Skip to content

Members Login

Apps

Find a Teacher

Facebook page opens in new windowTwitter page opens in new windowInstagram page opens in new window
Mindfulness Association
Being Present | Responding with Compassion | Seeing Deeply
Mindfulness AssociationMindfulness Association
  • Mindfulness Courses
    • Start Mindfulness
    • Level 2 – Compassion
    • Level 3 – Insight
    • Level 4 – Wisdom
    • Mindfulness Teacher Training Courses
      • Teaching – Level 1
      • Teaching – Level 2 (MBLC)
      • Teaching – Level 2 – (MBLC-YA) Teens
      • Teaching – Level 3 (CBLC)
      • Mindfulness Based Healthy Living Teacher Training
      • Teacher Training Package
      • Supervision for Mindfulness Teachers
      • Mindfulness Teacher Continuing Professional Development
        • Mindfulness Enquiry Skills – Online
        • Developing Enquiry Skills for Teaching Compassion- Online
    • Mindfulness for Life
      • Weekend Retreats
        • Mindfulness Yoga & Qigong Retreat Weekend
        • Introduction to Mindfulness Retreat Weekend
        • Introduction to Compassion Retreat Weekend
        • Mindful Creativity Weekend
        • Mindfulness & Movement In Nature Weekend
        • Tonglen Weekend
      • Mindfulness for Life Retreat
      • Mindfulness Based Healthy Living- Online
      • Living Well to Die Well Mindfulness Course
      • Engaged Mindfulness – Online
      • Mindfulness meets Mystical Poetry – Online
      • The Wonder of the Everyday-Online
    • Mindful Movement Course
      • 2022 Stillness Through Movement Level 1 -Online
      • Stillness Through Movement Level 2 – Compassion – Online
      • Stillness Through Movement Level 3 – Insight – Online
    • Online Courses
    • Online Mindfulness Courses by Email
      • Free Online Introduction to Mindfulness
      • Introduction to Mindfulness
      • Introduction to Compassion Course
      • Introduction to Insight
    • Masters Degrees
      • MSc Studies in Mindfulness
      • MSc Mindfulness & Compassion
  • Mindfulness Retreats
    • Weekend Retreats
      • Mindfulness Yoga & Qigong Retreat Weekend
      • Introduction to Mindfulness Retreat Weekend
      • Introduction to Compassion Retreat Weekend
      • Mindful Creativity Weekend
      • Mindfulness In Nature Weekend
      • Tonglen Weekend
    • From Mindfulness to Buddhism Retreat – Online
    • Mindfulness for Life Retreat
  • Words & Blogs
    • Science of Mindfulness
    • Heather’s Musings
    • Mindfulness Poetry
    • Meditation Challenge
    • Mindful Futures
    • Sits and Teachings
    • Mindfulness Research
    • Mindfulness Recommended Reading
  • Membership
  • What is Mindfulness?
  • About Us
    • Mindfulness Association Tutors
    • Mindfulness Association Training Venues
  • News & Events
  • Mindfulness Courses
    • Start Mindfulness
    • Level 2 – Compassion
    • Level 3 – Insight
    • Level 4 – Wisdom
    • Mindfulness Teacher Training Courses
      • Teaching – Level 1
      • Teaching – Level 2 (MBLC)
      • Teaching – Level 2 – (MBLC-YA) Teens
      • Teaching – Level 3 (CBLC)
      • Mindfulness Based Healthy Living Teacher Training
      • Teacher Training Package
      • Supervision for Mindfulness Teachers
      • Mindfulness Teacher Continuing Professional Development
        • Mindfulness Enquiry Skills – Online
        • Developing Enquiry Skills for Teaching Compassion- Online
    • Mindfulness for Life
      • Weekend Retreats
        • Mindfulness Yoga & Qigong Retreat Weekend
        • Introduction to Mindfulness Retreat Weekend
        • Introduction to Compassion Retreat Weekend
        • Mindful Creativity Weekend
        • Mindfulness & Movement In Nature Weekend
        • Tonglen Weekend
      • Mindfulness for Life Retreat
      • Mindfulness Based Healthy Living- Online
      • Living Well to Die Well Mindfulness Course
      • Engaged Mindfulness – Online
      • Mindfulness meets Mystical Poetry – Online
      • The Wonder of the Everyday-Online
    • Mindful Movement Course
      • 2022 Stillness Through Movement Level 1 -Online
      • Stillness Through Movement Level 2 – Compassion – Online
      • Stillness Through Movement Level 3 – Insight – Online
    • Online Courses
    • Online Mindfulness Courses by Email
      • Free Online Introduction to Mindfulness
      • Introduction to Mindfulness
      • Introduction to Compassion Course
      • Introduction to Insight
    • Masters Degrees
      • MSc Studies in Mindfulness
      • MSc Mindfulness & Compassion
  • Mindfulness Retreats
    • Weekend Retreats
      • Mindfulness Yoga & Qigong Retreat Weekend
      • Introduction to Mindfulness Retreat Weekend
      • Introduction to Compassion Retreat Weekend
      • Mindful Creativity Weekend
      • Mindfulness In Nature Weekend
      • Tonglen Weekend
    • From Mindfulness to Buddhism Retreat – Online
    • Mindfulness for Life Retreat
  • Words & Blogs
    • Science of Mindfulness
    • Heather’s Musings
    • Mindfulness Poetry
    • Meditation Challenge
    • Mindful Futures
    • Sits and Teachings
    • Mindfulness Research
    • Mindfulness Recommended Reading
  • Membership
  • What is Mindfulness?
  • About Us
    • Mindfulness Association Tutors
    • Mindfulness Association Training Venues
  • News & Events

Fear and Overwhelm

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Heather's Musings
  3. Fear and Overwhelm
Mar52019
Heather's Musingsfear and overwhelm

It is very early in the morning and I am struggling to sleep. I woke up with feelings of fear and overwhelm and have spent the last hour or so lying in bed practicing. Part of me wishes the feelings would go away and part of me is curious about what can be learned.

I attempted my whole range of approaches to these feelings.

I applied my mindfulness practice. I became aware of the thoughts I was experiencing, the range of emotions I was feeling and the physical sensations that were arising in the body. All were connected to familiar themes of failure, not being good enough and being rejected. This was interesting, but there was something underpinning the feelings of fear and overwhelm that my mindfulness practice could not reveal.

I applied my self-compassion practice. I held my body in a hug of self-soothing and reminded myself that this was a difficult experience, difficult experiences are an inevitable part of the human condition and explored how I could be kind to myself.

Part of being kind to myself is exploring the experience by writing this blog.

Part was to reassure myself that like all human beings I was not perfect and this was not my fault. I was doing my best in difficult circumstances, in the face of the culmination of a multitude of difficult circumstances. I could allow myself – again – to be a compassionate mess.

Part of being kind to myself was to bring to mind a sense of fundamental OKness, which I can do by bringing to mind some of my teachers. I felt supported and nurtured by this.

This self-compassion practice helps to cultivate my inner soothing system, which is then able to regulate my inner threat system. There is a physiological response and I relax a bit.

I applied my insight practice. I know from previous practice, that the nature of impermanence means that I will look back in a week or so with a sense of bemusement about how I could have been so caught up. This helps bring perspective.

Then I ask myself what storylines, expectations, assumptions, beliefs am I buying in to? I see how I am fuelling the threat system by imagining all sorts of calamitous future consequences. Telling myself stories of catastrophe to fuel my suffering.

I let go of the storylines and look directly inwardly at the energy of the fear and overwhelm, allowing myself to feel the feelings. I recognise a deeply held belief that I have to be perfect to be accepted and to avoid rejection.

I feel an instant wave of warm relaxation course through my body as I write and reflect on the previous sentence. Relief. A smile and an inner chuckle. The seeing is the doing. I have recognised the underlying belief, that it is not true, and the resulting transformation does itself.

I rejoice that I have the courage and commitment to turn towards my own inner mess, with compassion, and that I have trained in insight. These practices give me the tools to find some equanimity and fundamental OKness in the most difficult of times. I am truly grateful.

This is the lifelong path of training, which we offer via our range of Mindfulness Courses.

Mindfulness Level 1: Being Present,

Compassion Level 2: Responding with Compassion,

Insight Level 3: Seeing Deeply

Mindfulness for Life program.

If you have already trained in Mindfulness, there are pathways to access our Compassion course or access our Insight course.

I recommend this training, for when you wake up in the early morning, unable to sleep due to fear and overwhelm. I recommend this training to all of those who are subject to the human condition!

Kind Wishes

Heather

2 Comments

  1. rsvdv says:
    March 5, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    ♥️

  2. val6942 says:
    March 6, 2019 at 8:36 am

    Your blog landed like a gift today, Heather, thank you 🙂

Comments are closed.

Mindfulness Courses

Train To Teach Mindfulness

Latest Mindfulness Courses
June 2022
Compassion course and taster
Jun 06 2022 - Aug 01 2022

Level 2 – Compassion Online

Online
July 2022
INTRODUCTION-TO-MINDFULNESS-RETREAT-WEEKEND
Jul 22 - 24 2022

Introduction to Mindfulness at Samye Ling

Samye Ling
August 2022
COMPASSION-RETREAT-WEEKEND
Aug 12 - 14 2022

Introduction to Compassion at Samye Ling

Samye Ling
September 2022
level-3-insight
Sep 05 2022 - Feb 06 2023

Insight Level 3

Online
Start your Journey into MINDFULNESS journEy
Sep 07 2022 - Oct 19 2022

MINDFULNESS LEVEL 1- BEING PRESENT ONLINE TAUGHT ON A WEDNESDAY EVENING

Online
LEVEL-2-COMPASSION-ONLINE-2022
Sep 10 2022 - Feb 04 2023

LEVEL 2 – COMPASSION ONLINE

Online
mindfulness-and-movement-in-nature
Sep 23 - 25 2022

MINDFULNESS & MOVEMENT IN NATURE

Samye Ling
October 2022
COMPASSION-ONLINE-MONDAYS
Oct 17 2022 - Apr 24 2023

LEVEL 2 – COMPASSION ONLINE MONDAY EVENINGS

Online
introduction to mindfulness retreat weekend
Oct 28 2022 - Mar 25 2023

Continue Mindfulness Level 1

Samye Ling
February 2023
Compassion course and taster
Feb 06 2023 - Jul 10 2023

Level 2 – Compassion Online

Online
March 2023
Start your Journey into MINDFULNESS journEy
Mar 04 - 05 2023

MINDFULNESS LEVEL 1- BEING PRESENT

Edinburgh
level-3-insight
Mar 17 2023 - Jul 16 2023

Insight Level 3

Samye Ling
No event found!
Load More

fear-and-overwhelm

You are here:
  1. Home
  2. Media
  3. fear-and-overwhelm

fear and overwhelm

Overcoming fear and overwhelm with mindfulness and compassion

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Post comment

  • FAQ’s
  • Privacy Policy
  • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
  • Terms and conditions

58 Thirlestane Road
Edinburgh
Midlothian
EH9 1AR

  • © 2008 - 2022 Mindfulness Association
Go to Top
Accept Cookies
We use cookies on our site. Please click accept or review the cookie settings Cookie settingsAccept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT