Flow Through Fear

Some days, fear is crippling and freezes us in a place we feel protected. I remember a  conversation, at a party, about a woman who was so fearful of various things in the world  happening to her, that she stayed close to home most days. She spent a good amount of her  life frozen in fear, crippled by the idea that something bad could happen to her. A good friend,  finally, got her to take small steps out the door, first still fearful, but over time, the fear  lightened. When I heard this story, I immediately thought, “oh how sad for her. It would be  tough to live that way, all the time. ” And then I realized, I do. Maybe not to her level, but I do  make decisions out of fear. I do work myself into anxiety over fearful ideas that could happen to  me. I do let worries led by fear, freeze me into inaction, and if being in action is a way to do life,  what was I doing?

Once upon a time, there was a lady that went for a jog, as she had done several times a  week, her entire life. One morning jog wouldn’t allow her back home, as she was killed by a  stranger on her run. The motive was robbery, which is even sadder, as I have no more than a $5  on me when I run. I immediately internalized the news, and took it personal, as a runner myself.

I had to know every detail about this lady, where she was, who she knew, and who the robber  was, and why. That was the big question for me -why her? Why that morning? This news story,  about a stranger, halted my running habit for a month. For an entire month, I was frozen in fear  over running by myself. This activity I love to do, and which I had done my entire life, was now  so laced with fear, that it stole my joy.

I was no different that the woman in the conversation at the party. With certain  situations, I let fear cripple me, too, and I wanted to do that less of the time. I discussed this  idea with a fellow yoga teacher, and she asked if I meditated. At the time, I didn’t, but she went  onto explain how you can meditate to clear out negative energy in your body. Negative  thoughts would lighten as I focused on positive elements. “For as much negative that happens  in the world, look at all the positive, ” she said. I wanted to get into this new headspace, so I  dove into meditation practice. There are so many different types of meditation, and we have  other articles that focus, specifically, on meditation. Here is a favorite, at-home resource we  previously posted. I found my favorites, and I committed to a morning ritual that included  meditation. I shared my feelings about fear with my husband and he’s agreed to support me by  making me aware if I make a decision out of fear.

“What if something bad happens, ” I’d say.

“What if it all goes your way, ” he’d respond.

Nobody discusses how many uninterrupted, safe miles they run. Nobody acknowledges  all the road trips that end with us arriving safely to our destination. Nobody talks about all the  airplanes that safely land. Yet these things happen every day, and while there may be some fear  lingering around about each of these activities, none of it is usually crippling us or our joy. Take  proper precautions and enjoy the activities which bring you joy. If you find yourself making  decisions rooted in fear, try these helpful breathing meditations, and guided meditations to  help lift you into a new mind space. Faith is greater than fear, so elevating into a higher mind  space is imperative. We have so many helpers in the spiritual world, and it’s important to  access this faith in times of need. Life is meant to be lived, out loud, and in person, so let’s  squash fear together, and live with abundant joy.

If you find yourself deep-rooted in fear, find some place to talk it out or write it out.  Sometimes carrying the burden, yourself is just too heavy, and these practices and helpers can  help release the load for you.

1. Online Counseling is a great way to access support in a timely manner, when you need  it.

2. Breath work is beneficial to both your mind and body, and I share three of my favorites  here.

3. Guided Meditation is accessible via YouTube, or numerous meditation apps. Find one  that fits you. Here’s one of my favorites!

4. Taking action or being in activity helps the mind re-direct during acute anxiety attacks,  so make time for a walk, a workout, a yoga class, or something else that gets your body  in motion.