2017521 3TechniquesforOvercomingAnxiety|BigThink

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2017521 3TechniquesforOvercomingAnxiety|BigThink

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HowYourMentalStateAffectsYourExperienceofTime
AlexanderTodorov

CanYouSpotaLiaroraLoverbyHowTheyLook?
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3TechniquesforOvercomingAnxiety
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May18,2017
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byDerekBeres

http://bigthink.com/21stcenturyspirituality/3techniquesforovercominganxiety?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#link 4/11
2017521 3TechniquesforOvercomingAnxiety|BigThink

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StreaksoflightfromcandlesmarkthepathsfollowersofBhuddismtakeastheywalkaroundthegiantstatueofLordBhuddaatthePhutthamonthoninNakhonPathom
nearBangkokastheycelebrateVesakday,theholidaythatmarksthebirthofGautamaBuddha

Anxietyisstifling.Beingonedgeaffectseveryfacetoflife,fromexistentialcrisestooverreactingwhenthebaristagetsanorderwrong.Yetasaphysiologicalresponse,
anxietycanbenotonlymitigatedbutactuallyworkedwith.ThroughpracticesliketheTibetanBuddhisttonglen(givenandtaking)andthroughcognitivereframing,
anxietycanbetransformedintoasourcefordeeperselfunderstanding,compassion,andcontentment.

SothinksTibetanBuddhistnunPemaChdrn,whocallsthisplaceoffrustrationandconfusionthesqueeze.Itsthepointinwhichwefeelstuck,caught,withno
escapetrappedbetweentheupliftednessofourideasandtherawnessofwhatshappeninginfrontofoureyes.Ratherthanseekinganout,heradviceistodiveright
intothesourceofthesuffering,thefoundationofyouranxiety.Bothduringatonglenpracticeandwhilenavigatingthroughlifeonadailybasis,anxietycanbeacatalyst
forgrowth.

Thedistancebetweenphilosophyandpracticeisvastifyouallowittobeso.PuttingChdrnsideasintoactionisdauntingconfrontingthesourceofanxietyand
sufferingisnoeasytask.Yetsomethingincrediblehappensintheattempt.Ifyoureopentosuchapractice,itworks.

AfewyearsagoIwentthroughadivorce.ShortlyafterIfacedtwosurgeriesinelevenmonths,oneforcancer,theotherforkneesurgery.IneachsituationIfollowed
Chdrnsguidelines.Andineachcase,Iallowedmyselftofullyexperiencethephysicalandemotionalsensationsassociatedwithmypredicament.Itofferedasenseof
confidencethattranslatedintoseekingcontentmentineverysituation.

EveninsmallerstrugglesChdrnsmethodologyprovesfruitful.Imwritingthisarticlewithastrainedbicepsbrachii,whichoccurredduringakettlebellworkout.It
wasanoveruseinjuryIteachfourkettlebellclassesaweekandincreasedmyweighttooquickly.AsIteachadozenfitnessandyogaclasseseveryweek,beinginjured
isfrustrating.Ratherthanbeingconsumedbythatoverambitiousmorning,Isoughtalternatives,whichtranslatedintomorestudiocyclingandPilates.Reframingmy
situationkeepsmeprogressing.

Weoftenwaitforguidanceforthebigproblemscancer,divorce,deathbutallowsmallerissuestocollectandaffectourlivesinseeminglyunderstatedthoughchronic
ways.Ourrelationshiptostressorsislikebackgroundnoise,everpresentyetrarelynoticed.Stillitsthere,affectingournervoussystemsubconsciously,helpingdirect
ouractionsinwayswedontrealize.

Theapplicationofthefollowingthreetechniquesworkforanxietieslargeandsmall.Theycanbepracticedduringmeditationaswellasinlife.Applyingthemisbotha
disciplineandamindset.Insteadofavoidinganxietyyouuseittoyouradvantage.Youharnessthephysiologicalchangesinyourbodyaspotentialenergyforpositive
change.Thenyouapplyittoyourpersonalsituationinhopesoftransformingstressintoprogress.

GotothePlacesthatScareYou

Abasicmeditationtechniqueistonoticethoughtsasthoughts,constructscreatedbyyourmind,theneuronalfiringsorchestratedinandbyyourbrain.Ifyoucanlabela
thoughtasathoughtwithoutjudgmentthisisagoodthoughtaboutapersonIlove:thisisabadthoughtaboutaterriblesituationyoustepawayfromyourinvestment
inthecontentofthethought.AsChdrnwrites,

Meditationpracticeishowwestopfightingwithourselves,howwestopstrugglingwithcircumstances,emotionsormoods.

Whenyoulabelthoughtsasthoughtsyouloosenupdemandsofwinningorlosingandsimplyrelaxintowhatis.Ifyoucanaccomplishthisinplacesthatfrightenyou
youllnolongerfallvictimtothoughtsaccompanyingfearfulsituations.Sometimesunfortunateeventsoccuratsuchtimesyourresponseisindicativeofyourcharacter.

Butmanyemotionalproblemsareselfcreated.Whenobsessingoversuchthoughtswecreatethecircumstancesforthemtomanifest.Bycontrastconfrontingpainlessens
thepossibilityofsuchamanifestation.Ifyouveworkedthroughthephysicalemotionalsensationsassociatedwiththesourceofthepain,theresnothinglefttofear.

UsePoisonasMedicine

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