Hi.
My name is Pamela Pawelski.
I'm a licensed clinical social worker and therapist.
If you're having trouble breathing.
Because of anxiety or panic.
I'm here to help you regulate your breathing.
First notice where you are.
Take a moment to sit down or lie down.
Notice your breathing.
As you breathe,
Don't try to resist.
Just let your body breathe as it is.
Notice,
Are you breathing from your chest?
Or from your belly.
You can look down and see.
If your chest is moving or if your belly is moving.
Just notice that.
We're going to take some steps to help you switch from chest breathing to belly breathing.
The first step.
We are going to send signals to your body.
That you are relaxing.
Notice your shoulders.
If they're tight and lifted up towards your ears,
Slowly lower them back down to where they should be.
Like you're slowly releasing the tension of a tightly wound metal spring.
Notice your jaw.
If it's tight.
Slowly open your mouth like you're yawning.
Gently move your jaw side to side.
Allow it to relax.
Like a monkey happily hanging from a tree.
Notice the muscles in your face.
Are they tight?
Imagine your face muscles soften like butter melting in a windowsill.
Melt the muscles around your eyes,
Your cheeks.
Your lips.
Imagine a ball of light.
That has the most soothing effect.
Notice its color and temperature.
Like a healing ray of sun.
Allow that light to move down into you.
From the top of your head through your face.
Melting anything that's in the way.
Letting that light seep into your eye sockets.
Your sinuses.
Your nasal passages.
Your mouth.
Down your throat.
Softening your lungs.
And settling into your belly.
Imagine this light filling up your belly until it's pleasantly full.
Have you ever seen a firefly turning on its belly light in the summer night?
Imagine you have a belly light.
Take a moment to breathe through your nose and fill up your belly with a bright light.
And as you exhale through your lips,
The light becomes a little softer.
Breathe in,
Fill up your belly with bright light.
Inhale,
Exhale and soften the light.
As you breathe in and out.
Put your hands on your belly.
Feel the light getting brighter.
And then softer within you as you breathe.
Look at that.
Your belly breathing.
Good job.
Continue breathing.
When you belly breathe.
You inhale enough oxygen.
And you exhale enough carbon dioxide.
When you have an anxiety or panic attack.
You're experiencing a false danger.
Which leads to fight and flight response.
Which causes shallow chest breathing.
The changes in the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the body.
Leads to chest tightness,
Muscle tension,
Et cetera.
While you might feel powerless when this happens,
It is in your power.
To take back control.
By sending signals to your body.
That you are safe.
Like we did earlier.
Relaxing our muscles and breathing through our belly.
You can come back to this practice.
Anytime you feel that you're losing control.
You can use this meditation.
To regain control of your body.
You are stronger than you think.
You always have options.
You can regain control.
Feel better.
Take care of yourself.
