Cutting Through Anxiety Most people's lives are full of so much.
.
.
So much distraction,
So much intention,
So much self-criticism.
.
.
That we get caught up,
Which brings forth the experience of anxiety.
You're not alone.
I have definitely lived this way.
And anxiety can be debilitating.
So this short practice is going to help you cut through anxiety.
It's our identification with the experience or the sensations that we typically relate to anxiety and our identification with that that causes persistent and debilitating anxiety.
We're going to use this practice to prove that to ourselves.
So take a comfortable posture and take a breath into your belly and notice the moment you intend to breathe into the belly,
That your belly was tight.
Most people hold their anxiety in their chest or their belly in an unconscious tightening.
Instead,
Just breathing into a balloon and allow the tension to dissolve.
Now,
This practice also teaches one to feel courageous in the face of anxiety as we,
On purpose,
Evoke the experience of anxiety.
So simply,
Feel or remember where in your body you feel anxious.
Remember a situation,
Currently or in the past,
That you are anxious about.
Affirm what remains,
What arises.
As you feel anxiety arise,
I feel it in my belly.
Tightening,
Gnawing,
Knuckles,
Clenching.
Holding on for dear life.
Scared,
Worried,
Fearful.
I see my mind rolling into scenes of doom.
Now say to yourself,
I am anxious.
I feel anxiety.
I am anxious.
Don't worry.
We're only going to do this for a little while.
I am anxious.
With that phrase,
Whether conscious or unconscious,
We have identified with the consciousness of being anxious.
It comes with all of the sensations,
All of the contractions,
All of the thoughts,
All of the judgments,
All of the visions associated with being anxious.
I am anxious.
Repeat it to yourself.
I am anxious.
And notice there is no space in this phrase,
In this identification.
I am anxious.
You can only be anxious when you believe this phrase.
Repeat this phrase.
Reaffirm this phrase for yourself.
Feel it fully.
Be brave.
And now,
Replace that phrase with the phrase,
I feel anxious.
I feel anxious.
My body feels anxious.
Notice the difference from the original phrase.
I feel anxious.
May leave you with a bit more space in your belly.
From an all-encompassing anxiousness to a sensation or a feeling.
A feeling of anxiousness.
I feel anxious.
Keep repeating,
I feel anxious.
Track where is the I that feels,
In the body,
Anxious.
What is the experience of feeling anxious?
Feel it for yourself.
Don't shy away from it.
This is where we can be more clear about what is true in our direct experience,
Right now.
I feel anxious.
You may notice something shifting,
As you pay more curiosity.
Now notice,
When we change the phrase from,
I feel anxious,
To,
A part of me feels anxious.
Replace the phrase with,
A part of me feels anxious.
Notice.
Where is the part of you that feels anxious?
Repeat the phrase,
A part of me feels anxious.
Are you present to more space now?
A part of me feels anxious.
What I am curious about at this stage is,
Who is the one that is referring to a part that feels anxious?
As you start to build curiosity to the context of the questioner that is aware of a part that feels anxious,
You notice that the intensity of the anxiousness starts to change from when we started.
A part of me feels anxious.
Now notice.
Be a little bit more curious about the context.
Awareness.
Where is the one that is aware of the part that feels anxious?
Turn awareness around to become aware of that,
Without pushing away any of the parts,
Any of the feelings,
And any of the anxiety.
Notice.
Spacious,
Boundless,
Ineffable.
And from this spacious awareness that has no location,
No inside,
No outside.
Yet it is intimately interested and compassionately engaged with the feeling and the part that feels anxious.
Awareness has no agenda.
And it can feel like anxiety is welcome.
Anxiety is welcome.
Now change the phrase to this.
From the ground of your awareness,
Feel and express,
Anxiety is welcome.
Notice.
How does anxiety feel now?
Is there more space in your being?
Has anxiety melted,
Like an ice cube in water?
Without trying to do anything,
Awareness heals,
Loves,
And understands,
Allowing anxiety to dissolve.
What remains may be insight in the anxiety,
Some pointings to a wisdom that you may benefit from if we just listen to our anxieties,
If we don't resist.
Instead,
Welcome them from awareness.
Take a breath into the space where you started feeling anxious and notice much more space,
Much more ease,
Much more curiosity.
Whenever anxiety arises in the future,
Check to see on the immediacy of its arising and ask the question,
What are you trying to tell me?
What insights,
Wisdoms,
Or items do I need to prepare for the future?
Because anxiety is typically related to the future.
Instead though,
Be more curious towards the unfolding moment to moment,
The moment to moment unfolding of anxiety,
Appearing in the field of your awareness,
Noticing the vibrancy in your body,
The presence,
The calm equanimity,
Accepting everything with automatic and effortless courage,
Accessing your warrior skill of cutting through anxiety,
Cutting through anxiety with love and compassion.
And bring the practice to a close slowly,
Orient yourself to the present,
Take some notes,
What did you learn?
Bring out of this practice the wisdoms of what you learnt to update your ordinary mind,
To cut through anxiety.
Thank you for your practice.
