When Fear Creeps In

Dear Readers: Welcome to another special feature of the Ask Vicki blog: Five Element Fixes. Over the years, in addition to questions regarding relationships, as a naturopathic physician I’ve been asked about a variety of other issues. Questions regarding physical concerns, certainly, but also emotional, mental, and even spiritual issues, as well. And in truth, they are all relationships questions because they address how we relate to ourselves and our environment.The answers to these questions are usually short and sweet, but also rational and logical. And of course, they are grounded in the Five Elements model! The information seems more important now than ever before, so I’d like to share some of these with you here. Question: I don’t think of myself as a cowardly person, but I’ve felt afraid of a lot of things lately. Some of it could be justified, but mostly I feel like I’m just being silly. What can I do to manage my fear? Answer: First of all, fear can be a good thing. It’s often an early warning that something needs our attention. When you find yourself feeling fearful, stop and pay attention to what’s going on around you. Is there a reason to be afraid? If so, can you do something about it?If there doesn’t seem to be a logical reason for your fear, or it relates to a situation over which you have no control, then try the following simple exercise to help manage fear. Sit in a quiet location and take a slow deep breath. On the exhale, softly make the sound “whooooooo” (like an owl). Repeat this several times as your energy balances and the fear melts away. You can use this as often as needed. Why: Fear sits in the Water element and usually indicates an imbalance in energy. The soft “whoooooo” sound repeated several times helps to balance energy in the Water element. When our Water energy is balanced, it’s much easier to address life from a place of trust, rather than fear.Interestingly, courage and optimism also sit in the Water element, as does hope. This means that the times we feel discouraged or pessimistic can be another indication that our Water energy is out of balance. The good news is that the exercise described here (I like to think of it as the Owl Exercise), will also help for these issues.Stay safe and well!Blessings,Vicki