This mindfulness exercise is designed to help you overcome your fears on the road to recovery from anxiety,
Depression or trauma.
One of the harmful effects of trauma is fear.
A common feature of trauma is feeling fearful of communicating with confidence or assertiveness.
We can overcome these feelings by reflecting on experiences when we have accomplished several times what we are currently feeling afraid of.
Also,
By meditating and connecting to our places of safety,
Security and well-being,
We can recover the parts of us where we stand in power and truth when we speak.
By remembering our best selves,
We gain the capacity to take on challenges with strength.
This provides the mind with the belief that you are greater than your past and bigger than anything that's ever happened to you.
And most important of all,
You are not your trauma.
You are so much more and you can shape your future to be as bright and healthy as you desire.
If you feel a bit powerless,
Helpless,
Trapped,
Immobilized,
Defeated or despairing,
Then this practice of cultivating your agency to overcome fear can help turn the tide to reawaken the feeling of what it's like to make things happen in your life rather than be fearful of whatever might come next.
So with that in mind,
We will practice feeling our agency or place of willfulness in a guided mindfulness exercise together.
This will open our place of truth and power from which we can project our hopes and dreams beyond our fears and insecurities.
So now please find a posture in which you can feel relaxed and that which ensures your alertness.
So close your eyes and settle in your body,
Feeling your feet on the floor,
The weight of your body on the chair,
And take a few deep breaths.
Inhale to the count of three,
Hold for a count of three,
And then exhale for a count of three.
Let's do this together.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Exhale,
Two,
Three.
One more time.
Inhale,
Two,
Three,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
And exhale,
Two,
Three.
Good work.
Now reflect on a time in your life when you felt really good about having attained a goal.
What goal do you feel really proud of?
What choices and actions did you make?
What were some of the little things that led up to it?
Consider how you have added value in situations or to other people,
And now reflect on some things that you get done over the course of a day.
Recall ways you influenced others or played a leadership role,
Perhaps in the family,
Friendship,
Or business.
Bring mindfulness to some of the positive choices you have made,
All empowering experiences that led to a greater feeling of accomplishment.
See if you can open to this feeling and let it fill you.
Help it last and allow it to become more intense in your mind,
Your heart,
And your body.
You have made things happen.
You are competent.
You are effective,
And you will continue to be so.
Bring mindfulness to any other feelings that may arise,
Like dignity,
Self-respect,
Or a sense of possibility.
If you happen to feel any resistance to this sense of success or self-worth right now,
That's okay and completely normal.
See if you can gently bring your mind back to remembering some of the good feelings after you did something that you are really proud of doing.
Feel the sense of accomplishment or agency sink into you,
And remember that you can tap into this feeling anytime you remember it.
You can also sense what it will be like to accomplish more,
Even the little tasks of the day,
When you feel satisfied with meeting your goals that contribute to your well-being and the well-being of others.
Open to the reality that you can build on a foundation of what you have already done.
Let ease spread through your body and mind,
And release any pressure or drivenness.
If there is a sense of fragility somewhere in your consciousness,
It can be useful to imagine a nurturing person who is holding you as a child,
Reassuring you that you will reach your goals,
That you are special and powerful,
And that you can get things done and make a difference.
Thank you for your courage to do this practice with me today.
Please remember,
Along with your trauma,
There may be natural or common feelings or beliefs of entrapment,
Immobilization,
And helplessness.
To some degree,
You may not feel like you can escape the awfulness of it,
But in order to overcome your fears and to remember who you truly are,
Bring into awareness your inner potential that you have and have always had inside of you,
Ready to unleash at any time.
Remember a time when you felt accomplished or successful at having done something,
Or pay attention to the little things that you do each day that make a difference to yourself and the people around you.
Now repeat these affirmations as you move through your day today.
I am an iceberg with a lot of hidden potential.
I can roar like a lion and accomplish anything I want out of this day.
I don't give up.
I don't give in to my fears.
When I'm feeling afraid,
I come to this mindfulness practice.
In doing so,
I root for me.
I now stand in my purpose and vision.
I take steady action towards accomplishing my goal.
I am determined to succeed.
I stand in my power and truth.
I communicate from my place of power and truth.
If you are experiencing fear of not being able to reach your goals or communicate effectively,
Please come to this mindfulness session often to recover your sense of who you truly are and what you are capable of accomplishing in this world.
My friend,
Shine your light brightly and illuminate the world around you,
Sending you love and care.
