Whether it’s atop a 32-foot pole or coming face to face with a 1,000+ pound animal, Miraval Resort Tucson, AZ offers guests a variety of ways to deal with fear.
“I can’t tell you how many very successful people I work with tell me their greatest fear is that somebody’s going to find out they’re clueless,” says Wyatt Webb, creator of Miraval’s signature Equine Experience and author of two books. “Most people wake up to fear and self-doubt every day.”
Fear takes many forms; for some it might be an object or an animal, a situation, or a person. In a nutshell, fear is disabling beliefs you carry in yourself that prevent you from living a productive, healthy and inspired life.
“Fear is a great motivator,” says Joe MacDonald, manager of Miraval’s Challenge Department, which offers high-rope activities like the Quantum Leap. Quantum Leap challenges people to climb a 32-foot pole, stand atop it and then leap off.
“Fear correlates with the future,” adds Joe. “When you’re out of the moment — living in the future of what you think could happen, which is often a flawed perspective — you tend to create fear and anxiety.”
Many of the guests who book private one-on-one classes with Miraval’s trail-riding guides do so to work through their fear of horses. “Some come to us after taking the Equine Experience, and some come see us so that they can go through it in the first place,” says Amy Armour of Miraval’s Purple Sage Ranch.
According to Amy, once people are given the opportunity to learn more about horse behavior by bonding with a horse and taking part in a relaxing trail ride, their fear is significantly reduced.
“I’ve yet to deal with anyone who was more fearful of horses after they’ve finished a class,” says Amy.
Five STEPS
In his book Five Steps for Overcoming Fear and Self Doubt, Journey into Present-Moment Time, Wyatt uses his 20 years of experience as a licensed counselor to examine his own fears and self-doubts. Here are his 5 steps for overcoming fear.
- Acknowledge the fear.
- Quantify the fear.
- Openly admit to the worst-case scenario.
- Gather information and support to avoid the worst case.
- As the fear dissipates, celebrate the absence of fear.
