Hi,
I'm Nami and today we are going to explore some gentle ways to work with intense fear and panic when it strikes.
You know,
Sometimes fear can feel so overwhelming that traditional mindful instructions to sit with it just aren't helpful.
The fire's too hot.
It's like being asked to have a conversation with a tornado.
It's too much.
So today we're going to explore some practical tools that can,
When we are feeling intensely scared,
Very panicky,
Can help us find our ground again.
And once we found our ground again,
Of course,
We can do further work.
Engage with our mindful practice and interrogate what's going on.
But the first thing is really to calm the fire.
Let's begin by acknowledging where you are right now.
Whether you're listening to this in a moment of panic or you're here to gather tools for future moments,
You are exactly where you need to be right now.
And there's a real wisdom in you being here and taking the time for yourself.
First,
I want to offer some simple tools that can help your nervous system settle.
We'll try each one briefly and you can notice which ones feel most helpful to you.
They're simple but effective.
Let's start with matched breathing.
You don't need to change anything.
Just notice the breath and gradually see if you can make your inhale and your exhale about the same length.
Maybe counting to four or five for each.
There's no need to force it.
It's just about inviting some balance.
But there's lots of evidence that matching the length of the in-breath to the out-breath is deeply calming and activates the parasympathetic nervous system,
Which is exactly what we want to do when we're in panic.
So let's try this.
Breathing in for four or five and breathing out for the same length.
Now let's explore grounding.
Feel where your body is making contact.
Your feet on the floor,
Your back against the chair or the sofa.
Let yourself be held and supported.
You belong here and you're safe here in this moment.
Feel the weight of your body surrendering to gravity.
Another thing you can do when you're feeling panicked,
When you're very scared and if your eyes are closed you might like to open them,
Is look around and simply name what you can see around you.
For example,
Chair,
Window,
Rug,
Book.
You could do this in any environment and it really does help to bring you into the present moment in the same way that feeling the physical sensations of your body being supported does.
It helps you be here now and it does help to reduce the flames of the fire of panic and fear.
Now I'll invite you to place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly and feel the warmth and pressure of your own touch.
One hand on the heart and one hand on the belly and feel the pressure of your touch.
You might move your hand around slightly so that you really feel it.
This can also be hugely comforting,
Self-soothing.
Give it a try and see how you feel.
And the last suggestion is that when fear is really strong in the body,
Movement can really help.
Just like animals after they've been in fight or flight,
Animals will naturally shake off the fear,
But we don't do that.
We tend to stay locked in our bodies.
So if you feel comfortable,
You might want to stand up,
Stretch your arms overhead and gently shake out your hands and feet.
Whatever feels good to you.
But any movements will allow our bodies to release some of that fear energy.
And as we begin to close,
It's absolutely OK if some of these tools didn't feel right for you or others might be useful.
We each need to find our own way of working with fear in the moment.
These are just suggestions.
What matters most is that you're here,
You're exploring and you're committed to taking care of yourself.
Know that when the fear feels too big to face directly,
It's really wise to focus on first finding a sense of safety and calm in your body.
Later,
When you feel more regulated,
You can begin to explore the fear itself.
But first,
Look after yourself with real gentleness as far as possible.
You might want to write down which of these tools feel most helpful to you.
And also remember that reaching out to others,
If possible,
Holding a friend's hand,
For example,
Or calling someone you trust.
These are also powerful ways to find your way back to safety.
But the tools we've gone through today are things that you can do on your own to help yourself.
So thank you so much for joining me today.
Trust your journey with fear.
We all experience it.
And remember that you are not alone in this.
