High Anxiety Practices
When the walls are closing in
These are short practices to do when you’re too rushed, distracted, worried or freaked out, to meditate the way it says in the book. The time length spent on these practices is irrelevant. Even once second is fine. Even ONE SECOND is beneficial. The effects are cumulative. ‘Sitting’ is not required. If I fall down a cliff like the guy with the tiger and the strawberry, I’ll do one on the way down.
Do these practices: while walking from room to room, sitting on the toilet (or looking in the mirror), while driving, during a commercial, between freak-outs, over break time, just before you beat the crap out of yourself…
1. Discomfort and Suffering
This is number one. Always start here. Concentrate on the pure sensation of pain, ouch, ugh. Don’t tell me it’s not there because it is, even if it’s vague and subtle.
2. Simplified Mindfulness
Pick one thing and focus on it. Or pick two things, and alternate focus back and forth, like hands-feet hands-feet… Don’t worry about distractions. It’s OK to ride distractions off into the sunset.
3. ‘Now’
Say the word ‘now’ every time you step, or breathe, or whatever. As you speak the word, examine the present moment. Just keep saying it until your done.
4. Patience Practice
Slow down to infinitely-slow speed. It doesn’t matter how long you maintain infinitely-slow speed. It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to do whatever you were doing. It doesn’t matter who thinks you’re a weirdo.
5. Follow Your Attention
Let your attention wander. Wherever it lands, concentrate on that. When it decides to wander again, and lands somewhere else, then concentrate on that. Repeat.
6. ‘This is my death.’
Do whatever you are doing, while repeating the words: ‘This is my death. This is my death…’ (Because it is.)
7. Blurry Silence
Squint your eyes a little bit, stop thinking, and …
8. Become Less
Shrink your ego. Become less for a moment. It doesn’t take but a second. Zap!
9. Make Them Less
Maybe they are not the same person, who you thought they were. ERASE memories of them, fear, expectations, and prejudice, just for a split second. Zap!
10. Take a Gander
Take a brief glance around your mind to see if you can find your Self anywhere.