Expose yourself to your deepest fear,
After that fear has no power and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes.
You are free.
Jim Morrison.
Some of the key symptoms of fear and anxiety include tight,
Tense muscles,
Shallow,
Rapid breathing,
Worried thoughts and shaking.
With this meditation we will target each of these areas to reduce the unwanted feelings and induce the relaxation response.
First close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Calm breathing is key to being peaceful and relaxed.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and now exhale through your mouth as if you are blowing out a candle.
Blow out all the air and as you inhale again focus on slowing down your breathing into a calm rhythm.
Exhale fully,
Releasing all the air and continue to breathe slowly and calmly.
Now that you're getting the oxygen you need,
Realize that your only job right now is to keep yourself as comfortable as possible.
While this feeling passes,
Fighting against fears only makes them stronger.
So right now accept whatever you are feeling and let's just focus on calming your thoughts.
Repeat the following phrases after me.
Even if I feel fear and anxiety,
I know that I am okay.
The feeling will pass and no harm will come to me.
I am safe.
I am calm.
I'm capable of getting through anything.
I'm making myself as comfortable as possible.
I can help myself to become calmer and more relaxed.
As you continue to breathe slowly in and exhale fully and as you continue to repeat calming thoughts,
You can also address any shaking or trembling you might experience.
You can shake out the tension.
Imagine that you're shaking water off of your hands to dry them.
Shake your hands.
Allow your hands and wrists to be limp as you shake your hands and forearms quickly back and forth.
Imagine drops of water flying off of your fingertips.
Imagine your tension draining out your fingertips and being shaken away.
Now stop and allow your hands to be still.
Notice how much more relaxed your hands feel.
They may even feel pleasantly tingly.
Continue with even breathing and calm thoughts.
Inhale thinking I'm becoming more and more calm and exhale thinking I'm feeling more and more relaxed.
Inhale calm and exhale relaxed.
Inhale calm and exhale relaxed.
The last area to focus on now to relieve anxiety is your tense muscles.
Your muscles become painful,
Tired and cramped as a result of stress or anxiety.
You can help your muscles relax now by first allowing your lower jaw to drop so your teeth are not touching.
Let your jaw be relaxed and loose.
Now lower your shoulders and let your shoulders be relaxed and loose.
You may even want to move your arms or shoulders in circles forward and back.
Now let your shoulders become limp as you increase the distance between your shoulders and your ears and raise your arms above your head and stretch.
And now release the muscles as you gently lower your arms to your sides.
Gently turn your head to your left,
Back to center and to your right.
Bring your head to a relaxed and neutral position.
Straighten your back into a correct posture.
Keep your back upright maintaining the natural curves of your spine.
What you experienced through this meditation were four steps.
You regulated your breathing,
You calmed your mind,
You physically shook out the tension and you relaxed your muscles,
Especially your jaw and upper back.
And now you are feeling better.
You are in control.
Fear is not ruling you.
You are ready to reawaken.
When you feel ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
I hope you're feeling much calmer and peaceful.
From my heart to yours,
With all my love and gratitude.
Namaste.
