Dear listener,
Namaste.
Today I want to share a simple reflection about transforming anxiety into peace.
There are times when on the outside I appear calm,
I smile,
I keep going,
I meet expectations.
But inside there is a quiet hum,
A soft vibration of anxiety.
Beneath that hum lies fear,
A big dense ball of fear.
This fear shows up in many ways,
The fear of losing youth and vitality,
The fear of losing loved ones or being left alone,
The fear of losing health,
Wealth,
Social standing,
The fear of uncertainty,
Not knowing what's coming next,
Different shapes but the same root,
The mind's fear of loss.
These fears begin as thoughts,
Something I see or hear triggers a chain,
Memories from the past,
Imagination of the future,
The wild what-if stories that spiral out of control.
When the hum of anxiety grows louder,
I feel it in my body,
A knot in my stomach,
Heaviness in my chest,
Trembling in my hands,
My breath turns shallow,
My mind becomes restless.
I want to escape even from things that matter.
In those moments,
I realize I cannot control the storm of thoughts but I can choose how I meet them.
I can choose not to fight or suppress them,
So I pause,
I close my eyes and I simply watch.
I begin with the breath,
Breathing in,
I notice the coolness of the air,
Breathing out,
I notice the warmth as it leaves my body.
I become aware of the gentle rhythm that has always been there,
The body breathing on its own moment by moment.
Then I shift my awareness to the body,
I notice the sensations,
The tightness,
The pulsing,
The subtle vibration that comes with being alive.
Some sensations are pleasant,
Others are uncomfortable,
I allow them all,
I don't try to fix them,
I just watch.
Slowly,
The breath begins to deepen,
The body starts to soften,
Thoughts still come but they lose their power.
Fear rises and falls like waves that no longer threaten to pull me under,
The noise inside becomes quieter,
Lighter,
Gentler.
As the body relaxes,
The mind begins to rest.
I sense a stillness underneath everything,
Steady,
Quiet,
Untouched by fear.
In that stillness,
Peace is not something I chase,
It is something that reveals itself when I stop running.
It is simply here,
Gentle,
Steady,
Within me.
Thank you for joining me in this reflection.
If this reflection resonates with you,
I would love to hear your experience.
May peace be with you.
