Hey guys.
It’s Bex here and welcome to another video in my series You Have Four Minutes for Meditation.
Today’s meditation is one for anxiety about anxiety.
[Music]
Anxiety can be triggered by many things – fear, worry, anger, frustration.
But what about anxiety that’s triggered or made worse by a fear or worry about anxiety
itself?
I suffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks for nearly 20 years of my life, from childhood
until I was almost 30 years old and I still experience anxiety today.
It’s definitely a rare occurrence but it’s part of my personality that I have to manage.
Through the work I’ve done to manage my anxiety, I’ve discovered that the worst
episodes were not just about the incident or thought that triggered the panic response.
They were more about the fear of losing control of my response.
The panic would consume me and I could see no escape.
I was having anxiety about my anxiety and I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to
rescue myself.
I would feel like I was dying.
Please listen closely to the messages that I’m offering you today.
They have helped me to manage and heal my fear of losing control and I know that they
can do the same for you.
Let’s begin.
The first step is finding your comfortable seat in a place where you can be undisturbed.
So this could be anywhere that you can get quiet and be alone.
You can sit cross-legged like me, one foot in front of the other, or in half lotus or
full lotus, whatever works for you.
This doesn’t have to be on the floor.
It’s just where I prefer to practice meditation.
You could do it on your couch, in your office chair, on your bed, wherever.
Sit up nice and tall by placing your shoulders over your hips.
You can achieve this by inhaling your shoulders up to your ears and exhaling your shoulder
blades down your spine.
For today’s meditation, I would like you to place one hand inside the other like a
cup and rest it on your lap.
Next, close your eyes and start paying attention to your breath.
Observe your easy inhales and exhales in this moment.
Feel them enter your nostrils, pass down the back of your throat.
Feel your chest, your belly.
Settle in your seat and then make a loop to come up and out again.
There’s no need to change your breath.
It’s in perfect service to you in this moment.
Just allow it to flow easily without trying to affect it.
Meditation isn’t about forcing yourself to think of nothing.
That’s too much pressure.
My usual instruction is just to allow your thoughts to come in.
Observe them and then gently and politely say thank you and good-bye.
But today’s practice is going to be a little bit different.
We’re not only going to allow all the thoughts.
We’re going to welcome them.
Every annoying, agitating, fearful and even pleasant thoughts are going to flood in and
we’re going to allow and appreciate every single one, because for someone who suffers
from anxiety, not thinking about anything can trigger a whole new anxiety.
So as you continue to observe your inhales and exhales, just observe the thoughts coming
in.
Today is all about welcoming, allowing, and being grateful for this moment.
Today isn’t about figuring out anything.
Today, you’re just observing and understanding that the chaos cannot hurt you.
I want you to repeat the following mantras either silently or aloud.
They may not feel true to you in this moment and that’s OK.
They will soon become your truth.
They will bring your mind toward a more peaceful state and you will even start to feel more
physically relaxed.
I am safe in this moment.
My thoughts are mine and mine alone.
I create my thoughts.
Therefore I have the power to change my thoughts.
I am safe in this moment.
My thoughts are mine and mine alone.
I create my thoughts.
Therefore I have the power to change my thoughts.
Nothing can harm me in this moment.
My thoughts are mine and mine alone.
My thoughts have no power over me.
I can see them for what they are, figments of my imagination.
Nothing can harm me in this moment.
My thoughts are mine and mine alone.
My thoughts have no power over me.
I can see them for what they are, figments of my imagination.
If you’re feeling anxious at all or tightness in any muscle group, allow it to melt away
with your next cycle of inhales and exhales.
Inhale, let, exhale, go.
Let, go.
Continue to observe your thoughts.
They may be swirling about, piling up, jumping around in your head.
It’s all OK.
Everything is perfect in this moment.
Nothing can harm you.
You are choosing to be at peace in this moment.
You choose to be here.
You choose to be still.
You choose to breathe.
As you go about your day to day, you may encounter situations or triggers that bring up a feeling
of anxiety or panic.
I want you to repeat this mantra to yourself throughout the day whenever these feelings
arise.
The option is mine in every moment to choose peace over panic.
Continue with your easy inhales and exhales for as long as you like.
As you observe them now, observe how much slower and deeper they have become.
You have done the work to make yourself calmer, more relaxed and more at peace.
You are in control of your senses.
You are in control of your anxiety.
You choose to be here.
You choose to be still.
You choose to breathe and you have chosen peace.
When you feel fully relaxed and ready to go about your day, you may go ahead and open
your eyes.
But for right now, just continue to breathe and feel at total peace.