We all face fear sometime in our life.

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And we all face pain sometime in our life.

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Even though we try to avoid them as much as possible.

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Still, life happens.

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Situations beyond our control bring pain and fear to us.

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The choice to feel them or not to feel them is always present.

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When we have not learned how to face them with courage, we often run away from them.

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To not engage with our pain or fear.

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Sometimes, the situation demands that we don't deal with them.

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For we have to be clear headed and controlled to get through the current challenge.

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So we push the feelings aside until we have room to deal with them.

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Too often, though, we never go back to actually allow those feelings to surface.

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Instead we just keep pushing forward until some fantasy time in the future when we can pause.

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That pause never comes for some of us.

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Until we can no longer move on with our life.

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The pain that we have accumulated one day becomes too much and we have to stop.

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We have to listen to our body and our heart and let that energy pass through.

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Diving into our fear and our pain is now harder than ever before.

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But it seems that we have no choice.

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For we have been running away from our fear and our pain for so long that it is no longer sustainable.

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So we must feel our fear.

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Feel our pain.

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And it can become overwhelming.

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There is so much to feel and experience that it can seem as if it is a tidal wave about to sweep us away.

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Until we remember to breathe.

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To breathe deeply.

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When we experience our fear and our pain we stop breathing deeply.

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The breath always become shallow and fast.

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If we can just slow down our breathing and take our time the pain and fear will not be so overwhelming.

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By breathing deeply we give space to our pain and fear.

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We allow them to have room.

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No just room inside of us, but room in our consciousness.

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As we provide more space and time to really feel the pain and the fear, it lessens.

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They dissipate.

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What a minute ago felt overwhelming is now manageable.

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Our heart rate begins to slow.

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The pulse starts to come back to a normal rate.

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This may not happen the first time we try.

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Especially after so many years of denying our feelings.

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Yet if we keep at it, eventually we find our peace.

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We will find our way back to calm.

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With our breath as our guide.

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It will always guide us home through the fear and the pain.

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Home to our heart.

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No matter how broken it might feel, the breath will help it to be whole again.

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And allow us to go on living our life with greater presence.

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For when we allow ourselves to truly feel those deeply uncomfortable emotions, we will also be able to feel the expansive emotions of joy and love even more.

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That is the reward of breathing through our pain and fear.

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So is there a pain or a fear that you are still holding on to?

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Can you find a way to be present to them and breathe your way through them?

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~ Sam Liebowitz, The Conscious Consultant

Host of The Conscious Consultant Hour