This past week I asked a couple of different classes to share what project/idea/life change they have been thinking about, but are meeting with some resistance. Essentially, what is it in your life that you are called toward, but you feel a cloak of fear keeping you from diving in? The responses that were shared were so beautifully open and honest, the whole room felt a sense of ease just hearing the voices of others with the same struggle.

The common denominator of all of them was letting go. LETTING GO. Could be letting go of extra body weight, letting go of STUFF in your house (this was a big one for lots of people), letting go of a home, letting go of specific dietary ingredients, letting go of past views of thyself to make better decisions...

What is this letting go and why is it guarded by fear?

Fear is the protector of all things relating to our foundation-our body itself, money, our home, our parents and family. When any of these things shift, or have the potential to shift, we experience fear, even though we KNOW with our brains that life is never static. But the mind is so SO far away from the energy vortex in the root of our spine, which began forming emotional connections the day you were born. "Am I safe? Am I warm? Am I fed? Am I close to those who love me?"

Letting go of an accumulation of anything that loops into one of those questions, causes our red flags to go up because we don't know if we can trust ourselves, or what to trust at all. "What do I lean into if I haven't done this before? Or in a while?" Changing our roots can be scary...even if it's in our best interest!

So I have 3 ideas to share with you on working with this fear,  and a personal testimony.

1) As you examine the thing that you've been avoiding, consider the question, "What is at risk if I don't do this?" This is a heart-centered question, not an answer you can think your way into. You can even try gazing into your heart as you close your eyes and ask, "What is important enough in my life, on this journey, that I will do what needs to get done so I don't lose it?" The truest and deepest answer is often much more broad than your current quandary, so be brave enough to zoom out and look at what is your deep primary motivation.

2) The action center of the third chakra sits right between the heart, (which I like to think of as the gatekeeper, the provider of the "why") and the gathering center of the womb, where we notice and feel our connection to others. The second chakra asks us to engage with others. Look around at the people, places and other resources available to you right now, or ones that you can swim to easily to help you in your task. Skipping this step and thinking we have to do something alone, is one of the primary reasons we fall into the vein of fear in the lowest chakra instead of the other branch: trust.

3) Practice the video I have included here. I originally recorded a "Breathing up the spine" video for you all, but this situation of manifesting our goals and building trust uses the OPPOSITE breathing pattern, where we pull energy downward. So I recorded a simple tutorial this evening in my daughter's room, but it does the trick. Try "Manifestation breathing" daily, or anytime you need to feel yourself engage!

Finally, a personal note. I too, have danced with fear around a particular change in my life. One that I wanted, but also had trouble trusting would all pan out in the future. I did the above recommended tips, as well some great dream work, which helped significantly. But because this is a pretty big deal for our family, I wanted to remove the film of fear as efficiently as possible. I ended up seeking out a hypnotherapist. I had never done this method of therapy before, but referring back to tip 1, I was highly motivated. So I tried it, and I'll tell you, it has been incredible. The arc of fear that I aimed to target turned out to be much much bigger than I thought, and just in the last week I am opening into all kinds of ideas that I would normally turn away, like a washcloth has wiped my eyes and ears clean, and the box I lived inside has been removed.

My point is, you are not alone as you navigate this road, but connect to your heart first, and from that place you will know when and how deeply to access your resources.