3 Techniques I Use To Understand And Release Anxiety

I am so thrilled to have started a partnership with a local organization, where I will work with a group of women to help them through their experience of stress, anxiety and depression. I will be meeting with them once a month for the next 9 months. We’ll have quite a journey together, and I am happy and grateful for it!

My own experiences with anxiety and depression have brought me some wisdom on how to best deal with these feelings. These feelings have been present in my life as far as I can remember. I think I was about 7 the first time I imagined the need to take my brain out of my head and into a jar so that I could find some sleep. In High School, I buried myself in activities - I can count 13 club photos in one yearbook. My first burnout was at 18, and a full-blown panic attack in third year University. That powerful and frightening experience turned the ignition for my healing journey.

For me, talk therapy was not very helpful. I found that the therapists were always asking the same questions, even though they were taking copious notes. There were no breakthroughs, only the same conversations over and over again until I tired of repeating myself and stopped going. Maybe I was just too hurt and too closed to their method. Maybe I didn’t trust them enough because I felt the stigma of branding just walking into their office. I felt judged, assessed and boxed in one or two of their labels. Whatever the reason, it just never felt right for me.

What works for me, then and now, is what I teach my clients. It’s not about the one method so much as it is finding what works for you. And to find what works for you, you have to be willing to try different approaches. Seek help from licensed therapists, and explore “alternative” methods that are safe and healthy. Surround yourself with a team of people you trust and where you feel safe to explore your inner world. I can feel quite vulnerable and naked to my core when I open up about my inner world. That fear of being judged and ridiculed can be quite strong… but with my team of helpers I’ve learned to heal past that fear so that it doesn’t hold me back anymore. I wouldn’t be writing this article, contributing to my blog, or constantly learning new ways to help my clients if I would still be living in fear.

So what are my best techniques?

1. Notice what’s going on inside… many of us have learned to hide our emotions. Other people’s feelings matter more than ours. After a lifetime of hiding my feelings behind work, community activities and people-pleasing hoopla, I realized that I was unable to recognize my own feelings. I spent almost a year learning about my emotional landscape, and my best tool was the sentence: “I feel ______.” When you can name it, you claim it - and you can work with it. 
2. Be curious about what’s behind the feeling… a feeling of anxiety is often a trigger, or a response to a physical situation or a thought pattern. There are often stories behind the feelings, like the need to please Mother, the need to belong, the need to be safe, the need to be loved - and the stories running in our minds can remind of times when these needs were not met, and part of the brain might be running statistics on the likelihood to be disappointed or hurt again. But until we know what story is running, it’s hard to change the channel. 
3. Body movement is imperative. Whether it’s a walk, a swim, yoga or a jog - the body needs to move! Anxiety and stress build up a lot of energy in the head and upper chest areas. We can feel constricted, choking or stiff. In these instances, the aura is shrinking in and offers no protection to external factors. It’s important to move and have some cardio activity to help release a build up of energy - and pump up endorphins and happy hormones through the body. Body activity truly cuts through the fog - plus it helps rebuild a healthy aura.

Chakradance is my favourite modality because it combines body movement, introspection, and divine communication. I have been able to move through rough patches and gain valuable insights. I feel so blessed to be able to share this gift with others, guiding them in their own journey. Every one of my students has lived a transformation, some big, some small… but a transformation nonetheless. I’m sure the women’s group participants will enjoy this journey too.

Do you need help exploring your emotional landscape? Talk to me.

Sending you blessings of Love!