3 Powerful Practices to Release Anxiety & Live in Joy
In this post I will be sharing with you three powerful practices that have helped me transition from living a life in a constant state of anxiety to living a life filled with incredible joy.
Is that something you would be interested in???
Let me start by asking… Do you struggle with anxiety?
That feeling when your stomach turns, your breath constricts and becomes shallow, you feel out of control and an internal panic begins to build and overwhelm you. You feel your heart begin to race, your losing control, tears begin to well up and you fight against the emotion, suppressing with all your mite.
Sometimes it feels like you might not survive this moment, maybe you freeze up and completely lose the ability to speak and ask for help, no you wouldn’t dare ask for help because then they would know… Know that you’re not perfect and that maybe there is something wrong with you.
Eventually you find your escape, you get away and hide away.. Hiding yourself, your emotions, your experience, your challenges with anxiety, pushing it down, disassociating, shutting down and not telling anyone.
You fear this experience will happen again and again you will lose control, the fear creates more anxiety and you continue to suppress, distract, avoid and escape to the point you forgot how to enjoy yourself, joy is a distant memory or something you don’t remember ever experiencing.
You have forgotten how to live.
Constantly stressing and really just surviving moment by moment. In constant alert mode, looking out for type of threat to prepare yourself for another attack. But by doing so, you are subconsciously creating the experience you do not want, for where focus goes energy flows.
Does this at all sound familiar?
This is how I lived most of my life up until a few years ago. In fear, panic, anxiety, on constant lookout for the next threat, and when it all got too much I would shut down, disassociate and become deeply depressed and disconnected.
My journey has led me to many teachers, mentors, modalities, insights and practices to first help myself so that I can help others.
At the time I felt very alone in my pain and as if this was only happening to me, like there was something wrong with me that needed fixing.
On my journey I have realized that I am not alone and there are so many others out there that continue to suffer with anxiety, depression, fear, panic and disassociation, disconnected from themselves and far from living in joy.
So let me share with you three POWERFUL practices that when practiced consistently will transform your life from one of Anxiety to one of JOY!
Grounding
When you’re in a state of anxiety, your energy tends to rise up and get stuck in your chest, throat and head and you can even leave your body altogether and disassociate.
Grounding will help you to bring that energy down your body, through your legs and out of your feet and connect you to the Earth’s energy, discharging the energy and bringing you into a parasympathetic, relaxed state.When you’re feeling anxious, stop what you’re doing and take 3 slow deep breaths with a longer exhale.
Inhale for 4, exhale for 6-8 counts.Notice where you feel the anxiety and what sensations you notice in your body.
What colour is the anxiety and sensations?
As you inhale, draw the energy down your body, to your feet.
As you exhale, send the energy out of your feet into the Earth.
Thank Mother Earth for taking this energy from you.
Repeat this process as many times as you need.
Notice how you feel. Do you feel grounded, present, connected, calm, open, light?
Do you need to take a few more breaths? Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 8 counts.
Compassionate Curiosity
When we get triggered we have a tendency to shame, wrong and blame ourselves, and beat ourselves up. When we are triggered and feeling the intensity of anxiety we need more love, more compassion, more understanding. There is a part of you yearning to be seen, heard, held and loved and is calling out to you.
Take a few slow deep breaths. Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6-8 counts.
Notice what sensations are present for you.
Ask yourself,
“What is being revealed to me?”
“What within me is wanting to be seen and heard?”
“Can I meet myself with more compassion?”
Speak to the part of yourself that is triggered, “What do you need from me to support you right now?”
When we are triggered there is a part of yourself that is hurting, that holds unresolved pain or trauma. This practice helps you to hold space for yourself, to meet yourself with love and compassion.
Journaling
Anxiety tends to arise when we have unresolved pain, trauma and suppressed emotions. When we hold these energies, wound and emotions inside we get emotionally triggered more easily, offering the opportunity for deep healing.
When you get triggered often you don’t ackowledge why you were triggered. There’s a tendency to go into survival mode, using coping and defense mechanisms. Journaling offers a safe space for you to express yourself and to uncover what is being held inside.
Bringing awareness to what’s being held within creates the space for deep healing and growth.
Start with the practices above - Grounding & Compassionate Curiosity
Make yourself a hot drink, a relaxing chamomile tea, a ceremonial cacao, whatever feels right for you.
Allow yourself 10-20 minutes or longer to write. Sometimes you might not know where to start. Put pen to paper and write whatever is coming up for you, what you are feeling and experiencing.
Pour your heart out my love, let yourself express openly, honestly, authentically.
When you’re done, it may feel right to burn the papers, maybe you want to keep them to reflect on them in the future.
Take three slow deep breaths into your heart. In for 4, out for 8.
What can you be grateful for in this now moment if you really wanted to be… What are three things in your life that you are truly grateful for??? Breathe in the gratitude, breathe out and feel it.
My journey to living in Joy began by first noticing what was being held inside, finding tools to release the pain and trauma which helped me to create the space needed to reconnect to my true self.
Through consistent practice I have healed many wounds and stepped into my true self and have created a life full of joy, abundance and pleasure. A life I am truly grateful for, a life that I truly want to stick around for.
I would love to hear from you about your experience of these practice. Share in the comments below.
What are some other tools and practices that help you? Sharing in the comments just might help someone else…
These practices are very powerful when used regularly and with intention.
I have been very fortunate on my journey to find incredible mentors who have supported me to move through the intense, debilitating anxiety that I was experiencing and offered my profound wisdom and tools that allowed me to heal deep wounds and create a life of abundance and joy.
I now support hundreds of clients to do the same.
If you feel you would benefit from working with me 1:1 to heal the anxiety you’re experiencing and create the life you truly desire, please reach out!
You can book a FREE Discovery Call today, let’s chat and see how I can best serve you.
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