This past week’s insight was to set healthy spiritual boundaries. With boundaries we are aware of our own anxiety or witnessing someone experiencing anxiety.
Anxiety is experienced by everyone in many different forms resulting from many different circumstances. Anxiety is uncomfortable and prevents us from hearing what others have to say because our energy is held close and tight in a protective manner. That’s why you find it hard to breathe and your heart beats rapidly. You feel trapped and scared, at times desperately grasping for answers without realizing you are unable to listen to what others are offering in the way of support.
There are two ways to perceive this scenario. You could be the person trapped in anxiety unable to hear, or you could be the compassionate witness observing that person struggling. If you are the person with anxiety it is so important to remember others care and want to help you. But you will have a hard time hearing that until you allow yourself a little more space.
If you are the person witnessing another with anxiety it is of utmost importance to maintain your personal boundaries. You might start feeling anxious yourself or at least uncomfortable. You are experiencing your own emotions and feelings triggered by another person. This is a critical moment in your life as you may want to blame that other person rather than focus on your own energy first. Or you may want to rescue them not really noticing you are avoiding your own uncomfortable feelings.
Discovering the balance of knowing when to step in, to support (not fix or rescue) requires an inner strength of trust and knowing it is your job to be present with your own feelings and thoughts before taking any form of action…including the decision to wait and not taking action.
How do you know when or what to do?
Start by understanding your personal boundaries and your own patterns of behaviour.
- Are you uncomfortable witnessing?
- Is it hard not to step in or rescue?
- Do you want to run away?
- How do you deal with a person who is experiencing difficult emotions?
These are all examples of ways anxiety is experienced and there are simple steps you can use to manage your own energy in the moment.
Managing Anxiety begins with acknowledging you are feeling anxious. Next is breathing mindfully while letting go of any thoughts or feelings that don’t feel peaceful. Adding an affirmation such as “I am safe and loved” will get you through until the next time when you can repeat the process.
Insights: Graceful Forgiveness
Moving through the above experiences you can now move into practicing the art of forgiveness. Finding the space in your heart to forgive yourself and others for any feelings that are heavy or ‘negative’ is the key to creating and living a life of freedom. Without forgiveness anxiety continues to grow. Understand some memories take longer to forgive and that’s okay. Be patient and kind with yourself.
With forgiveness comes a peaceful sense of calm that begins in your heart and radiates through your entire being.
Let’s begin with the acknowledgment that we alone can make the changes within our own soul to create and live a life of grace and freedom.
Join us this week at drop-in meditation classes to practice Graceful Forgiveness.
Discover the path to managing anxiety & stress in The Power of Awareness – level 1 meditation
Article by Regina Kaiser
