522: The benefits of having an anxiety calming practice to begin the New Year
This week on the Anxiety Slayer podcast we're talking about how having a regular anxiety calming practice can help you feel calm and present as we step into this New Year.
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Notes from this week’s episode:
How anxiety can hold the mind stuck in fear
Anxiety is a stuck state.
The mind can get caught up in the stickiness of inaction and often sees our suffering as a permanent state. Anxiety clouds our thinking and can make taking action challenging. But that’s exactly what we need to do.
Two anxiety snags to watch out for:
Your kind might tell you nothing works
Anxiety may prompt you to isolate
An anxious mind might tell you:
No-one understands
There is something wrong with me
The teaching from a Ayurvedic wisdom is to ignore your mind. Don’t listen and do take action.
Anxiety will also try and trick us into thinking it's with us for life, or it won't go without some massive intervention.
Neither need be true. If we can open to the experiment of simple daily anxiety calming practices, we will soon feel anxiety start to loosen its grip and take a back seat.
Ayurveda on stuck fear in the mind
The 3 qualities that affect the mind.
Ayurveda offers lifestyle support that calms anxiety via the body. Using nutrition, breathing and understanding of the adjustments that support our individual nature, we can find relief and feel more grounded and present in our lives.
Self-knowledge is the beginning of self-healing. This year we will be sharing more teachings and individual coaching sessions on how you can understand your mind and body type more and make lifestyle changes that will support you in feeling more calm and present in your life.
Why moving your body is so important
Winter means we need to walk more than ever! We need to move, and we need the light and fresh air to keep our spirits up.
Start a simple daily mindful walking practice
Start wherever you can. A street, a park, the beach. Short walks can be anywhere accessible to you, somewhere you can drive to quickly and easily, or just walk out of your door and start consciously putting one foot in front of the other
For longer walks you might choose a Sunday by the sea, or near a river, or in a forest. To allow extra time for immersion in nature.
Walk with awareness of your surroundings. Don't think about it too much, you certainly don't need to worry about whether you are doing it "right" or not. Just get coming and get curious about your ur surroundings. Look out for birds, listen to the sound of your feet connecting with the earth, or the street. Swing your arms, drop your shoulders, relax your jaw and fill your lungs with air.
If your anxiety is running high, try counting your steps with your breath for a while to engage your mind and draw it away from looping over anxious thoughts.
Try taking one deep breath in as you take four steps, and then exhaling slowly for six steps. And repeat.
Once you feel more settled you can start listening out for the sounds around you, look for patterns and colours. Explore the textures of trees, leaves, stones, anything that catches your eye.
Be curious. Be open and walk daily if you can, or at least three times a week, even if it's just for 10 minutes.
The power of practice
Start with daily acts of self-care and take one step at a time.
To think you are alone and nothing will work is a trick of your mind. It’s not your mind being your friend.
A Tapping Success Story
Client success story - How one of Ananga's coaching clients got over a huge hurdle with anxiety with EFT Tapping.
Little steps lead to peace
Value small steps and actions. Anxiety is a big issue but it is best handled with little steps.
Keep your mind on what you can do rather than letting thoughts of uncertainty oppress you.
Start taking action today to Slay your Anxiety one step and one day at a time.
For support with starting a daily calming practice, you can join our popular online course, Small Step to Big Change which is available on our VIP Tier on Patreon along with 70 more guided relaxations, Tapping Sessions and classes to help you slay your anxiety.