Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness (Pt. 1): A conversation with Tara Brach and Dr. Judson Brewer

Unwinding Anxiety with Awareness (Part 1): A conversation with Tara Brach and Dr. Judson Brewer [2023-06-07]
Anxiety is spiking around the world and we need the radical medicine of awareness to unwind it. In this two part conversation, Tara and Judson Brewer look at how anxiety is a habit that can be unlearned as we cultivate a curious and kind mindful presence. Jud offers the scientific grounds for this “unwinding”, drawing on his experience as a pioneer and leading researcher in the field of mindfulness and addiction. Together they explore the power of particular mindfulness-based strategies, including noting what is happening, recognizing our habit loops, arousing curiosity and cultivating self-care. They shine a light on the genesis of worrying, how it perpetuates anxiety and ways we can become disenchanted with the habit.
Watch Part 2: kzbin.infoGAVMTRkFkBE
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[@TaraBrach]

If you'd like to join an online community that is dedicated to reducing stress and easing anxiety with the power of renowned neuroscientist, Judson Brewer’s 3-step methodology, check out the new Mindful Friends Groups at Cloud Sangha here: tbrach.com/cs-anxiety-mfg

[@heatherwall9571]

Getting to the root cause is key to healing…it’s ALWAYS down to the lack of love and nurturing in childhood. ..unfortunately, psychiatry,and how these drs are taught, are yet to catch up with this. Deep healing is needed, meds just cover the symptons…they never heal anyone, in fact, they numb your feelings…we need to FEEL to heal, which is why I use natural methods instead. Much healthier otherwise, nothing gets healed. Hopefully, the mental health system will catch up, as everyone suffers with trauma etc at some point in our lives….moving through it is perfectly normal, rather than surpressing it 💗🙏

[@peacefulisland67]

Giving up objectifiable negative habits has been so easy (in hindsight) compared to giving up fear, worry, anxiety. There are no people, places or things to avoid, helping reduce triggers or unconscious actions. It's really all me and my relationship to my self. Having little to no experience in that area along with my body being abandoned as just a tool, a means to an end, I've discovered the wall I'm climbing has no toe holds. There's no reference of relationship to self and love of body that gives me traction. What an interesting and terrifying discovery. That little switch that didn't get flicked on in the earliest moments still sits gummed up, available to respond if only I'm willing to stop criticizing myself and buying into the thoughts that keep me so far away. *It's occurred to me over the years that this is really what begins the process of dementia. There's nothing initially wrong with our brains, it's the conditions under which they're used. if continued generationally (unconscious living particularly with trauma and lack of relationship with one's body) there in an impact on DNA (epigenetics) making the challenge harder by way of birth. Instead of carrying one backpack full of rocks, you carry several. The easiest way to look at it is being up in my head, my body instinctively follows it's next best guess at what to do. Starting small, like forgetting appointments, what day it is, etc., all the way to behaviours that are unmanageable and even life threatening. The same way that stress eventually shows up physically in the body, so does unattended to trauma and unconscious or "disoriented" living. It looks like mainstream is coming around to see this.

[@heatherwall9571]

Everything is either fear or love …that’s it. Fear is all an illusion. FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL 💗🙏💗

[@marymaggini1500]

Very helpful. I feel like praying can also be considered an anxiety mechanism. Not always, but pleading, praying, begging, etc. often makes things so much worse for me. Dropping into my body really is the only thing that stops the spin.

[@rossjordanmusic6619]

This is so interesting. You've got me rethinking my after dinner "reward"! Looking forward to next week. Thank you.

[@NC-xl9dw]

Wow! The second gear has blown my mind! Over the years I’ve been told that I must be getting something out of worrying, and I do realize that it’s a feeling of being in control by trying to figure out a solution to the problem. Unfortunately, many times there is no clear solution and my mind just spins in circles. The followup question posed in this presentation of how does my body feel when I’m worrying helped me to realize that it’s an awful feeling to worry, not rewarding in the least! And it’s often followed by drinking a glass of wine or eating a dessert which is rewarding occasionally but not on a regular basis. I’m excited to learn that I have the power to undo this anxiety habit by remembering the awful and unrewarding feeling it gives me and the fact that it doesn’t actually help me at all! Thank you both for sharing your personal struggles with anxiety and your research and expertise on how to deal with it. I can’t wait to watch Part 2! Namasté 🙏

[@robertamcknight3175]

Thank you! Brilliant insights! Dr Brewer may benefit from learning about Chronic Lyme Disease related to anxiety. Igenex lab offers reliable testing. Dr Tom Moorcroft has a great bootcamp for physicians. 🙏🏼 Blessings 💚 Namaste

[@joaoveiga3382]

Both of you are amazing people, thanks for everything you are and do.

[@victoria-louisesweet767]

Thank you! I had an epiphany during this talk and maybe it’s because I realised that worrying wasn’t getting me anywhere and so I finally stopped and everything just clicked and finally made sense! sending love and peace your way 🙏

[@cherylchase2085]

So many aha moments! I've often thought about these concepts but never put them together quite this way, and from a slightly different angel. So informative! Thank you so much!!

[@cjdingojames3715]

I learned years ago that Anxiety is your body's physical response to fear. So ask: What am I afraid of ? It may be Real, but it's probably not True ... I live in the 'Cone-of- Uncertainty' _ _ and I don't mind what happens _ _ I'm just a witness 😊

[@deedorothypapineau6920]

How synchronistic a topic… on the 7th of June I woke up with a panic attack as part of a dream that continued until I sorted it out. I’ve been having deceased family in my dreams and worry I may be joining them sooner than I’d like.

[@cjdingojames3715]

Comparison is the Thief of Joy

[@MeghanDonnellyIPY]

This was great content! Thabk you!

[@Amorcomacento]

Obrigado! ❤

[@asleep_now]

"Start worrying, details to follow." made me laugh 😂 oh anxiety

[@ferherrerosin]

Jud is great. I was lucky to have him lead mindfulness sessions at Yale campus during my three years there. I really miss his sessions.

[@jeroen3729]

Very intresting! I really wanna know the following. What if the trigger of fear and anxiety is the felt sense of the body? Especially when the body unfreezes after chronical trauma. How to deal with these ongoing feelings that are intertwined with the felt sense of the body? Just when you can feel the love for a traumatised part of yourself an other part awakens and requires the same amount of patients and love. It is an ongoing loop, and really sometimes you cant take it and you have to fall back on coping mechanisms that arent really helpfull (especially seek distraction) otherwise the pain just becomes too much and you cant reach that place of compassion no more. How to deal with this? When I listened to this talk I couldnt help noticing in my body some kind of repulsion when applying this method to fear and anxienty related to trauma. I think at all times, you have to have compassion for yourself, even if it means you have to distract yourself if the pain becomes too much. As long as you acknowledge this, there isnt a problem. Just be kind to yourself at all times and work on you in your own pace. ❤

[@chrisnam1603]

Thankyou dearly Tara, from Belgium. Can some please write th en ame of the gentleman? 🙏 (sorry i did not understand his name well, and can't find it here)

[@rossjordanmusic6619]

Dr. Judson Brewer

[@rosemoon8072]

panic attacks can happen if youre not getting enough B12 if vegetarian !