ANXIETY

Intention, to show how anxiety falls away once it is understood.

Anxiety:
The fear of future pain.

The Scream by Edvard Munch appears to depict an intense bout of modern anxiety.

Anxiety is a unpleasant complex combination often accompanied by physical sensations:

• shortness of breath
• heart palpitations
• inner nervousness
• chest discomfort
• tension headache
• nausea

Anxiety is often described as having cognitive, somatic, emotional, and behavioral components. The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger.

Somatically the body prepares the organism to deal with perceived threat: blood pressure and heart rate are increased, sweating is increased, blood flow to the major muscle groups is increased, and the immune and digestive system functions are inhibited. Externally, somatic signs of anxiety may include pale skin, sweating, trembling, and pupillary dilation. (sympathetic nervous system)  

Emotionally , anxiety causes a sense of dread or panic and physically causes nausea, and chills.

Behaviorally , both voluntary and involuntary behaviors may arise directed at escaping or avoiding the source of anxiety. These behaviors are frequent and often maladaptive, being most extreme in anxiety disorders. Anxiety can be somewhat of a mental illness.

The Good News , anxiety is not always pathological or maladaptive. It is a common emotion along with fear, anger, sadness, and happiness and it has a very important function in relation to survival.

How the Stress Meditation process works:
* The practice of “Stopping & Dropping” rebalances the nervous system.
* The practice of “Opening & Smiling” rebalances the hormonal system.
* This will suspend the anxiety. With the anxiety suspended it can be inquired into it.
* The practice of “Inquiring to Understand” recognizes, accepts and understands.
* When the need is understood the anxiety naturally falls away.

Summary: Anxiety is meant to help us get our basic needs of physical survival, safety, love and esteem meet. Anxiety is not meant to cause physical, emotional and mental dis-stress for us. When this happens it indicates that one or more of our basic needs requires deeper attention (awareness & caring).