Transforming your relationship to anxiety.
Welcome to this healing journey where we will explore and transform your relationship with anxiety.
If your eyes aren't closed,
Then I invite you to close them now.
To switch off from the world and switch on a deeper connection to yourself.
Breathe in deeply through your nose,
Gathering in all racing thoughts and exhale them out your mouth with a sigh.
And again,
Deep breath in through the nose,
Gathering up any stress that's hiding inside you and sigh it all out.
And one more time,
Deep breath in,
Gathering up anything that doesn't serve you in this moment and just let it all go.
Today we're going to dive into the experience of anxiety,
An emotion that can often feel very overwhelming.
Like a storm of thoughts and worries spinning in your mind.
Anxiety can make you feel like you're moving too fast.
Like your thoughts are racing ahead of you,
Leaving you disconnected from your body,
Your heart and your soul.
But what if I told you that anxiety is not something to fear or resist?
What if anxiety is actually a signal,
A gentle reminder from your body,
Your heart and your soul?
Anxiety is telling you that it's time to slow down.
To reconnect with the parts of yourself that truly matter.
Anxiety is not here to punish or torment you.
It's here to guide you back to yourself.
To help you find balance and peace within yourself.
So take a moment now to connect with the anxiety that you've been feeling recently.
Just note one thing that's made you feel anxious and notice where it lives in your body.
Is it a tightness in your chest,
A fluttering in your stomach,
Or maybe a tension in your shoulders?
Maybe it's all three.
Simply notice where you feel anxiety in your body.
Now as bizarre as this might sound,
I'd like you to imagine that there's a light switch on the side of your head,
A simple on and off switch that controls the flow of thoughts in your mind.
This switch is your tool for bringing balance and peace back into your being when you are feeling anxious.
All you have to do is to remember that it's there and use your imagination to use it.
A magic switch that stops you overthinking,
Causing your anxiety.
I'd like you to imagine the switch now.
And in your mind's eye,
Reach up and gently turn the switch off.
And as soon as you do,
Imagine the thoughts in your mind instantly beginning to quiet down.
Feel the mental chatter pausing.
Like a radio being turned off,
Leaving only silence and stillness.
And now with the switch turned off,
Shift away from your mind,
Away from your thoughts,
And bring all of your focus down into your body.
Take a deep breath in and as you exhale,
Let your awareness sink down into your chest.
Breathe from your heart.
Let all of your awareness sink down into your heart.
Feel the gentle rhythm of your heartbeat,
The rise and fall of your breath.
This is the center of your being.
This is the seat of your emotions and your true self.
Spend a few moments here focusing on the sensations in your heart.
How does your heart feel?
Is it open,
Calm,
And expansive?
Or does it feel tight,
Guarded,
Or heavy?
Whatever you notice,
Just allow it to be,
Without trying to change anything.
And if thoughts are trying to get louder,
Just ignore them and remind yourself you switched your mind off.
Because you want to recharge your battery,
Your heart,
Your soul.
Bring all your loving awareness to your heart,
Acknowledging its presence and its power.
And now let your awareness continue to move down,
Down into your stomach,
Into the area of your gut.
This is where your instinct,
Your intuition resides.
This is the part of you that always knows the truth.
This is the part that feels what is right for you beyond the noise of the mind.
This is the part of you that you should always be listening to.
The part of yourself that you can trust.
As you focus on your gut,
Notice any sensations you feel there.
Is there a sense of calm or perhaps intention or discomfort?
Whatever it is,
Just allow yourself to be with it.
To feel it fully.
And as you continue to breathe deeply,
Imagine that you're drawing your awareness down even further.
Down your legs to your feet.
Feel the connection between your feet,
Your legs,
Your body to the earth.
Feel the solidity of the ground beneath you.
The support that's always there holding you up.
This is the physical part of you.
The part that's connected to the world,
To nature,
To the here and now.
In this moment,
You are no longer lost in your head.
You're fully connected to your body,
To your heart,
To your gut,
And to the earth beneath you.
Feel the difference in your energy.
Feel the sense of grounding,
Of calm,
Of presence,
Of inner power.
This is the balance that anxiety is trying to guide you towards.
The connection to the deeper,
Wiser parts of yourself.
Anxiety arises when you are too much in your head.
When your thoughts are racing ahead of your body,
Leaving you behind.
Leaving you disconnected from the parts of yourself that truly matter the most.
But now with the switch in your mind turned off,
You can feel the power of your heart.
The wisdom of your gut and the groundedness of your body.
This is where true peace resides.
So take a moment now to affirm this new connection.
Simply silently repeat to yourself the following.
I am more than my thoughts.
I am connected to my heart.
I am connected to my intuition.
I am connected to my body.
When anxiety arises,
I know it's a signal to slow down.
When anxiety arises,
I know I need to reconnect with myself.
When anxiety arises,
I know I need to return to the present moment.
Just breathe that new truth in for a moment.
Feel the calm and peace that comes from this connection.
You're no longer controlled by the racing thoughts in your mind.
You have the power to pause.
To slow down.
To reconnect with the parts of yourself that guide you to the life you truly want to live.
When you feel ready,
Gently reach up in your mind's eye and turn the switch on the side of your head back to the on position.
But notice now that your thoughts are no longer racing so fast.
They're calmer,
Flowing gently.
In harmony with your heart,
Your gut and your body.
You are in control,
Connected and at peace.
Take a few more deep breaths here.
Feeling the sense of balance and calm within you.
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Carrying this new perspective with you as you move forward.
Remember,
Anxiety is not here to overwhelm you.
It's a reminder to reconnect with yourself.
To slow down.
To honour the deeper,
Wiser parts of who you are.
You are strong.
You are grounded.
And you are capable of transforming any emotion into a source of peace and wisdom.
Trust in your ability to find balance within yourself.
And know that you are always supported on your journey.
