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Turning to face my fear, I meet the warrior who lives within ~ Jennifer Welwood

 

Fear is something we all have and can never completely eliminate from our lives. Whether it sources from our reactive conditioning to the old experiences, beliefs and ‘what ifs’ of our childhood, our inner dread of real life personal harm experiences or the crushing self-doubt and shame that comes from feeling unworthy, our unconscious knee-jerk reactions to fear memories can cause us to pull back from life and miss out on joy, love, adventure and personal expansion.

 

How Fear Stops You

When you are anxious or afraid:

• the fight or flight responses that are triggered in your body can cause panic to set in, your thinking to become fuzzy, and you can be emotionally and physically immobilized.

• you may develop avoidance behaviours such as:
  • turning down invitations to social activities,
  • putting off medical appointments,
  • not asking for a raise at work,
  • missing out on learning adventures
  • resisting new challenges that can enhance your life and bring about a deep sense of satisfaction and accomplishment

• the fear of failure can keep you isolated and shut down within self-built walls that prevent access to your limitless potential and authenticity.

• your fear is a confidence killer and self-hatred builder that can cause you to hide, feel shame, embarrassment and vulnerability.

 

Change the Landscape from Fear to Courage

Meeting your fear requires a commitment to becoming aware of the triggers and finding simple tools that build resilience toward the inevitable events that happen in your life. Here are some tips:

 

Take responsibility for the fear by getting to its root cause.

• Journal or make a list of what terrifies you and look for a common thread. The more you are able to identify and articulate the origins of your fear, the less control they will have over you.
• Ask these questions: What is creating this fear in my life? How can I change my attitude towards it?

 

Take actions to release the fear by doing Breathwork.

• Breathwork is instrumental in releasing the ‘fear soup’ of victimhood, guilt, worry, anxiety and shame that stops you. Its ability to release and shed outdated beliefs leaves room for you to embrace your capacity to be victorious in life and sets free the love and courage within you.

 

Take action to deal with fear: Learn from it, move through it, then let it go.

• Create a safe and peaceful living space
• Take small steps to expand your fear boundary. (Fear of public speaking? Challenge yourself to speak up in small groups first.)
• Utilise tools such as:
• Meditation – to gain peace, calm and perspective
• Education – to learn about the actual source of your fear (Flying? Take flying lessons)
• Breathing techniques for calm such as alternate nostril breathing, or a series of circular breaths (Breathwork)
• Affirmations – “I am safe.” “Change is safe.” “I love more than I fear”.
• yoga exercises for the root chakra (the seat of your sense of safety and home)
• chanting at the vibration of the root chakra seed sound – LAM

 

When fear is faced, love is what is revealed. Love is always at the heart of life. Many tools but especially Breathwork and meditation help release fear to uncover love, peace and potential. Breathwork steps you back into your life, moves you past the ego holding you back, and opens the door so you can live authentically from what you discover about yourself:

You are more courageous, capable and fearless than you think.