Transforming Fear

The world is in a state of fear.

Words like pandemic, quarantine, and health crisis are in nearly every conversation. And while we try to add some levity with jokes about toilet paper, the truth is we’re all collectively holding our breath and biting our nails.

And then remembering we’re not supposed to touch our faces.

Whether you’re in “shelter in place” like many of my friends in the California Bay Area, or you’re on an island in the Pacific like me, the coronavirus and its compadre fear have likely found you.

We all react differently to fear. Some run. Some hoard. Some rage. Some study. And some deny. 

Whatever your response, I offer here a few gems on transforming fear. Some are methods I learned from wise elders, and others are hard-won lessons from my darkest days.

May they bring you a bit of peace. A ray of light. A smidgeon of love.

#1 — Breathe

Yes, breathe. Breathe slowly. Breathe deeply. Give yourself completely to your breath. Feel the air as it enters your nose and fills your lungs. Let your belly rise and fall (nobody’s watching.) Close your eyes and do nothing but breathe.

If you truly give yourself to this practice, even for just a few minutes, you’ll find that it begins to dislodge whatever is stuck in your emotional body. You may yawn, gasp, or spontaneously begin to sob. 

Whatever comes, allow, acknowledge, and honor it.

Most of us only use about 20% of our lung capacity on a regular basis, so truly breathing might take some getting used to. Give yourself time. Cheer yourself on. Smile like you’re watching a toddler learn to walk.

And then breathe some more.

#2 — Embrace Mama Earth

Mother Earth has both physical and metaphysical gifts for transforming fear. The beauty of Nature can stop us in our tracks, make us gasp, grin, and cry. Simply walking barefoot in the grass or the dirt connects us to our spiritual Mama and eases us into the present moment. 

Even the physicists agree that touching the Earth is beneficial. Earthing, as they call it, connects you to a stream of pain-relieving, peace-inducing electrons. All you have to do is take off your shoes and meander on the dirt, grass, or sand.

While you’re at it, slow down and take in a bit of Nature’s beauty. Touch the bark of a tree. Examine the petals of a flower. 

You can’t bully, berate, or control yourself into not being afraid, but you can allow beauty to take over your focus. 

The velvety petals of spring tulips… 
The melodic chirping of sparrows…
The rustling of leaves in the breeze… 

Let Nature penetrate your senses. Let her hold you in her beauty. Let it change you.

#3 — Listen to This Audio

Years ago, I was diagnosed with an incurable case of something-itis. The doctors weren’t sure what exactly was inflamed, but something was making it impossible for me to walk or hold a pencil in my hand. While that’s a story for another day, one thing I learned in my quest for pain-relief was that a very particular visualization had the power to release physical, mental, and emotional pain.

The practice, called running energy, is a form of clairvoyant meditation that can be easily learned by anyone. But you don’t have to learn anything. Just push ‘play’ on the meditation audio at the end of this article, and let me do all the work for you.

As you’ll see (or hear), the process is much like the practice of Earthing described above, except that this one is all in your mind. You simply connect to Mama Earth and let her take your pain, your tension, your fear.

She graciously accepts all you release, and offers peace, nurturance, and stability in return. 

#4 — Offer It Up

We often fear that which we do not understand. Uncertainty is an enemy of the amygdala—that little almond shaped gland in the middle of your brain that’s connected to survival instincts.

We want to know. We want to understand. We want to control.

And when we don’t, or can’t, we feel anxious. Or even panicky. 

Offering it up is a sacred act of surrender, where you acknowledge that you’re not in control. You don’t know what to do. You’re scared (or angry, or resentful, or jealous) and you offer your truth up to Source.

Surrendering to truth invokes powerful magic. It relaxes the mind, because you’re no longer trying to control that which is simply beyond your reach. It opens the heart because you’ve connected to the Great Spirit, by whatever name you call her. And it brings far more peace than even having the right answer.

When my mother died suddenly, I plunged into a depth of grief that I did not know existed. In my darkest moments, when I could no longer fight the pain, I finally surrendered to it. And it was this surrender that carried me out of the abyss and into a new world where I trust that even in the bleakest of moments, I am held by something greater.

It is this something greater that receives your prayer of surrender, and holds you in response.

You can allow your fear to trickle into your cupped hands and then literally offer it up to the heavens. You can write it out or draw it on a piece of paper, and offer it into a flame of transformation. Or you can simply open your arms wide, expose your heart and allow whatever has been trapped inside to fly free.

The practice of surrender can itself be a bit scary at first. But trust me, there is freedom on the other side.

#5 – Love

Love may be our greatest healer. It knows not time, nor distance. It crosses all borders, speaks all languages, and is felt by every species.

As the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said, “We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.”

Or as the Hawaiians say, “We’re all in the same canoe.”

Just as you honor your own fear, honor the fear of those around you. 

Be kind. 

If you go out, smile at strangers. Social distancing is about avoiding germs, not connection.

While you’re at home, hug those you can. Call your mom. Text your cousin. Write love letters to your BFF. 

In times of fear, spread Love.

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And, as promised, here is the meditation audio: