A sense of calm : how connecting to our senses supports anxiety relief and self-awareness

/ a personal share about why I do what I do /

I know I’m not the only one when I confide in the fact that anxiety has become an ever-present companion for me over the past 52 years. 

And one thing I’ve realised is the gift in our inner demons, is that they often become the fire that forges the pathway we tread. 

I found this out pretty early on in my teens, as I suffered with anxiety and panic attacks from the age of 14. I subsequently taught myself to meditate, to focus on my breath, to connect to my inner sight as opposed to the myriad of outer distractions that were taking me outside of my being.

I explored simple, holistic practices that brought me back into my body and mind that the nervousness and overwhelming sense of disconnect used to bring me out of daily.

To put it simply - in the words of Michael Rosen (the most wonderful author of my most favourite children’s book) -
we can’t go under it, we can’t go over it, oh no, we have got go through it.

So wether its long wet grass, muddy puddles, a big dark forest or crippling anxiety that makes you feel all the fears - I know we have to find our way through it with the aim of telling the tale on the other side.

And so, from that tender age of 14 - to this day as a 52 year old, I work with a holistic toolkit, bridges or doorways if you like, that lead me through overwhelming, worrisome, anxious thoughts. And after many MANY years of practice and anxious experiences, my understanding is, that through gentle discipline, guidance and a continual connection inwards, there actually IS a sense of solace and there ARE actual glimmers of inner peace, that can sit alongside our anxious tendencies on a day to day basis.  

And maybe the most beautiful gift of it all, is through the process of journeying through anxiety and all the challenges it presents, it actually brings into being a wonderful deeper sense of self connection.

And you know what my loves - this is why I do the work I do. 

And don’t get me wrong - the fine line we tread, may well mean combining western medicine with holistic practices, and when we do so with an open mind and a conscious heart, I truly believe we can unlock the secrets to a harmonious existence.

So check out my next blog to explore key sensorial practices we can embrace that support us in managing, soothing and quelling our anxiety.