My student Natalie learned to release effortlessly by acknowledging her feelings in the
moment. As a daily commuter, she often used to have trouble passing trucks on the
highway because she was anxious. Noisy thoughts and gruesome images of accidents
would rush into her mind and she’d panic. Then, she began listening to a guided releasing
tape from one of our audio programs while traveling to and from work on the interstate.
She would dialogue with herself. “So, you’re anxious?” “Yes, I’m anxious.” “Could you
allow yourself to feel as anxious as you do?” “Yes.” She discovered that, in a short time,
she’d be over it. Just by allowing her panic rather than resisting it, her physical sensations
of rapid breathing and shakiness would evaporate, and her mind would become quiet.