Antidote for Anxiety The purpose of this meditation is to inquire into the nature of your anxiety and ask key questions to diffuse anxiety and discover the deeper interest and excitement that underlies it.
Anxiety is less about what is actually happening and more about how you are interpreting what is happening.
It's about how you are relating to yourself,
Others,
And events in life,
And what you imagine might possibly happen in the future.
It's about your mind running away with its stories,
And you getting caught up in these stories.
You can learn to shift from anxiety to relaxed openness and empowerment by recognizing how you are focusing your attention and learning to consciously shift the state of your body and mind through relaxation,
Observation,
Inquiry,
Insight,
And choice.
To begin,
Take a moment to look around and view your environment as a sacred space.
Notice how it feels for this to be a sacred space,
Or if there's any resistance to feeling your environment in this way.
Whatever comes up is fine,
Just notice it.
Now,
Sit comfortably upright,
With the soles of your feet firmly on the ground and parallel with each other.
Cup your hands in your lap,
With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly.
Lightly close your eyes.
Be aware of sitting here,
Now.
Take a moment to check in inside,
And notice how you feel.
Whatever you feel is fine,
Just notice it.
Consider your intention for your practice.
Why is this important to you?
Consider dedicating your practice to the well-being of all beings.
Notice how it feels to do this.
Now,
Call to mind a situation in which you currently feel some level of anxiety.
Choose one situation to focus on for this meditation.
Once you have this situation in mind,
Give a rating from 0 to 10 of how much anxiety you feel about this,
0 being none and 10 being overwhelming.
As you hold this situation in your mind,
See if you can adopt some observational distance from it.
See if you can hold this situation within a wide space of awareness,
As if the situation is out in front of you,
In the center of this space,
And you are looking at it from a safe distance,
Within a wide space of awareness.
We're going to inquire into this situation.
See if you can note what arises like a curious observer,
Just noticing and being aware,
The best you can without self-judgment.
And,
If you have self-judgment,
See if you can just make note of that,
Too,
Like it's just an observation.
Now,
From your observational viewpoint,
Call to mind important details of this experience that you feel anxious about.
Become aware of any thoughts you have about this situation.
What are you afraid might happen?
When you are thinking this might happen,
How do you feel?
When you are thinking and feeling this way,
What do you feel compelled to do?
What happens in your body as all of this is going on?
Are there any sensations in your body around this?
Is there anxiety,
Tension,
Or agitation in your body?
Can you locate these sensations in your body?
Do they seem to reside anywhere in your body?
Now,
Ask yourself,
What's my worst case scenario in this situation?
See if you can just pay attention and make note of what comes up in response to this question.
What's my worst case scenario in this situation?
If something like that were to happen,
What could you do about it?
How could you respond?
What action could you take?
What resources could you call upon?
Now,
Ask yourself,
Is that actually happening?
If it is,
Ask yourself,
What can I do to address this?
If it's not happening,
Acknowledge that that is actually not happening.
Now,
Ask yourself,
What do I want in this situation?
What is my interest?
Is it possible you are actually excited about some possibility in this situation?
Could it be that under your anxiety is a sense of interest and excitement,
Of positive possibility?
What is it that your soul desires in this situation?
See if you can let go and be open to this possibility.
Now,
Allow these insights to settle and integrate while we take some time to consciously relax.
Focus down into the soles of your feet and feel the sensations of contact with the ground underneath you.
Awaken sensory awareness in the soles of your feet and allow your feet and toes to soften and relax.
As if they are melting deep down into the support of the earth.
Focus into your palms and fingers resting in your lap.
Awaken sensory awareness here in your hands.
Soften and relax your palms and fingers.
So you feel your hands together with your pelvic bowl resting down into your seat and down into the support of the earth.
Imagine a string attached to the top of your head drawing your spine gently upright,
Giving you a feeling of awakened clarity rising up through the core of your body,
Up through your spine and through the top of your head.
Tuck your chin just slightly,
Gently lengthening the back of your neck.
Lightly touch the tip of your tongue to the gum line behind your upper front teeth.
Soften and relax your tongue here.
Smile,
A subtle smile of peace and calm.
Allow this feeling of smiling to relax your jaw.
Relax your eyes and release any tension from your eyebrows and your forehead.
Allow the feeling of smiling to wash down through your whole body.
Relaxing and nurturing every cell.
Become aware of the sensations of breathing in your lower abdomen.
As you breathe in,
Feel a gentle downward,
Outward and upward filling of your pelvic bowl.
As you breathe out,
Let go and feel the deep peace riding on your breath.
If it feels natural,
Allow your out-breaths to extend effortlessly to deepen your felt sense of relaxation.
Now,
Within this state of relaxation,
Call to mind the situation you are working with in this meditation.
Call to mind what you desire,
What you're interested in,
The possibility that excites you in this situation.
Step into this possibility as if you're living in it right now.
And play this scene forward,
Imagining it flowing in a positive,
Empowering way for you and all concerned.
Feel what it's like to experience this with all your senses.
Make any adjustments to this scenario so it really lights up and makes you smile.
Give this empowering scenario a name.
And record your vision of this scene together with how it feels and the name you have given it.
Record this deeply in your body,
Heart,
And mind,
So you remember it.
Bring it with you,
And can return to it any time that you need to refresh your sense of excitement and inspiration.
Take a few moments to let go and really soak in this experience.
Relax and float in the feeling of it.
Now,
Slowly,
Very slowly,
Begin to open your eyes and take in the feeling of the space around you,
Together with the space inside.
As one space of relaxed openness and empowerment.
Call to mind the feeling of the positive possibility you desire in this situation.
Be open to possibilities like this with your eyes open.
Now,
Give a rating from 0 to 10 of how much anxiety you feel about this situation.
0 being none,
And 10 being overwhelming.
Take the feeling of relaxed empowerment with you into this situation and others like it.
Be open to possibilities like this,
Knowing that life responds in ways that are best for you and all concerned.
What's most important is awareness,
Openness,
Relaxation,
And knowing you have a choice about how you relate to whatever life brings.
Take a moment to write down anything important for you to remember from this meditative experience,
Including your inspirations about possibilities in this situation and any actions you feel inspired to take.
Well done.
