My Answer For Anxiety: A Conscious Self

My name's Charles,

First of all.

And I can just share with you that I feel a little bit anxious recording video.

I feel it too when recording audio,

Less so.

I've become more comfortable with that.

But here I'm really,

I feel exposed,

Even though I'm obviously in a room by myself right now.

I feel your presence.

And that it also makes me feel a little bit alive,

Like maybe there's a unique way that we can connect.

Via this format.

So Insight Timer recently.

Made this available as a new way to connect with you.

And so I'm trying it out.

And maybe if nothing else,

This video could just be some empathy for.

Anxiety or fear or self-consciousness something I liked.

To think of is the possible shift between Self-conscious.

In the conscious self.

Shifting out of self-consciousness and into a conscious self.

Where I'm less concerned about me.

And more open.

To the world around me,

Or really I become the world around me.

And I think the easiest way to do that is just by taking a couple deep breaths.

The self-consciousness tends to come along with a tension,

A clenching,

A holding on.

And deep breaths.

Can help the body relax and release.

And it's like the thing that had gotten like this can just kind of open and expand and allow in the world.

And when I allow the world in,

There's just no room.

For self-consciousness.

There is presence.

A conscious self.

So if you like,

Very simply,

Maybe we could just take a couple deep breaths together.

And see how we feel on the other side.

Let's begin with three.

And then maybe we'll do more after that.

So if you liked,

You can make any adjustments to your body.

Maybe stretch.

And here the eyes could be open or closed.

I think I'll allow my eyes to be closed.

And we can begin.

Three deep breaths.

In any way you like.

There's one.

There's two.

.

.

There's three.

And I do feel different.

But maybe let's try it one more time because I could even feel my urge to be in charge.

To lead you by still talking while I'm taking breaths.

So this time,

I'll trust that you'll be okay.

And we can just have a little space,

Maybe 30 seconds.

To breathe.

Starting now.

Okay.

And here I can definitely feel the shift.

There was an airplane.

Going by.

And that's always interesting,

Especially if recording something like this or having a Zoom call or whatever it might be.

And how that can feel like a disruption.

But then when you have a shift of consciousness where there's not really a you distinct from your surroundings,

The airplane passes through and it actually just.

.

.

Passes through me,

As opposed to being something out there that I feel like is imposing upon my presence.

And this is the greatest relief that I have for.

.

.

Anxiety,

Fear.

Whatever it might be.

Shifting from self-conscious to a conscious self allowing in presence just with a couple deep inhales and maybe especially exhales.

I exhale and it's kind of like a door opening.

The door opening,

And then when I open it,

I allow presence in,

And then presence,

This,

Whatever this is.

It naturally purifies my consciousness.

No longer self-conscious.

Conscious self no longer charles and when i'm no longer charles i just am the present moment Self-consciousness doesn't compute.

There's no risk here.

There's no problem.

Even if you judged this video as a bad video or left a negative comment or whatever it might be,

When I am a conscious self,

That's fine.

And of course,

Self-consciousness will come creeping back in.

But I guess my encouragement to you is just.

As many times as you can throughout your day.

Remember the possibility to take a couple deep breaths.

And make a shift self-conscious to a conscious self.

And all of a sudden the world is completely different.

What's happening out there is not different,

But I'm different.

I have a whole different view.

When I can remember to release.

Open up the door of my mind and allow presence to come in and purify.

My consciousness.

So maybe we can finish here with just a few more deep breaths.

I'll leave 30 more seconds for us to just breathe and relax and be here together for a little while longer.

Okay.

Thank you for doing this with me.

This got me actually a little bit excited about.

Making videos.

Um,

Although I'm afraid that my something technical happened and my audio didn't work or something like that.

So we'll see if that's the case after I'm done here.

But thank you for spending this time with me.

Maybe we can spend time together again here or elsewhere.

I have a bunch of audio courses.

I might point you specifically to the Zen path.

The Zen Path.

Or Tao Te Ching Mastery.

For now.