Finding Our Intention to Care

Robert Strock (00:04):
A very warm welcome to Season Three of Awareness That Heals where we have progressed to be able to focus on one challenging emotion at a time. This will allow you to choose a specific emotion that you’ve had challenges with, and each one will have a progressive series of guided meditations that will allow you to go deeper and deeper into self-compassion. For me, it’s truly inspiring because each emotion has unique nuances for both self-care and responding to your environment at the same time, this is subtle and a rare skill as all too often we don’t stay aware of how we can care for ourselves as we are. I hope that you’ll not only find it helpful, but also give you deep resources that you can internalize when the emotion is most emerging.

(01:03)
So start off by just noticing your body sensations, and your heart, and sensing the anxiety that is present. And then pause and remember, you are the awareness that can pay attention. So often when you or any of us are in anxiety, we think that’s who we are. I’m anxious, but we are also the capacity to be the awareness of the anxiety, which allows us to potentially respond to it. You are that awareness that can pay attention and stay aware and then look inside yourself deeply with your greatest intelligence and caring thoughts and heart and recognize you want to care. At the same time.

(02:11)
Just notice, do you get this, that you can be anxious right now as you are, and look for that place that wants to care at the same time. Now, I say at the same time, because that’s the magic. If you’re able to be aware, oh yes, I’m anxious, and of course I want to care, that is what will move the dial, will move your life, will change your relationship to your anxiety. Now, if you can’t reach that, recognize that you want to increase what might be called your bare tolerance. Like you can barely tolerate your anxiety, and even that is an expansion because you’re starting to open your awareness and you’re moving toward tolerance and acceptance, and this expansion into greater tolerance and acceptance means that your body can relax a bit more. You can become more aware. Yes, I am also the awareness that gives me potential to be anxious and wherever I am, whether I’m alone, I’m with someone else, I’m able to respond in a way that it doesn’t capture me. Let yourself say, I am sending you more and more acceptance of my anxiety. Notice that you often ignore your anxiety or treat it like a problem or judge it, or perhaps you just suppress it.

(04:01)
Do you see this clearly? And as you tune into your anxiety right now, just say the words as gently as you can. I accept you with a deep inhale and exhale and have the profound realization from this wisdom inside you. I see you from my awareness. I am sending at least caring thoughts. If I can’t access the feelings like I want to support you and be so much more accepting than I’ve been in the past, dropping in together anxiety and awareness with caring thoughts. Together, take this away with you and recognize that this acceptance and tolerance of your anxiety will allow you to be more courageous and not be afraid of being anxious.

Announcer (05:14):