Fear Reduction Course

Step 1: Know Your Breath

This first exercise is simple, but it brings great benefits: it helps you realize you are truly here, alive. The practice is, “Breathing in, I know this is an in-breath. Breathing out, I know this is an out-breath.”

When you do this, you bring your attention to your breath and let go of your thoughts about the past or future. Your breath becomes the only thing you focus on, and you can simply enjoy the act of breathing.

Step 2: Follow Your Breath

This step builds on the first one. The practice is, “Breathing in, I follow my in-breath all the way from the beginning to the end. Breathing out, I follow my out-breath all the way from the beginning to the end.”

Your breath may last for two seconds, or five, or more. You follow the entire journey of each breath from start to finish, without any interruptions. This helps your focus become stronger and stronger.

Step 3: Be Aware of Your Whole Body

The third exercise is about bringing your mind back to your body. The practice is, “Breathing in, I’m aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I’m aware of my whole body.”

This is a reunion of your mind and body. You become fully present, with your mind and body together. This awareness helps you notice what’s going on in your body, like any tension or pain.

Step 4: Release Tension

This step helps you calm and release any tension you find in your body. The practice is, “Breathing in, I am aware of some tension and pain in my body; breathing out, I calm and release the tension and pain in my body.”

You may have been so busy that you’ve neglected your body. Now, as you return your awareness to it, you can do something to reduce the pain and tension you find there. When you release tension, pain is naturally reduced.

Step 5: Acknowledge Joy

Now, we move to taking care of feelings. The fifth exercise is about bringing forth a pleasant feeling, a feeling of joy. The practice is, “Breathing in, I feel joy. Breathing out, I know joy is there.”

A great way to do this is to list all the things that are conditions for your happiness. Your eyes, for example, are a condition for happiness. When you have good vision, you can see a world full of colors. When you are aware of this, happiness can arise naturally.

Step 6: Cultivate Happiness

The sixth exercise is to recognize a feeling of happiness. The practice is, “Breathing in, I feel happy. Breathing out, I know happiness is there.”

Happiness is a more peaceful and quiet feeling than joy. It’s like the feeling of contentment after a long journey. Someone who practices mindfulness can always create a feeling of happiness, anytime, anywhere. All you have to do is come back to yourself and notice the small things that bring you happiness.

Step 7: Recognize and Embrace Pain

The seventh exercise is about handling difficult or painful feelings. The practice is, “Breathing in, I know that a painful feeling is there. Breathing out, I calm that painful feeling.”

When you have a strong, painful feeling, you can learn to handle it. You can breathe to create a positive energy that can embrace the painful feeling. You simply recognize and embrace it. For example, you can say, “Hello, my fear. I know you are there. I’m going to take good care of you.” This is a gentle, non-violent way to approach your pain.

Step 8: Soothe and Find Relief

The final exercise is to calm and release the tension that comes from painful feelings. The practice is, “Breathing in, I calm my mental formations. Breathing out, I calm my mental formations.”

This is just like what you did with your body. First, you recognized the feeling, then you soothed it and brought relief.

Now you embrace your feelings with gentleness, and after a few minutes, you will feel a welcome relief from the grip of fear or pain.

You are much more than your feelings, and you shouldn’t let yourself be carried away by them.

Without fear, you are truly free.

Respectfully,
Heidi & Ross