It has been said that danger is forced enlightenment. This
is because when we are at risk, we must be our highest selves in order to survive. The specific methods that get us through danger
are no different from the skills that we need in our daily lives. Rarely,
however, do we make the connection between our heroic selves and the person
that walks through our apparently mundane existence. In truth, nothing in life
is mundane. All our actions have
consequences, and our future is shaped entirely in the present moment. There is
risk in everything we do.
Making the
connection between our heroic self and our mundane lives is the key to
enhancing our persona, and improving the way in which we cope with all of
life's challenges. When we begin to apply the principles by which we cope with
physical danger, we begin to dissolve the imaginary barrier between our two
personas. When we utilize the simple way of being that is the mind of the hero,
we begin to expand who we are as a human being, and realize our true potential
in the world.
Breathe slowly,
smoothly and completely.
Remembering to continue breathing while under stress is the
most important part of survival. Without the breath, there is no
sustainability. Our bodies require the gifts that aerobic inspiration brings.
New air provides more than just oxygen to the mind and body. It offers a new
perspective, enlivened with possibility.
Take a deep
breath in. Open your lungs to their fullest capacity. Hold the breath for a
second so that you may control the momentum of the exhale. Restrict the throat
to ease the rate of the expiration, slowly releasing the energy back into the
world. Once the breath is back under control, and the cycle of complete
respiration is fluid, we can flow with the moment, whatever it is.
Relax whenever
possible.
If you carry tension in your mind or body you will loose
touch with the flow. Relaxing is as important as correct action, because all
well-conceived actions are born from the calm state. From this place in
ourselves, all answers are created.
We must
store energy when we are not in motion, otherwise we will run out. By resting
whenever we can, we are prepared to act when action is necessary. The
metabolism is not a bottomless pit of energetic resources, but a short-burst
machine that requires recapitulation in order to act with optimum efficiency.
Likewise, the mind also needs to store focus, sobering up to absolute clarity
so that we may see the world as it is.
Pay attention to your
surroundings.
We have it within us to sharpen our attention when danger is
near. When we let go of distraction and point our awareness to the world around
us, we have the ability to perceive even the minutest of details. This level of
awareness is exhausting, however, and requires constant re-focusing of the
attention. When we become mentally fatigued, our consciousness begins to fade.
If we train
ourselves to focus through regular centering practices such as yoga and
mediation, we develop the ability to refocus our minds quickly and efficiently.
When we find ourselves becoming ungrounded and fearful, we can take a deep
breath and refocus our minds on the present moment, and our eyes on the
situation in front of us. In circumstances involving real danger, seizing the
moment to calm down and sharpen our awareness can be the difference between
living any dying.
Remember that you are
always in danger.
When we are under prolonged stress, it is easy to slip into
the belief that we are no longer in immediate danger. This is a function of the
body's urge to calm down and rest, a task of the parasympathetic systems that
heal our bodies. It is these times that
we find ourselves in the most danger. Lulled into a false sense of security, we
allow our sharp focus to become soft, and we become complacent. This is how
accidents happen. When we are in dangerous situations, we must remember that we
are always walking on the razor's edge.
Enjoy the flow of
motion.
Although dangerous circumstances require our respect and
complete attention, this does not mean that we cannot enjoy the experience. In
fact, in order to be in the flow state, it is essential that we act with a
sense of intense joy. Only in a positive frame of mind can we completely surrender
to the experience. The secret key to
surviving danger is happiness, not fear.
Trepidation
disguises itself as prudence, but it is not. It is resistance to a flowing
situation that requires the elimination of all friction if it is to function at
all. Flow is disrupted by fear, as it causes us to freeze when we need to act;
and act when we need to stop. The only way to glide through real danger is to
surrender to the experience, and simply love it. Love and fear are opposites,
and cannot exist in the same moment in consciousness.
Although
the contextual nature of stress is incredibly varied, the core solutions are
always the same. By remembering how we perform in the face of physical threats,
we can awaken the part of ourselves that knows how to negotiate our reality.
Rather than falling victim to habitual patterns of coping, we can begin to step
out of the part of ourselves that sees problems, into the perspective that sees
only solutions. When we walk the path in balance, we can rise to any challenge
presented to us, and become the hero we were meant to be.
Brian Germain a
Professional Skydiving Instructor with over 12,000 jumps, a parachute designer
and test pilot, a rock climber, ski racer, mountaineer, and the author of
several books including Transcending Fear, The Doorway to Freedom. Brian is
available for keynote speaking.
For more information, go to: www.TranscendingFear.com
