“The somatic lens tells us that anxiety is a state of present-moment fear based on past experiences that are informing our expectations of future events. This definition of anxiety implies a skewed perception of reality, with split focus on the past and the future. This is because the unresolved fear and stress from past experiences tell the anxious mind-body that the world is unsafe… and to be on high alert should the bad thing happen again in the future. As a result, the anxious mind-body regularly consults the past in order to predict the future so as to ensure successful adaptation to the current situation or circumstance. As you can see, inherent in this perception of reality is the expectation that the past will repeat itself; that what has been is what will be.”
Excerpt from Mindful Somatic Awareness for Anxiety Relief
