We live in a world that moves fast, demands more, and tells us:

“Keep going.”

“Push through.”

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“Everyone is stressed — you’ll be fine.”

And then one day…

Your chest tightens.

Your thoughts race.

Your body starts buzzing like an alarm.

And you think:

“What is wrong with me?”

So many of our students, clients, and community members walk through our doors apologizing for their anxiety — as if they’re broken, weak, or somehow failing at life.

But I want to gently invite you into another perspective:

What if your anxiety isn’t a problem to fix…

What if it is your soul trying to protect you?

Not every form of anxiety is “soul-based” — there are times when it’s medical, trauma-wired, or chemical and needs professional support.

But there is another kind — a sacred kind — that many of us were never taught to recognize.

The kind that rises when you are living out of alignment with your truth.

The kind that whispers:

“Beloved — this is not for you.”

When the soul says NO, the body speaks loudly.

It usually doesn’t come through words at first.

It comes through:

• tightness in the chest

• that heavy pit in the stomach

• sudden dread before certain people or places

• exhaustion that feels like your spirit is drained

• headaches that show up at the same time every day

• wanting to cancel, hide, disappear, or bolt out the door

Not because you’re fragile.

But because you’re forcing yourself into spaces your spirit has already left.

There is a cost to self-betrayal — and the body keeps the bill.

Many of us were trained out of listening.

From childhood many of us learned:

“Be nice, even when you’re uncomfortable.”

“Don’t make waves.”

“Don’t upset anyone.”

“Be grateful — others have it worse.”

So instead of saying:

“This doesn’t feel right.”

We swallow it.

We smile.

We pretend.

And our nervous system becomes the one screaming on our behalf.

In the Andean path, we talk about ayni — sacred reciprocity — balance.

When you give and give and give without receiving… when you ignore your intuition… when you place everyone else’s comfort above your own truth…

Ayni breaks.

And your soul tries to call you back.

The “soul-alarm” has a pattern.

Again — not all anxiety is spiritual.

But the soul-alarm usually looks like this:

✔️ It shows up around specific people, environments, responsibilities, or conversations.

✔️ It gets louder the more you silence yourself.

✔️ It softens when you tell the truth, set a boundary, or step away.

Think about it…

Have you ever noticed how you feel after finally saying NO?

The relief?

The breath returning?

The way your shoulders drop and your heart unclenches?

That’s alignment.

Relief is not weakness — it’s recognition.

Common situations where soul-anxiety appears:

• Staying in relationships that drain and deplete you

• Carrying emotional loads that are not yours

• Overgiving because you believe love must be earned

• Working jobs that steal your spirit

• Agreeing to commitments because you feel guilty

• Living by rules your family or culture handed you — not your truth

• Silencing your intuition because it would “inconvenience” someone

  
  

Your body isn’t attacking you.

Your body is trying to get you home.

Your spiritual awakening isn’t always peaceful at first.

We love to imagine awakening as gentle light, incense, crystals, meditation, and bliss.

But often, before peace arrives…

The truth shows up.

Sometimes truth feels like:

• grief

• anger

• discomfort

• shaking

• anxiety

It is the Soul saying:

“We can’t keep living this way.”

And in our lineage we don’t shame that.

We honor it.

We sit with it.

We ask:

“What is this trying to show me?”

Because anxiety, when approached with compassion, can become a teacher instead of an enemy.

Questions to sit with (journal, breathe, listen):

Light a candle. Breathe slowly. Let your body soften.

Then gently ask:

• Where does my anxiety spike — and who or what is present in those moments?

• What boundary is missing there?

• Where am I betraying myself to keep the peace?

• What part of my life feels tight, forced, or constricted?

• Where do I feel relief just imagining walking away or saying no?

  
  

And maybe the most honest question:

“If I fully trusted my intuition, what would I change?”

You might not be ready to do it yet — and that’s okay.

Awareness is the first doorway. Courage builds over time.

Your permission slip (write this into your heart):

You are allowed to choose quiet over chaos.

You are allowed to rest without earning it.

You are allowed to disappoint people and still be loving.

You are allowed to leave rooms your soul has outgrown.

You are allowed to protect your nervous system.

You are allowed to say:

“This is not right for me.”

That is not selfish. That is sacred responsibility. Because when you return to alignment, your energy becomes clearer, your relationships become healthier, and your spirit remembers the path back to peace.

If this stirred something inside you, good — it means your soul is awake and listening.

And if you find yourself saying:

“This is me… this is exactly me…”

You are not crazy.

You are not broken.

You are not failing.

You are being invited.

Invited back into truth.

Invited into alignment.

Invited into deeper relationship with your own spirit.

Anxiety was never the enemy.

Silencing yourself was.