Panic, Right Now: Two Minutes To Find The Floor

A two-minute practice for a panic attack that is happening right now. Stay with the voice: press your feet into the floor, put a hand on something solid, breathe out slowly and name three things you can see. Low, steady piano holds the ground underneath. It does not promise to stop anything; it keeps you company while the feeling passes.
panic attack, panic, anxiety, grounding, grounding techniques, breathe out, calm down now, feet on the floor, short practice, SOS, steady voice, low piano

Transcript

If your heart is racing right now, Stay with my voice. Two minutes. Nothing else to do. Press your feet into the floor. Feel it push back. The floor is not moving. Put one hand on something solid. The table. Bye bye. Your own knee. Notice if it is cool. Or one. Or rough. Now breathe out slowly. Like blowing on hot tea. Longer than feels normal again. Out through the mouth. Slow. The in-breath will take care of itself. One more long breath out… Name three things you can see. Say them in your head, A door, A light. Your hand. This feeling rises. And it passes. You are still here And so is the floor. Stay with the floor a little longer. When you are ready, Look around the room. Namaste.