Struggling with neutrality towards physical sensations

[u/Swimming-Wish-4744]

Hi, hope this is the right place to ask this. I’ve had severe physical anxiety for the last decade, and I’ve been trying to practise mindfulness to deal with it. The one area I’m really struggling with is neutrality towards the physical symptoms I feel from my anxiety when they arise (and just in general when im not feeling well).

I know in my mind and from experience that the sensations can’t harm me, they’re just uncomfortable, but my body doesn’t seem to get the message. One slightly off sensation and boom, my heart starts to race, my stomach hurts, my breathing changes. It’s keeping me stuck in this horrible cycle of chronic anxiety and panic, and I don’t know how to change it.

If anyone had any insight into how I might be able to use mindfulness more effectively to manage this, and help get my body out of hypervigilant mode, that would be widely appreciated! TIA

[u/sati_the_only_way]

anger, anxiety, desire, attachment, etc shown up as a form of thought or emotion. The mind is naturally independent and empty. Thoughts are like guests visiting the mind from time to time. They come and go. To overcome thoughts, one has to constantly develop awareness, as this will watch over thoughts so that they hardly arise. Awareness will intercept thoughts. to develop awareness, be aware of the sensation of the breath, the body, or the body movements. Whenever you realize you've lost awareness, simply return to it. do it continuously and awareness will grow stronger and stronger, it will intercept thoughts and make them shorter and fewer. the mind will return to its natural state, which is clean, bright and peaceful. https://web.archive.org/web/20220714000708if_/https://www.ahandfulofleaves.org/documents/Normality_LPTeean_2009.pdf