Hi there,
Welcome to this meditation.
Together we are going to take a closer look at anxiety and what we can do to loosen our grip on it.
Yes,
You have heard correctly,
To loosen our grip on it.
Anxiety may be an unwanted guest for most of us,
Me included,
But paradoxically on a subconscious level,
We ourselves hold on to it.
We focus on it,
And we tighten our grip on the emotion and its associated bodily sensations,
Where actually we should let go.
But hey,
That's easier said than done,
Isn't it?
That's why today I would like to show you an alternative and a somewhat counterintuitive approach to anxiety.
Make sure you have at least 10 minutes to yourself and find a place where you won't be disturbed.
Take a seat on a chair,
On a cushion,
Or on the ground,
And make yourself comfortable.
Imagine you're something like a puppet on a string.
There is something like a central thread at the top of your skull that pulls you upward.
Your cervical spine lengthens,
Your chin drops a little toward the top of your breastbone,
And your face relaxes.
Your shoulders flow downward,
Your shoulder blades converge,
Your arms hang loosely,
And your hands rest lightly on your thighs or in your lap.
If you want to,
You can close your eyes now.
Feel your breath moving through your body.
In and out.
In and out.
Where can you feel it most strongly?
In your chest,
The shoulders,
Around your nose,
Or in your throat.
Maybe also in your abdomen or someplace else entirely.
Just observe it.
And change it.
Now shift your attention away from your breath and toward the experience you have come to name anxiety.
Is it more of a feeling for you?
Or rather a physical sensation?
Maybe and probably it's both.
But whatever it is,
Let your attention rest on it just for a little while.
Now take a step back and observe the way you experience your anxiety.
How intense is your focus on it?
How much of your attention is bound up in your observation?
How physically close are you to your experience?
And how firm a light is your touch on it?
Don't change anything yet.
Just notice and become aware of what is happening and how you behave toward your anxiety mentally.
Now see if you can loosen your grip a little.
Can you give anxiety a little room,
A little breathing space so to speak?
Can you imagine physical space opening up around the experience?
And see how much space it needs to be for your anxiety to ease a little.
And also observe what is happening in the rest of your body as you make room for your experience of anxiety.
Maybe there is a lessening of tension in your muscles.
If so,
Where can you feel that?
What is happening to your heart rate?
And what is happening to your breathing?
Stay a little longer with the idea of making room for anxiety.
If you want to,
Tighten your grip on it again just a little and then relax again and give it space.
See how each state feels and learn to recognize the difference.
But please end on a relaxed and spacious note.
Anxiety feeds on the attention we give it.
And paradoxically it is the attention of not wanting to experience it that makes it hold on to us all the more strongly.
But if we can loosen our mental grip on it,
Anxiety in turn can breathe a little more easily.
This exercise can help you reduce feelings of anxiety as you experience them.
But it can also help you regulate your emotions at a more profound level if you practice the exercise regularly.
Please take good care of yourself.
I'll see you soon.
Bye bye.
