If you've been feeling fear lately,
Maybe about change,
Uncertainty,
Or stepping into something new,
This practice is for you.
Together we'll explore how the energy of fear can be transformed,
Not by pushing it away,
But by using the breath and polarity,
Moving back and forth between the fear and a higher emotion like courage or love.
Before we dive in,
Remember you are always in control.
If something feels too intense or brings up strong emotions,
You can pause,
Open your eyes and take a few grounding breaths.
And if something quite overwhelming comes up,
I encourage you to take a break and bring it to a professional or a loved one that you trust that can support you.
So whenever you're ready,
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
Let your hands rest on your lap or by your body,
And close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling all the way up,
And exhale and relax,
Letting your shoulders drop,
Letting tension melt away.
Feel the weight of your body in the seat or the ground beneath you,
And feel the earth pushing up,
Gravity supporting you.
Let your mind wander for a moment,
Wherever it's going,
To the things that you need to do today or otherwise,
And just notice that,
And then bring your awareness back into your body,
Into the present moment.
And take another deep breath in through your nose,
Filling all the way up,
And sighing it out,
Relaxing,
And letting your body feel a little lighter,
Continuing to breathe in through the nose,
Filling all the way up,
And letting go and relaxing,
Finding a nice rhythm with your breath,
Perhaps letting your exhales extend a little bit longer than your inhales,
Really leaning into the relaxation that comes with letting go.
As you continue to breathe,
I invite you to bring your awareness to your heart space,
The area of your chest and between your shoulders,
And see if you can welcome or allow a soft opening here,
An opening,
Asking your heart to open just a little bit.
Notice any sensations you feel,
Warmth,
Tightness,
Openness and ease,
Whatever is there is just perfect.
And now on your next inhale,
We'll begin by breathing in the energy of courage,
Filling up with courage as you inhale,
Feeling the strength,
The willingness to face life fully even when it feels uncertain,
And letting your exhales just relax your body now,
And your inhales to bring in courage,
Continuing to breathe rhythmically,
Letting courage fill your body on the inhale,
And exhaling and letting go.
Perhaps you are recalling a memory of a time you were courageous before,
That can help to anchor it into your body.
Try not to get lost in thought or memory,
But to be within sensation in your body as you breathe in,
Welcoming that courage more deeply into your heart,
Into your chest and into your body,
Feeling that strength,
That inner steadiness filling every cell of your being,
And exhaling and letting go,
Continuing to breathe in a smooth and rhythmic fashion.
And so now,
On your next exhale,
Breathe out and exhale the fear,
Continuing to breathe in courage on the inhale,
And allowing your mind to move,
Your body to move to the experience of fear on the exhale,
But feeling it leaving your body,
Perhaps grounding out through your feet,
Moving down into the earth,
Dissolving and dissipating,
Breathing in and filling up with courage and strength,
And exhaling and letting go of fear,
Breathing in and filling up with courage,
And letting go and sighing it out,
Letting the fear leave your body,
Letting your exhales extend a little bit longer,
As you feel the release of this tension,
Feeling this energy disappearing from your body,
As you use your will,
Your breath,
And your intention.
As you continue to breathe like this,
Just allowing any memories or sensations to surface,
Welcoming them,
Continuing to breathe in the courage,
And exhaling the fear,
Letting it go.
With every exhale,
Setting your intention to release any fear that might still be lingering,
The fear of not being enough,
The fear of failure,
The fear of the unknown,
Perhaps seeing it leave your body in a cloud of smoke as you exhale,
Disintegrating and disappearing forever,
Breathing in trust and courage,
Exhaling fear or hesitation,
Keeping the breath steady and rhythmic.
One of the beautiful things about this human experience is our ability to hold two contrasting ideas at the same time.
This ability reminds us that all things shall pass,
All experiences arising and passing,
Being impermanent,
And if we can feel one,
Knowing that that means that the other polarity is available to us,
The more you can be present with the fear,
Allow it,
Welcome it,
And then let it go,
The more easily you will slide into that feeling of courage,
Because even just meeting the fear with willingness takes courage,
And that's what you're doing right now,
Continuing to breathe in smooth and full through the nose,
And breathing out and letting go of anything that doesn't serve you anymore.
I invite you now to drop the fear and to just focus on breathing in the courage,
Allowing your exhales to be a breath of surrender and letting go,
Of relaxation,
Filling up with courage and letting go,
Noticing any changes in the sensations in your body and how you feel,
Perhaps a sense of calm or more confidence,
Or maybe simply more space inside of your body to breathe,
Whatever you notice is just perfect,
Welcome and allow it,
You can now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Letting go of control,
Returning to the present moment,
The more you make space for practices like these,
Especially when the fear arises,
The more your body learns that it's safe to feel and transform,
Remember you can handle what comes up and you can change it,
Just as you can change your reality,
You are strong and you are capable,
Go ahead and take another deep breath in,
Filling up and then letting it all go and relaxing your shoulders one more time,
Let yourself rest for a few quiet moments and know that the energy of courage you've cultivated here will ripple into your actions,
Into your choices and into your life,
Thank you for joining me in this practice,
I wish you strength and courage in all that lies ahead,
Namaste.
