Welcome.
If you're here,
It means likely something inside you feels loud,
Tight,
Or overwhelmed.
Panic has a way of making the world feel smaller and more urgent.
Your breath shortens,
Your thoughts race,
Your body prepares for danger.
Even when you're safe.
This meditation is designed to help you move from panic to peace by working directly with the nervous system,
Not against it.
From a physiological perspective,
Panic is not a personal failure.
It is the sympathetic nervous system doing its job a little too well.
Your body believes it needs to protect you.
Practices like slow breathing,
Grounding attention,
And gentle body awareness activate the parasympathetic nervous system,
The part of you responsible for rest,
Safety,
And recovery.
Over time,
These practices build what psychologists called regulation capacity,
And it's your ability to feel strong emotions without being overtaken by them.
This practice follows the belief that healing does not happen through force or hustle.
It happens through structure and safety,
A core principle reflected throughout all my work.
We are not trying to eliminate anxiety forever.
We are teaching your body that it can return to calm again and again.
Nothing needs to be fixed.
You are not broken.
You are learning how to come back to yourself.
Let's begin by finding a position that feels supportive.
You might decide to sit or lie down,
Letting your hands rest easily,
Allowing your eyes to soften or close.
Take a moment to notice the surface beneath you.
Feel how you are being held.
You don't need to hold yourself together right now.
The surface beneath you is holding you gently.
Let's ground our body by bringing our attention first to our feet.
Notice any sensation there,
Warmth,
Pressure,
Tingling,
Or even numbness.
Slowly,
Let your awareness travel up through your legs,
Your hips,
And your lower back.
If you notice tension along the way,
You don't have to push it away.
Simply give it a name,
Tight,
Heavy,
Bracing,
Or something different.
Now let's move up a little bit and bring our attention to our shoulders.
Many of us carry our tension and stress in this location.
Take a moment to gently allow your shoulders to soften,
Even if just a little bit.
One of the places where I get particularly tense is my jaw,
So let's focus on the jaw and let it relax.
Unclench your teeth and allow your tongue to rest.
We start here because this step supports panic recovery by anchoring awareness in the body,
And this reminds your nervous system that you are here,
Present,
And very safe.
Moving on,
We're going to bring our attention to our breath.
We're not going to force deep breathing.
We are just inviting the breath to slow naturally.
Inhale gently through your nose for a count four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Take a pause and exhale through the mouth for a count of six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Let's try that again.
Inhale for four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale for six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
A longer exhale signals safety to the vagus nerve,
Helping the body shift out of fight or flight.
Each slow breath is a nice little message to yourself.
I am not in danger right now.
Continue this rhythm at your own pace.
If thoughts arise,
That's okay.
You're not doing it wrong.
Simply return your attention to your inhale and exhale.
Now let's give what we're experiencing a name with kindness and non-judgment.
You might say,
This is panic.
This is anxiety.
This is fear moving through my body.
Notice how naming the experience creates a small but meaningful distance.
You are not your panic or anxiety or fear.
You are the one noticing it.
This practice comes from mindfulness-based approaches that reduce reactivity by increasing awareness.
In simple words,
When we observe instead of resist,
Intensity typically softens.
Let's strengthen our sense of safety now.
Imagine a place where your body feels at ease,
Comfortable,
Relaxed.
This could be a real place or one simply created by your imagination.
When you've got that in your mind's eye,
Take a look around and notice the colors.
Feel the temperature on your skin.
What is the light like here?
Sunshine,
Warm candles or light bulbs?
Just notice the quality of it.
As you look around,
Let your breath deepen slightly as you imagine yourself in this wonderfully calm,
Relaxing place.
Remember that there is nothing required of you right now.
No performance,
No show of strength,
And no explanation.
Let your nervous system experience what safety feels like,
Even if briefly.
You're teaching your body in this moment a new reference point.
As you continue breathing,
Imagine calm spreading gently through your body like a warm wave.
Not a wave that overwhelms,
More like warm,
Slowly returning to cold hands.
Calm does not erase who you are.
It supports you.
It steadies you.
And if panic is still present,
That's okay.
Peace can exist alongside it.
Rest.
Rest here for a few more breaths.
Begin to gently bring your awareness back to the room that you're in,
Noticing the sounds,
Acknowledging and feeling the surface beneath you once more.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Lastly,
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Take a moment to notice how you feel now.
Not perfect,
Just different.
That shift matters.
Thank you for choosing to pause with me when panic arises.
This pause is an act of courage.
Each time you return to this practice,
You strengthen your ability to move through life with calm confidence rather than constant bracing.
If this meditation supported you,
I invite you to explore my other guided meditations and courses designed to help you build steady,
Sustainable peace.
You are always welcome here.
Let me know what you noticed during this practice.
Did anything shift in your body or breath?
Your comments about your experience remind others that they are not alone in this place.
You do not have to live in survival mode.
Peace is not a reward,
But a practice that you are allowed to return to.
