch it all burn in front of you.
Last few breaths.
As we come to the end of our Breath of Fire cleansing practice,
Exhale all the air out.
Settle your breath into a comfortable rhythm and flow.
Feel the release and welcome any sensations in your body.
Just be.
Feel free to return to this Breath of Fire technique anytime you feel overwhelmed by your fears as it helps you feel calmer by reducing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for the fight or flight response.
It's now time to return,
So thank the fire for all it has helped you with and bring your full attention back into your body.
Feel the energy blazing within you.
Slowly and mindfully move your shoulders,
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
And slowly flutter open your eyes.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of overcoming your fears.
A fire is always burning deep within you and your breath is always there for you,
So use them both wisely.
