A Meditation About Dealing With Fear

We deal with fear from the time we're babies. It's our body's way of protecting us. Our fears are learned, and many of those are conditioned. Like being afraid of falling because you fall a lot. Fear is a powerful force—it can protect us, push us, or paralyze us. The key isn’t to eliminate fear but to understand and navigate it.

Music by Chris Collins.

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today,

I want to talk a little bit about fear,

And this meditation is based on a live session I did recently.

You know,

We all deal with fear from the time we're babies.

It's our body's way of protecting us.

And our fears are learned,

And many are conditioned,

Like being afraid of falling down when you fall down a lot.

And fear is a powerful force in our lives.

It can protect us,

It can push us,

But it can also paralyze us.

And the key isn't to eliminate fear,

But to understand it and to navigate it.

One of the best ways to deal with fear is to face it head on.

Avoidance just makes it grow stronger in the shadows.

But if you confront your fears in small,

Manageable steps,

You can reclaim control.

Another powerful tool is perspective.

Many fears shrink when you step back and realize they're not as overwhelming as they seem.

Fear thrives in uncertainty,

So preparing,

Learning,

And gaining confidence in the face of what scares you can make a huge difference.

And sometimes just acknowledging that fear is natural,

It's a part of being human,

Helps take away the sting.

Now fear triggers our body's fight or flight response,

And that's a survival mechanism that controls the sympathetic nervous system.

And when you're afraid,

It triggers your nervous system and it causes physical effects.

Increased heart rate and blood pressure,

Rapid breathing,

Dilated pupils,

Tensed muscles,

Your body's getting ready to fight or flee,

Sweating.

Your digestive system slows down because the blood's being diverted away from digestion going to the muscles,

And that helps you have a knot in your stomach.

Your senses become heightened,

Your hearing and your vision.

Your body releases stress hormones,

Adrenaline,

Noradrenaline,

And cortisol.

They flood your bloodstream,

Increases your alertness and energy and reaction speed.

Your blood flow is redistributed throughout your body.

More goes to your arms and legs for fighting or running,

And less goes to your extremities,

Sometimes making them feel cold.

These reactions are designed to protect you.

But chronic fear and stress can lead to long-term health issues,

Including anxiety,

High blood pressure,

And even a weakened immune system.

And I want you to think about one thing,

And I want you to take this away from this meditation today.

Meditation reverses all of the symptoms that fear causes.

Let me say that again.

Meditation reverses all of the symptoms that fear causes.

And close your eyes now,

And let's begin to get in touch with our breath.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Lying down,

Or kicked back in your favorite recliner.

The only thing that truly matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.

Let's focus on our breath.

We're just breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.

Let's begin to relax our body and scan.

Relax your face.

Unfurrow your brow and unclench your jaw.

Relax your neck.

Relax your shoulders.

Look for any tension in your chest and belly.

Relax your arms and your hands.

Relax your legs and your feet.

And as you begin to settle in,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

Our breath is our anchor.

It's there for us in all moments.

Let your breath flow like a river,

Sure and tranquil and calm.

And don't just breathe.

Pay attention to your breath.

Notice your breath.

Notice where you feel it.

A cool sensation in your nose as the breath flows in.

Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

We're just breathing.

Breathing in and breathing out.

You know,

Fear is a construct of our mind.

And we can conquer it by getting in touch with our breath.

The old quote is true.

We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Because fear becomes a vicious cycle where our mind spins and spins.

And sometimes even when the thing that we're afraid of is gone,

The fear cycle can go on.

We are more powerful than our fear.

Let me say that again.

We are more powerful than our fear.

Just continue to breathe.

Focus on your breath and listen to my voice.

Here are some thoughts on dealing with fear.

Acknowledge it.

The first step is to recognize and acknowledge your fear.

Avoiding it doesn't accomplish anything.

Try to understand the root cause of your fear.

What exactly are you afraid of?

Breaking it down can make it feel more manageable.

It can make it more understandable.

Face your fears gradually.

Confronting your fear in small,

Manageable steps can help you to be desensitized.

Gradual exposure can build up your confidence and reduce fear over time.

And perhaps most of all,

Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

Deep breathing can help calm your mind and reduce the physical symptoms of fear.

Another thing that can help are positive visualizations.

Imagining yourself successfully overcoming the fear.

Visualization can be a powerful tool to boost your confidence and reduce anxiety.

And it's very important that you educate yourself.

Sometimes fear stems from the unknown.

Learning more about what you're afraid of can help diminish that fear.

You know how I like quotes,

And I want to give you a quote from the book Dune by Frank Herbert.

And in that book,

The main character,

Paul Atreides,

Says,

I must not fear.

Fear is the mind killer.

Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.

I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past,

I will turn the inner eye to see its path.

Where the fear has gone,

There will be nothing.

Only I will remain.

Now,

Just continue to follow your breath.

If you hear sounds in the room,

Just ignore them.

Just let them go.

The same is true if you have thoughts.

Now,

I'd like you to imagine yourself in a place where you feel completely safe,

Completely at peace.

And this can be a real place that you've been to,

Or a place that you've created in your mind,

Or it can be a place from a book that you've read.

But try right now to picture it in every detail.

I always picture a forest.

But picture the sights,

The sounds,

The smells.

And as you do that,

Feel the sense of calm and security that this place brings you.

Let yourself bask in this secure,

Peaceful feeling.

Now,

If you're willing,

Bring to mind a fear or anxiety that you experience.

And without judgment,

Just acknowledge its presence and picture it as a dark cloud that's hanging over you.

Now,

As you breathe in,

Imagine drawing in light and strength.

And as you exhale,

Imagine the dark cloud of fear dissolving,

Becoming smaller with each exhale,

With each breath out.

That cloud of fear is moving away and getting smaller and smaller.

And just continue this process,

Breathing in calm and strength and breathing out fear and anxiety.

Now,

If you're willing,

Let's say a few positive affirmations.

I'll say each one twice,

And you can say it to yourself or out loud.

I am more powerful than my fear.

I am more powerful than my fear.

I will conquer my fear.

I will conquer my fear.

And last one,

My fear will not control me.

My fear will not control me.

Now,

As we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive,

How good it is to be in this moment.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session for each of you.

Fear is something that we all deal with.

It's a common human experience,

And you're not alone.

Everyone has fears,

And it's okay to be afraid.

The key is not to let it control you,

But to use it as a stepping stone to grow and become stronger.

You can do this,

And I know you can.

Till next time.

Reviews

What a powerful and informative meditation on releasing fear. It gave me calmness and a feeling of freedom. Thank you, Michael.

Thank you Michael, so powerful and inspiring totally agree and love the quote, you have nothing to fear accept fear it’s self. Works for me every time 😊