I think it is helpful to practice autonomic control throughout the day. If you are riding the bus or sitting in a circle or doing this or that and you have the spare bandwidth to think about it. It becomes a habit.
replyPeople don’t like anxious people so it is part of charisma development like you do training for spiritual leadership or relational healing. Less anxiety means more tolerance for risk, ambiguity, etc. it is not “put it all on 7“
There's also a level above that, where you're aware of what is aware. I find this mental state to be even more calming/grounding than being aware of breathing but I'm not always able to shift myself into it. Being aware of breathing feels much easier/natural to me whenever I'm able to remind myself of it, which already provides quite a noticeable effect on how I'm feeling and reacting to whatever is happening in that moment.
replyAdditionally, there's a practice called "walking meditation" [0] that can also be useful to practice this area of skills.
Finally I understand why meditation hippies kinda seem aloof when you talk to them. Turns out they are trying to multi-task some kind of awarenessmaxxing while speaking to you. The more you know!
replyI always thought that was part of their weirdness and maybe even some personality trait that led them to this sort of thing, but knowing it's an active choice makes it even weirder somehow.
Sometimes it is great to stomp on people’s lines but slowing down your responses half a beat is beneficial in most situations. There is often a first mover disadvantage.
replySounds like hell.
replyRemember to blink!
Awareness of breathing does not mean controlling your breathing, it just means noticing the sensations associated with it. Breathing can be incredibly pleasant!
replyIt usually becomes very pleasant, euphoric, and self sustaining, if done correctly.
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