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We all have fears. Some live on the surface, impacting our everyday lives, while others are more subtle. We may experience fear of failure, unworthiness, fear of the unknown, or fear of being alone. It’s also common to fear abandonment, engulfment, or the ultimate fear: non-existence, the fear of death and dying.
Although it may not be possible to become completely fearless, we can find more spaciousness and peace by being with and exploring our fears. In this guided meditation, Sean Fargo invites us to open to our fears. As we sit with whatever fear that arises, exploring with a caring curiosity, we might find that our fears are not what we thought they were. They may even seem less scary.
Listen in a safe, quiet place where you can be relatively free from distraction. Practice with eyes opened or closed, in a posture that balances comfort with alertness. May this meditation be of benefit to you in your mindfulness journey.
Sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program MindfulnessExercises.com/Certify
Experiencing fear is not bad or wrong. Like all our emotions, fear can be of benefit as long as we remain in right relationship with it. Fear may be protective, serving a useful purpose as a warning system. It can help us identify where we may need to place more care and attention.
When we over-identify with fear or react to it in an unhealthy manner, fear can be the source of suffering. Avoiding or suppressing our fear can make it seem solid and prolong its existence. The antidote then, is to acknowledge and address our fear with self-compassion, kindness and care.
Mindfulness meditation can be a safe space in which to practice opening to uncomfortable emotions, including fear. By acknowledging fear’s presence, allowing it to arise and change, and observing it with open curiosity, we may begin to soften its influence over our body and mind.
The intent of the practice is not to rid ourselves of fear but to relate to fear from a new, more skillful perspective. In meditation, we learn that our emotions serve as our teachers. We can learn from the insight they offer, and then let them go.
Learn more about the benefits of feeling what you feel, including fear, with these additional free mindfulness resources:
- Podcast: Using the Body to Identify Emotions, with Sean Fargo
- Podcast: Dr. Gabor Maté on Emotional Wellbeing, with Sean Fargo
- Podcast: Connecting With Emotions Through the Body, with Sean Fargo
- Mindfulness Worksheet: Emotional Validation
- Mindfulness Worksheet: Knowing Fear – A Partner Exercise
- Mindfulness Worksheet: Addressing Fear, Doubt, and Uncertainty
- Audio: When Love Meets Fear, with David Richo
About Sean Fargo:
Sean Fargo is a former Buddhist monk and the founder of Mindfulness Exercises. The online platform, which has shared free and premium mindfulness resources with over 3 million people worldwide, has now certified over 500 Mindfulness Teachers.
Sean is the lead instructor for the teacher training program, a unique self-paced approach which invites world-renowned mindfulness teachers to share their insights and experiences. Sean has taught mindfulness and meditation for corporations including Facebook, Google and Tesla and for health and government organizations, prisons and hospitals around the world.
