11.07.2009

Word of the Week: Fear












Photo credit: Welshio

This new Word of the Week section will be a weekly reflection on a subject that is relevant for me - and maybe for you.

I wanted to start with Fear, because even if not all of us feel it these days, I can clearly see that the medias are trying to instil this fear in all of us with the pandemic flu and mass vaccination campaign.

Fear : A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.

Are you scared? Worried? I am, sometimes. I made a great meditation exercice yesterday to help me deal with that sense of fear. First, I tried to recognize the fact that I am scared and see what it was doing to my body - my heart beat, my breath, my internal movements. Then I went through acceptation of that fear. Again I was trying to feel the effects of that acceptation on my whole body. Next step was to interrogate the fear. Why are you there? What is your purpose? Finally, I consciously decided not to identify with that feeling of fear. I'm not the fear. It is external to me. During that final step I felt a shower of light on me. It was very intense and very nourishing. I felt like a protection surrounding me. A barrier against that fear. What a great experience! I know I still have worries but I also trust God and it helped me to control the impact of the fear on me. I realized it was not me, it was something coming from outside and I don't have to let it eat me! If you have some fears, too, try to meditate in 4 steps (RAIN method): Recognition, Acceptation, Interrogation and Not to identify with the fear (or any other feeling).

I think fear and worries are more destructive (and more contagious!) than diseases. Fear is a weapon of mass destruction. The best way to protect ourselves from diseases and other harmful situations is first to protect ourselves from irrational fear, from suggested fear.

Do you have any fears?

1 comment:

Holly said...

Fear is one of the biggest things I deal with, especially when it involves worrying about things I have no control over. I am usually pretty good about shrugging it off once I realize that I'm dwelling on it, but I had never heard of the RAIN technique. I'll definitely be putting that to use. Thanks for a great post!