Welcome to this meditation for overcoming social phobia.
Please find a comfortable position and take a nice deep breath.
As you breathe out,
Close your eyes and begin to ponder your social anxiety.
How many people does it take for you to feel socially anxious?
Perhaps it is about 3 or 4,
Or maybe it takes more people in order for you to feel anxiety.
And take a nice deep breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Know that right here and right now,
You have nowhere to be and nothing to do but relax.
Within your mind,
I'd like for you to imagine a piece of paper.
And on that piece of paper,
You are going to write the number 10.
And as you do so,
Allow the pen moving across the paper in your imagination to relax you.
And now write the number 9,
Letting it relax you too.
And the number 8,
Relaxed.
7,
Write it out.
6.
5.
Each number you write makes you feel more calm and more at ease.
4.
3.
2.
And 1.
By writing out all these numbers,
You may feel more relaxed than you have in a very long time.
Enjoy this feeling for a few moments.
It is important to get yourself out there even though you have feelings of social anxiety.
This means accepting an invitation to go places and do things that do make you feel uncomfortable.
Feeling that discomfort is just a passing sensation.
Now let's imagine you are going to a social event,
Perhaps a family gathering or something else.
You notice the wave of anxiety building in you.
Feel it and allow it to come.
It is just a feeling.
It is perfectly ok to have this sensation.
Notice in your body where you feel anxiety.
Is it in your chest?
As you imagine yourself at the party or social event,
Where in your body do you feel anxious?
Start these sensations as if you are a scientist observing.
How does anxiety present itself in you?
Remember it is completely normal to feel anxious.
We all experience anxiety from time to time.
What we need to do is to learn how to not let it get the best of us.
And to do this,
A good thing is to breathe.
Now breathe in deeply as you still imagine being at a social event.
Breathe into the tense areas of your body.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine that they just relax and melt away.
Breathe in again.
You are practicing being assertive.
Assertiveness is not about being aggressive.
It is about being clear about what you need from others in order to live a satisfied life.
Now let's remember a time when you had social anxiety.
Allow the story to play out in your mind.
Notice what you were doing that day.
Did you allow your anxiety to get the best of you?
And now fast forward to after you left the event and either went back home and were alone again.
Notice how your anxiety diminished back down to a nice manageable level.
This is proof that the anxiety just comes and goes.
And all you need to do is ride the wave.
Feeling shy is perfectly okay.
It's a common reaction when being in unfamiliar situations.
Feeling shy does sometimes also feel awkward.
But don't worry about it.
It is completely normal to feel shy around new situations and many people.
Now let's imagine one more time we are in a social situation that causes us anxiety.
Clearly imagine yourself there,
Allowing any feelings to come with this visual.
And begin to breathe in for a count of 4.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Then hold your breath for 6 seconds.
3,
4,
5,
6.
Exhale for 7.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Breathe in for 4.
1,
2,
3,
4.
Hold 6.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
And exhale for 7.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
And one last breath.
Breathe in for 4.
2,
3,
4.
Hold.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Exhale.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Let your breath return to a natural flow.
And notice how your anxiety has diminished from these breaths.
Returning your awareness to the present moment.
Whenever you are ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Think of 5 words to OH Icy Dark.
Icy Dark.
Grow Wild.
You
