Anxiety. The heart races, the thoughts tumble too fast to process, the anticipation of the next moment, hour, or day causes worry or worse, dread. Inner turmoil. Stress. We all have these experiences in one way or another. And some more than others.

Fear

At the core of anxiety is fear. Fear of the mistakes we made in the past. Fear of future outcomes. Especially the imagining of the worst outcomes. Fear has dogged us since the days when the night creatures lurked around the caves we inhabited and the fires we built for protection.

Though we have come to dominate the planet, fear is still what causes us to act more like wild animals at times than the dominant species we are. Fear of death, fear of being called out, fear of pain of every stripe, fear of being alone.

Fear is one element of what Buddha described as human “suffering”, which we all experience in our human condition in our own unique way.

Why is this?

From the time we emerge from the womb, a scary experience in itself, we are taught to be wary of the big, bad world we are born into. We hear “It’s a Dog eat dog world out there” and “Only the strong survive”. And our minds, fueled by the emotional threat underlying these notions, latch onto them and they become the conscious and subconscious motivators for much of our behavior.

Sad, but true. And the clues of the truth of this are all around us. Passed on by our parents and their struggle to survive and thrive. And emphasized by the lessons we learn at school from our teachers training us how to get ahead and compete with our peers. And other children themselves, who are often mean to each other.

It’s no wonder we end up confused and fearful about the present and about the future.

“Fear Not”

I know this all sounds pretty bleak, but I’d like to offer another perspective. And some tools for dealing with anxiety. One of my favorite teachers, Joel Goldsmith, 20^th Century mystic and author, puts it this way, “When we stop to think about it, we cannot help but realize that everything in the world that we have ever feared is external to our own being, whether it is a person or an army, whether bullets or poison, climate, weather or storms. The first secret that we learn in meditation, the very first revelation that comes to us, is that all power is within us and that there is no external power that can act on us.”

He goes on to make the point, which I wholeheartedly endorse, that if we are to live a fearless life that has to come from within.

Here’s a personal story about that. My Soul, my Higher Consciousness, speaks to me from time to time when I am in an elevated state of awareness. Here’s what it said about fear when I was worrying about the house we were trying to buy:

“There is nothing to be afraid of. I am with you every step of the way. And, in fact, I am out in front, paving the way for you. Don’t be afraid. It just stops up the flow of Spirit energy through your system and into your world. Hang in there. It only gets better. You’re going to be fine. Better than fine.

Let me give you a few tools to use to combat fear and anxiety.

Tool #1—Sit Down Meditation.

Sit-down meditation is usually practiced sitting in a chair, or on a meditation cushion. Though it can be done almost anywhere, at any time. In its simplest form, sit-down meditation is done by observing the breath as it comes in and goes out. One technique, which I mentioned before, involves breathing in for 5 seconds and out for 10. This tells the brain that we are “safe”.

This technique sounds easy, but it is not. Why? Because the human mind is a chatterbox, constantly abuzz and commenting on everything we experience, and buzzes loudest when things get quiet. As a result, most meditation techniques concentrate on mind training as a central focus of their process.

An alternative technique is my new process called Higher Consciousness Meditation. It’s a simple, easy, quick and effective method I have developed (see my book The Meditation Book), that is suitable for beginners and experts. The technique focuses on direct contact with our Higher Selves, our Souls, by bypassing and transcending the mind. I like to call this Meditation 2.0. The link for the book and the technique is available below.

Tool #2–Mindfulness Techniques

The practice of mindfulness meditation can be done in as little as 6 seconds, standing or sitting, as I describe in my book, The Mindfulness Book. One of my favorites is an easy mindfulness exercise that can be done by simply taking a deep breath, saying to yourself “Peace, Be Still”. And then pausing to feel the effects of the exercise. Almost immediately, most people feel a lifting of their spirits and become more relaxed.

Here’s another quick mindfulness exercise to say to yourself when you are feeling anxious. “I am an Eternal Being. All is right with the world.” Put this on a notecard and keep it in your pocket. Pull it out when that feeling of distress comes up. And remember to breathe. 5 seconds in, 10 seconds out.

Additional Benefits of Meditation

I hope that I have made the point that meditation has many benefits. Especially against stress, anxiety and some forms of ill-health. And it’s so easy to do. Using a few meditation exercises to get started can really help. Making it a regular habit can help even more. And the news gets even better.

The same body of scientific research that meditation helps with difficult mental, emotional and physical conditions shows that there are many positive outcomes from meditation, as well. It:

• Improves focus and concentration

• Gives you mental strength and emotional intelligence

• Increases your feelings of compassion and happiness
• Promotes inner peace, love, joy, aliveness and gratitude

Next Steps

If this sounds good to you let me suggest a few things you can do next.

• First, learn to meditate as mentioned above. Second, hit the Subscribe button below so I can send you more videos like this.
• Second, I have a special gift for you, a free copy of my first book The Amazing Benefits of Meditation. Click on this LINK.

Blessed Be.

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