SOS - Anxiety Relief With Sensation Scan

This brief, emergency mindfulness meditation is meant to be used when anxiety feels absolutely overwhelming. It makes use of the knowledge that stimulation of the vagus nerve can switch the body between fight or flight, and rest and digest. Additionally, the vagus nerve has many more pathways going from the body to the brain, so this meditation focuses on faking calm in the body to calm the mind. Scanning for sensations of touch, sound, sight, breath, and heaviness, this mindfulness technique can calm in the moment. And with repeated practice, because mindfulness is a practice, it can rewire the brain to be less stress reactive.

Transcript

When we're in anxiety,

Sometimes it's because we're focusing too much on what's going on inside of our head.

So at this moment,

Opening your eyes,

Look at what's around you.

Noticing colors,

Surfaces,

Texture,

Or things shiny or not.

Notice the feel of the air on your skin.

Is it cool or warm?

Is there a soft breeze?

Noticing the sound of my voice or other sounds around you.

Without even assigning meaning to the sounds,

Can you just notice the quality of the sounds?

Are they loud or quiet?

Are they near to you or far away?

Stay in this moment,

Noticing things around you.

Notice the support of whatever is beneath you.

Maybe feel the soles of your feet touching either the insides of shoes or the ground,

The floor.

Notice that sensation of touch and pressure between you and what supports you.

As we attempt to calm the nervous system,

Try taking some nice,

Long,

Slow breaths.

Inhaling and filling the lungs completely,

But engaging that belly in the breath.

And an extra long exhale.

Slowing the breath,

Feeling the body heavy.

Noticing sounds,

Noticing what you can see.

Sensations of touch.

Noticing that everything is okay.

That you are okay.

As we try to come out of an anxiety attack,

It's helpful to start with the body up as the vagus nerve has 80% more pathways from the body towards the brain than the other direction.

Sometimes it's not all that helpful to try to think our way out of an anxiety attack.

Sometimes it's more helpful to try to feel ourselves calm,

To notice sensation,

To slow our breath.

Continue.

Nice slow breathing.

Continue to notice things around you as you allow your body to send the message to your brain that you are not under attack.

There is no predator.

There's no reason for the feelings,

The adrenaline boost to help you run away.

But right here,

Right now,

You are okay.