CLB 009: Tap Into Pure Awareness to Relieve Anxiety and Fear

In the last episode we talked about the link between inflammation and social anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression … really any so-called “mental health” issue. We swerved off the typical topic of discussing the steps to the Calm Living Blueprint, but I think it’s important to mention because it solidifies the purpose of this podcast and the effectiveness of the mindfulness methods that we use.

In this episode we are going to swerve back to discussing one of the steps of the Calm Living Blueprint, the blueprint to overcoming social anxiety.

Pure awareness. A powerful aspect of the mind that has largely been ignored by western psychology. And as you get to know this part of yourself you will further transform your relationship with difficult thoughts and feelings of anxiety and fear.

Key Points

* One of the things that’s important to recognize is that there are two very distinct parts of the mind. There’s the part that we’re all very familiar with – the part that thinks, imagines, remembers, analyzes, plans, fantasizes and so on – the “thinking self.”

* And the other part of your mind that doesn’t think, can’t think – it just notices. It notices whatever you’re thinking and feeling and doing and seeing and hearing and tasting and so on – the “observing self.”

* As your thinking self thinks about your experience, your observing self registers your experience directly.

* The observing self:

* is unchanging

* observes everything you do but never judges you

* cannot be hurt or damaged in any way

* always there, even if you forget about it or know nothing of it

* the source of true acceptance

* not a thing. It’s not made of physical matter. You cannot measure or quantify it. You can only know it through direct experience.

* is perfect

* Pure awareness is about connecting with that part of you that is separate from your thoughts and feelings and that provides a safe and constant viewpoint from which to observe and accept them.

* It’s this place where, no matter how great the pain is, it cannot harm you. Knowing that, experiencing that can help you stop running from your pain.

Episode Transcript

You can download a copy of this episode’s transcript by clicking here.

Home Play

Download the action worksheet here.

Grab an index card or a small piece of paper. On one side of the card write out 3 negative self-judgements that you have. “I’m not good enough. I’m not smart enough. I can’t talk well.” Whatever those are for you.

Then on the other side of the card write out 3 positive self-judgements. “I’m a good person, I’m kind.” Again, whatever applies to you.

I want you to carry the card around in your purse or a bag for the next week. Pull it out several times a day, read both sides, then put it back in your purse or bag again.

That’s it. That’s all I’m going to tell you. Let me know what noticed, what you observed from this exercise by leaving me a comment on iTunes. And we’ll follow up with this in the next episode.

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