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Steven Webb: Hello, I'm Steven Webb,
and welcome to Inner Peace Meditations.

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This is a short one, five or six
minutes for when anxiety has shown up

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and you need that little space to be
able to deal with it before moving on.

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It does pair with this week's
stillness in the storm's episode.

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I'm fine.

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The most dangerous lie we will tell, and
if that one landed, this is the practice.

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The episode is about dropping the armor.

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This is what you do.

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Once it's done.

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So find a place to sit.

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You can be on a bus, in a carpark
at your desk, anywhere will do.

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And if it's safe to let your eyes
close or just soften your gaze.

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And just become aware of your breath.

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You don't need to do anything with it.

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Your body knows how to breathe.

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Especially knows how to breathe
when you're going through things.

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It's been doing it for a long
time without you getting involved.

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And now just notice the weight of you.

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Wherever you are,

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the chair, the seat, the floor,
something is holding you up

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and maybe just allow your shoulders
to drop just an inch or so.

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Whatever it is in them, you don't have
to carry it for these few minutes,

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You have permission to be distracted
when your mind wanders, that's fine.

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Just come back

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Now.

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The anxiety, it's there.

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You know it is.

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That's why you press play.

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You don't have to fix it.

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You don't have to push it away.

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Just notice it's here.

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And in your own unique quiet way,
just say hello to it hello, anxiety.

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You are here.

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And notice what happens when you
greet it instead of fighting it.

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Maybe nothing.

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Maybe a tiny softening.

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Just notice

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and now ask it very gently.

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Why are you here?

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You're not demanding an answer.

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You're just asking like you'd ask
a friend who turned up at the door

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looking pale, what's going on?

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What brought you?

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And just listen.

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You don't have to think the answer.

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Sometimes anxiety speaks in a sentence,
sometimes in a feeling, sometimes in a

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memory, sometimes it doesn't speak at all.

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It just sits with you.

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That's okay.

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Whatever it offers, just receive it.

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You are not it's enemy.

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You are the one who answered the door.

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Maybe you are the one
that is looking out for.

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And just be aware of your breath,
breathing in calm, breathing out, relax.

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And if it helps, this may be
another question you can ask.

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What would you like for me right now?

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Maybe it just needs to be heard.

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Maybe it needs to know you'll keep going.

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Maybe it needs to sit beside
you for a moment longer.

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Maybe it doesn't know.

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There's no wrong answer.

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You are not the anxiety.

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You are the one noticing the anxiety.

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You are the witness, the listener,

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the one who answered the door.

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And maybe just placing your hand
on your heart if it feels right,

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and just say these things in your head
or just feeling 'em throughout your body.

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May I be peaceful, may I be
safe, may I trust this moment.

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And just feeling that throughout
your body, what it's like

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to live from that place.

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Now, may I be peaceful?

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May I be safe?

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May I trust this moment

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Notice the room around you, the
sounds, the air on your skin.

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Two a slightly deeper breath.

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Wiggle your fingers and toes if you like.

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One, and when you're ready,
gently open your eyes and look

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at whatever is in front of you.

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And you can come back to this anytime.

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Just the simple hello and recognizing
that you are not the anxiety, you are

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the one that's opening the door to it.

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You are the adult in
the room, so to speak.

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It's just a starting move.

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Hi, what are you doing here now?

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And just sit and allow
whatever moment to be.

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I'm Steven Webb.

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This meditation, like all of
mine, is kept free because of

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the people who support the work.

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If you like to do that, you
can find me on StevenWebb.uk.

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Equally, you can send me a message.

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Perhaps I can help in some small way.

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I always read and answer,

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and if you haven't already listened to
stillness in the Storms, my companion

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meditation, and if you haven't already,
the companion episode is 'I'm fine.

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The most dangerous lie we tell'
on stillness in the Storms

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podcast, the link is below.

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Take care of yourself.

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Be kind to yourself.

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Thank you for your
support on Insight Timer.

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It's always appreciated.

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And remember, you can come back as often
as you like whenever you're feeling a

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little bit anxious or a little bit weary.

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Take care.

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Bye for now.