Managing Fear

Fear is a natural response to threat. When we feel afraid, the body releases cortisol and other stress hormones, preparing us to respond. Anxiety and worry can keep that alarm activated even when the danger is uncertain, distant, or imagined. In this meditation, we begin by acknowledging fear rather than fighting it. Notice its sensations, its thoughts, and the reasons it has come. You don’t have to dismiss or judge them; your fear may have good reasons for being there. Then, through mindful attention and breath, practice creating some space between fear and yourself. Imagine placing the fear outside your body—nearby, perhaps, but not inside you. You can see it, listen to it, and honor what it is trying to tell you without allowing it to take over. The fear can be present without becoming your whole experience.

Transcript

This meditation is about fear. We'll begin with the bell. Just coming in. Letting it go. Letting go of what was. What's next? What will be? What could have been? Those are all real. Those are all sincere thoughts. They just aren't part of this moment. We're gonna do meditation without blaming. It's not your fault when you're anxious. It's not your fault when you get lost in fantasy. It's not your fault that you are. " not as good, Or you need to be quote unquote better. Meditation. There is no better. There is no good. Just practice. Trying and trying again. Meditation doesn't need to be odd or esoteric. It just needs to be time you give to yourself. You sit, You lie down, You walk. You do just that one thing, Just. . . Being with yourself. Maybe you notice what you call boredom. It might just be the quiet. Let the quiet descend and envelop you. And you might notice it's not that quiet. When you listen, There's a lot of small and subtle and sometimes loud noises. Cars, And airplanes. Crickets and birds. Wood shifting under your feet, Air conditioning blowing somewhere. Your body creaking or digesting. You can hear my voice. Any of these things can be good cues to stay. . . In this moment. And then the next. And now this moment. It's right where you are is where you belong. You don't have to be on. You can quit. This is nothing. This is absence of activity. This is absence of planning or checking off to-do lists. But not absence of thought. That's not possible. Your brain is alive. So thoughts will come up. Rise and fall. Enter and depart. Notice it. Maybe you turn on metacognition and narrate the experience. Oh, There's a thought. Oh, I'm a little fidgety. Oh, I feel bored. That's all you need to do. It's just time for you to be and not do. To feel. And not. Think actively. To rest and not plan. All you gotta do. Maybe you want to take a deep breath. And exhale slowly. Maybe that helps you to stretch or yawn. Isn't that nice? You're just doing things to take care of yourself. You're recognizing that you have enough in this moment. Just self-soothing. You might call it self-soothing, Just attending to yourself. Maybe when you breathe, You direct the air into the stiff places. Maybe you're tired and haven't even acknowledged it and that comes up for you. Maybe there's fear, Anxiety, Or just cortisol. Coursing through your body. Wrapping itself around you. We're going to meditate on that. That fear keeps us alive, But it can also be paralyzing or disabling. And we need to both acknowledge the reality of it, But keep it real. External to us. As a thing we observe, Not as a thing we are. There is wickedness out there. There is dis-ease. There is frustration and disappointment and anxiety and worry. Those are all real. And have value at the right moment in the right way. We can keep them at bay. And since we'll be meditating on a difficult subject, If at any moment this becomes too stressful, Just zone out. Ignore me. Go back to your breathing. And we're breathing deeply. We're inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly. It's creating these cycles of long breaths. That soothe us and help us to slow down and get quiet. A yawn, Or maybe you use the ancient biblical word cella as a breath word. Inhaling. Allah. Just stretching out. Your body and the time. And delicately, Gently acknowledge what you're afraid of. You may be able to name it, You may just sense it. Tight muscles, Shallow breath. Agitated thinking. It's okay. Those are normal things. Part of being alive. Most times part of being healthy. It's healthy to know not to touch a hot stove. It's healthy to acknowledge real danger. Keeps you safe. But you can't let fear make every decision and dominate each moment. Let's just acknowledge fear. Or it might be worry or anxiety, But that's part of a continuum of difficult feeling. Acknowledging the sensation of fear where the cortisol hides in your body, Where the muscles clench. Where your breathing slows, Where your eyesight gets focused. Your scanning and your. . . Vigilant. Good attributes, But maybe they are occasionally too much. See where you can reduce. Maybe you can acknowledge the fear. Witness or notice it, Bud. Not be so vigilant and so ready for harm. Coming into your own strength. And the strength of those around you, Literally or figuratively. You're not helpless. You are not small. You are not powerless. Yet you are not in control. And all that feeds into the fear. Just breathing deeply, Slowing down, Breathing out slowly. Longer breaths, More profound listening, Settling in. Scanning your body, Where does the fear lie? Where is it resting or hiding? What part of your body do you notice when you think of the word fear? Invite your attention there, Maybe drawing your breath into those places and maybe just saying, Hey, You can relax, We're safe. No need to run, No need to fight. You don't need to freeze up. We can take care of this. We'll make it through. Breathe with that faith and confidence. And the universe is there for you with its resources. Waiting inside or outside your door. Venting out your frustrations, Venting out your fears, Letting them exist outside you. There are sources of worry. They're legitimate. That they don't have to dwell on your heart. As you breathe, Create space between you and the fear and the object of the fear. A space in which you can be more human and humane. Staying slow, Staying easy, Resting quiet. It's all you have to do. Let the fear be real, But really outside. Expanding your sense of strength and capacity and resilience inside. Continuing to breathe and to keep the fear external and the resilience internal. Just breathing deeply. Long, Slow, Deep breaths and an increased sense of self. Keep breathing.

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