Treat Anxiety by Treating Anxiety Better [continue]

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This first exercise has demonstrated the principles of Self Therapy "listening", but for demonstration we have only spent limited time with one energy. During a self paced session, you can spend as much time with an energy as you wish, move between all of the energies within your body, or repeat the same process for each energy that you detect. If you're still new to Self Therapy and prefer the guidance of this recording, simply repeat this segment anytime. Once you're familiar with the technique, you can work independently at your own pace and even create your own variations of the technique. For example, you may choose to move from one area of your body to another, or to work first with the most uncomfortable energies. In my own sessions, I tend to work with the dominant energies first, and will jump back and forth between the listening and speaking steps, which we'll cover later. This technique does not have rigid rules, and you will undoubtedly find an approach that works best for you.

Be aware that often you will find energies that you are not comfortable placing your awareness on at all, especially given that you're probably listening to this course because you have feelings of anxiety and fear that you've spent years trying to AVOID. However, THOSE are the most rewarding energies to spend time with. Directly observing underlying energies takes self discipline, and may initially be very uncomfortable. But your ability to improve your emotional state will be in direct proportion to your ability to extend your experience into the realm of discomfort. In fact, the best time to engage in Self Therapy listening is in the period just before, during, or just after a situation that has caused adverse energies to arise.

This is especially true if you're experiencing panic attacks... If you're feeling anxious or panicky and can safely do so, immediately engage in the self-listening exercise.. Face that anxiety head on by feeling it completely, and not trying to prevent it. Greet the sensations, accept them, observe them, be with them, and experience them. You'll quickly prevent anxiety from turning into panic.

Once you've been practicing the listening method for awhile, maybe even try going to a place that reminds you of an anxious episode and implement your self therapy listening with the feelings that arise from memory.

Each time you extend yourself in directly observing previously avoided sensations, the benefits of your efforts will grow, and anxiety will dwindle. You'll be amazed at the self empowerment you create by expanding your tolerance further and further each day. It's similar to exercising -- running fifty yards might wipe you out when embarking on a fitness program. But as you extend your limits little by little on a daily basis, you soon find yourself running further and further.

Before we move on, I'd like to stress once again the importance of this "listening" phase of Self Therapy. Don't make the mistake of just reading through this material and judging its value without trying it. If you only read it, then you're wasting your time here. Also, if you're thinking that this process is similar to simply feeling an emotion like you normally do, know that there is a HUGE difference between simply walking around with a feeling and actually taking the time to fully listen to the energy directly. If you're suffering from anxiety, the manner in which you're currently experiencing adverse feelings is most certainly one of avoidance. This means that when there is a stimulus or thought prompting fear or anxiety within you, you may try to avoid the situation, or you may try to suppress the emotional reaction. But it is by consciously taking time to completely feel the uncomfortable energy that you will boost your tolerance level for not only that feeling, but also for the situations that cause it to arise.

NEXT PAGE: Learn a useful anti-anxiety variation of Self Therapy "listening"