Holidays bring mixed emotions for many people. Loneliness, financial problems, and anxiety-producing-family-gatherings. Today, I will blog on some ways to have peace in the midst of fear.
I was with another spiritual director who struggles with anxiety. She asked me how do you keep from letting this emotion affect our self-worth? I replied that this takes time and some internal work. Then you can live in the peace that surpasses understanding. Most of the time.
Anxeity, worry, and fear are emotions. Not good or bad. Just feelings. And need to be acknowledged and felt before I can release them. Otherwise, they are stuffed and keep rearing their ugly heads, robbing me of my peace. True, these emotions return. And I acknowledge, feel, and release them again. This practice I will share helps do just that.
Spiritual Practice
Find a safe, quiet place to be alone with God. Ground yourself in the chair. Feet on the floor. Palms up and open. Eyes closed. Sink into the chair as if sinking into God’s love.
Take a few deep breaths. Breathe in peace, breathe out any anxiety. Breathe in peace, breathe out worry, breathe in God’s love, breathe out fear.
In your left palm, put what you are anxious about. Be authentic with God. He never judges you. Ignore your inner critic. It just tells you to stuff it.
Pause. Feel it. Don’t rush. Then ask yourself, why? Where does this anxiety stem from? Is it based in truth? Listen. Receive wisdom from God.
When you are ready, slowly raise your hand up to God who is big enough to hold all your anxiety.
Now in your right hand, place one thing that gives you peace. Pause. Receive.
Place your right hand on your heart. Let this peaceful thing permeate your being. Continue to breathe slowly and deeply. As the heart rate slows, a message is sent to the brain to calm down. Pause. Soak it all in.
Now, in your left hand, place what are you truly worried about now? Pause. Be authentic. Nothing is silly, crazy, or stupid.
Ask yourself, is this true? Will this really happen? Is this worry of yours beyond a reasonable doubt? Listen. Receive wisdom.
When you are ready, slowly raise your left hand for God to hold your worries. He can manage.
In your right palm, place what gives you peace in your mind. Since worry is about the unknown future, how can you practice being present and dwell on what is known? Pause. Ponder.
Now place your right hand over your heart and allow God’s presence to fill your being.
Lastly, with both palms up, place your fears in your left hand. What are truly afraid of?
Afraid of losing? Or not receiving? Be authentic with yourself and God as to what fears you have.
Pause. Feel it. Then slowly raise your hand for God to hold your fears.
In your right hand, what makes you feel loved.
Then place your right hand over your heart, allowing God’s love to fill your soul.
Pause. Soak it in. Perfect love casts out fear.
I love this practice. What I notice is that I am NOT allowing my left hand, which held anxiety, worry, and fear, over my heart. The heart represents our worth, our core being. Sometimes, I have allowed these feelings to affect my self-worth. If I am worried, then I lack trust, so it’s my fault. Or if I have anxieties, then there is something wrong with me. Or I am not good enough if I am stuck in my fears.
That is the biggest lie.
It is a choice. Once I have worked authentically through these emotions, then it is my choice what I
dwell on in that computer of mine, known as the brain. Just like I can open spam and dwell on a dreadful website, OR choose to press trash or delete. These emails will pop up again. I decide to delete again.
What is on your computer (brain)?
What action will you take to practice peace this season?
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