Mental Defense Mental Defense - Hosted by Sierra Rivas

If you have ever experienced a panic attack you know how frightening they can be. They occur as part of a normal physiological response called the fight or flight response. When panic sets in, this survival instinct overrides your rational thoughts so it can be difficult to navigate your thoughts and feelings during this time. This episode is designed to be listened to during a panic attack as a gentle talk-down, but can also be used for anxiety and general coping that can be studied and used at another time.

Surrender is a form of acceptance. It takes great humility, which is the greatest of strengths. We explore the concept of surrender with the question: if the past is not here right now, then how am I keeping it alive? When we let go, or lesson, emotional pain, we have more room in our lives for peace, happiness, success, joy, gratitude, and love.

Differentiating what you feel from who you are is a self-care technique commonly used for those experiencing chronic anxiety. It is the difference between saying "I am anxious" and "I feel anxious". Although an effective technique, it can do the disservice of treating anxiety as an enemy that must be overcome, thus turning our own feelings into our daily opponent. As a martial artist, I learned that I would never win a fight by treating my opponent as an enemy. The fight is not won with toughness, it is won with humility and the ability to learn from and respect our opponent. We do so by observing our opponent. In this episode we will put observation into practice as we explore negative feelings with empathy.

Loneliness distorts the perceptions we have of our relationships. Healing these cognitive distortions starts with healing the relationship with the self. It is important to root deeply into our empathy and practice loving-kindness towards ourselves and all living beings. This podcast and meditation can help alleviate feelings of loneliness as we navigate connection across physical barriers during COVID-19.