Calming the Rush of Panic (6 page)

How to Practice the Body Scan

The body scan is an important meditation to help you get in touch with your body and mind. This is great training for dealing with panic and to gradually begin to feel more acceptance and ease within yourself.

As you practice the body scan, there may be at times a feeling that it’s counterintuitive at first to acknowledge what you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. In time, you’ll gradually come to know the skillfulness and efficiency of this. You’ll recognize that acknowledging your feelings becomes a powerful mechanism of emotional discharge and release. You’ll begin to gain confidence that the best way to straighten out is to turn in the direction of the skid. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the more you try to avoid your feelings, the more they return—again and again—just as when you turn away from a skid, the car spins out of control. The body scan teaches you to mindfully go with what’s happening rather than fighting it. See what happens when you do this in your own life.

By doing the body scan once (or maybe even twice) a day, you’ll learn how to work with a whole range of sensations, thoughts, and feelings. Try to make time to do the body scan when you can; even a short period will benefit you as you get in touch with your body. Feel free to use an alarm clock or timer, but always try to find a quiet place where you can be uninterrupted for the duration of your practice. Some people like to do the body scan in the morning before getting out of bed, while others prefer mid-morning, the lunch hour, or before or after dinner. Some prefer to practice right before going to bed. There is no right time other than the time you pick to do it.

Let this be a part of your practice of mindfulness you look forward to doing, a gift to yourself and a way to become more balanced within your being.

Marcos’s Story

Marcos had a regular job, but he dreaded leaving the house to go to work. His frequent panic attacks drained his confidence and trust in himself and left him feeling defeated.

Sometimes the panic attacks he experienced nearly every day seemed to make sense, like when he was driving in traffic, giving a speech, or talking at a meeting, but some attacks didn’t make any sense at all. They seemed to come for no apparent reason, just out of the blue. Sometimes just the thought of being in a difficult situation would make his heart pound, make his palms sweat, and leave him practically gasping for air. A doctor checked him out to see whether there was any physical condition underlying his panic, but the workup revealed nothing remarkable. The doctor told Marcos that he needed to learn how to live his life with less panic.

Marcos talked with his wife, Juanita, about this. Juanita did some research and found out about MBSR and that it had been shown to be helpful in treating panic. She told Marcos that MBSR was evidence-based, meaning scientifically proven. Marcos realized that he had to do something and decided to give it a shot. He felt as though he had nothing to lose.

In his first MBSR class, when the other attendees began to introduce themselves and share why they were there, cold sweat started to pour from Marcos’s palms. He wasn’t sure that he’d be able to talk, and when it was the person next to him’s turn to speak, Marcos felt as though he was going to implode or blow up. The teacher thankfully noticed this and asked the class to pause for a moment. The teacher looked directly at Marcos with caring eyes, and with much compassion she announced that if anyone wanted to pass, that would be fine, because what was most important was to have a safe environment. Marcos inwardly sighed with relief. He felt kindness, he felt seen, and he felt honored. After the person next to him spoke, Marcos felt enough trust to muster and open his mouth and heart and share how panic had taken over his life. These were incredible first steps for Marcos, and he was surprised to discover that he wasn’t the only one in the class who lived with panic—there were actually a few others. At the end of the class, a few people even came over to Marcos to congratulate him for having the courage to speak. Marcos drove home that evening filled with hope and encouragement, for the first time he could remember.

Marcos began practicing the body scan and took to it like a fish to water. He practiced every day and sometimes twice or even three times a day. Marcos began to reconnect with his body and mind. He began to feel more trust in himself. He learned to acknowledge all his feelings in his body and mind. He felt like a new man, and it seemed to him that many possibilities were opening up in his life. He began to feel comfortable inside his own skin as he allowed himself to feel the totality of his being, his life.

S.T.O.P.

A wonderful practice from MBSR that we’d like you to use in your informal practice of mindfulness is called S.T.O.P. In this exercise, you simply put whatever you’re doing on hold for a quick breather and to realize what’s going on with you. This helps restore your balance, like pushing your “reset” button, so you can proceed feeling renewed and refreshed. The acronym S.T.O.P. helps you remember the following steps:

• Stop.
  
• Take a breath.
  
• Observe, acknowledge, and allow what’s here.
  
• Proceed and be present.
  

It’s truly amazing what you can learn about yourself when you pause from time to time to breathe, observe, acknowledge, and allow how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. A colleague of ours who programmed her computer to display the word “S.T.O.P.” once an hour as a reminder often mentioned how amazed she was, upon stopping, to discover that her shoulders were higher than her ears or that she’d just been spinning around in circles in her mind and hardly getting any work done because she really needed to use the restroom. At other times she discovered that she was hungry or needed to stretch or go on a break. When she realized what she needed and took care of her body or mind, her work became easier and she was more efficient, relaxed, and happy. This simple and yet profound exercise will help you connect more with your life. It’s a proactive approach to panic or stress that will make you feel generally more stable and in control.

You can also do this practice when you feel panicked. When a moment of panic arises, take a breath; this will help you bring your breath back into your belly. Then observe, acknowledge, and allow whatever you’re feeling in your body and mind. This will help you settle down and realize that you do have some control or a way to deal with this. Lastly, proceed with your day and be present. You can of course repeat this sequence a few times to help you relax further.

In her poem “Allow,” Danna Faulds (2002) shares her wisdom on how to transform life’s challenges by learning to go with the flow of life.

There is no controlling life.

Try corralling a lightning bolt,

containing a tornado. Dam a

stream and it will create a new

channel. Resist, and the tide

will sweep you off your feet.

Allow, and grace will carry

you to higher ground. The only

safety lies in letting it all in—

the wild and the weak; fear,

fantasies, failures and success.

When loss rips off the doors of

the heart, or sadness veils your

vision with despair, practice

becomes simply bearing the truth.

In the choice to let go of your

known way of being, the whole

world is revealed to your new eyes.

When you take time to practice mindful breathing, the body scan, and S.T.O.P., you naturally begin to utilize the mindfulness attitudes (discussed in the Foundation chapter) of intention, beginner’s mind, nonjudgment, nonstriving, allowing, letting be, self-reliance, balance, and self-compassion. These are important allies for your practice and well-being.

You can then apply what you’re learning to your everyday life to help you deal with the rush of panic in your body.

Applied Practices

Following we describe several applications of mindfulness that you can use in your informal practice of mindfulness. Please don’t worry about the “right” or “wrong” way to do these; by just giving them a try, you’re on your way to a more mindful and panic-free life.

Kick Off a Good Day

If your morning starts off with the news, like mine does, a barrage of negative headlines can inch your body toward panic without your even being aware of it. The weather reports a storm heading your way, someone was murdered, and somewhere a war has broken out. Chronic bad news can have profound effects on your body—your neck and shoulders tighten, your stomach churns, and your whole being goes on heightened alert. You don’t have to give up your daily dose of morning news, but we recommend that you start each morning with the following version of the S.T.O.P. practice, in order that you might have more balance and ease in your body as your day begins.

1. Upon waking, with your eyes open, take this moment to stop and pause. You can be lying in your bed, sitting up, or standing. In the pause, just let your body relax and be still. Give yourself permission to just be here, floating adrift for a minute or two, before you rush into your hectic day of endless to-dos.
   
2. If you’re experiencing panic at this time, take a breath. Tune in to your breathing. If you’re holding your breath, take this time to gradually let the air flow freely in and out of your belly. Notice the air in your nose, in your chest, and in your abdomen. When your mind starts to drift, return to your breath again, and be mindful of each inhalation and exhalation—the rhythm, flow, sound, and sensation in your body.
   
3. Observe your body and whatever feelings or sensations are stirring in it. Where are you feeling tension or tightness? Where are you feeling relaxed and at ease? Where are you feeling panic? Take this time to acknowledge what you notice. Whatever your body is feeling—tension, stiffness, dry mouth, shortness of breath—let it just be. Pay attention to your body’s experience.
   
4. Discover what you may need right now to take better care of your body and connect more fully with your life. You may need a drink of water. You may need a morning of music or silence instead of grim news. You may need a longer shower than usual. Think of how you can gain a sense of inner balance and anchor yourself in this balance throughout the rest of your day.
   
5. Proceed with your morning and be present. Remember to reflect on what came up for you during this application of mindfulness and what you learned about your body.
   

Feel free to repeat daily or at any time to help you maintain balance and ease in your body.

Start Your Morning with Mindfulness

Mornings can be a time of rush and panic. The anticipation of the entire day buried under an avalanche of commitments and responsibilities stretched out in front of you may be daunting, even terrifying. You may experience an acute feeling of impending doom. You may feel paralyzed by fear, literally unable to move or get out of bed. Your heart may pound. You may have a sensation of choking or being smothered and start to hyperventilate. And yet, you somehow do eventually struggle out of bed and reluctantly start your day.

Most people’s morning routine is fraught with potentially mindless tasks, such as brushing their teeth. When you wake up with feelings of impending doom, make up your mind to brush your teeth with mindfulness. Mindfulness will help you move more gently through your morning panic and restore a sense of calm and order in your body for the rest of your day.

1. Before you pick up your toothbrush, take a few deep breaths. Take several full breaths, tuning in to the cool air passing through your nose on the inhale and the warm air passing through your mouth or nose on the exhale. Be mindful of each breath and notice how it feels in your body.
   
2. Set your intentions aloud or to yourself for brushing your teeth mindfully. State what you would like to gain by this practice. You may say:
   May this practice bring me more closely connected to my body. May this practice restore balance to my mind and body.
   Feel free to fill in your own words of what you’d like to experience as a result of your application of mindfulness.
   
3. As you begin your tooth-brushing routine, move slowly, methodically, and consciously. Pick up your toothbrush and notice all the tiny bristles. Notice the weight of the toothbrush and how it feels in your hand. As you hold your toothbrush under the running water, notice whether you prefer warm or cold water. Notice whether you leave the water running or shut it off when you’re done. As you apply the toothpaste, notice something about it too. Is it mint or some other flavor? Does it have a scent? How much toothpaste is left in the tube?
   
4. Remember to return to the present moment by returning to your breath.
   
5. If you notice some doubt emerge, or a little voice saying
   This exercise won’t work. It can’t help me with my panic
   , simply acknowledge and observe these feelings of doubt, without making any judgments about them. Doubt is a normal mind state that occasionally springs up and tries to steer you away from the present moment. This is simply how you feel in this moment, and each moment is passing, just as everything in life is continually changing.
   
6. Begin to brush your teeth, paying attention to how you maneuver the brush and what sensations you feel in your mouth. Do you brush in small, circular motions or just back and forth across your teeth? Notice the feeling of the toothpaste foaming. Remember to stay present and connected to your breathing.
   
7. When you’re ready to rinse your mouth, turn your awareness to the water and how it feels swirling and swishing in your mouth.
   
8. After you’ve rinsed, guide your tongue along your teeth and acknowledge the smoothness and freshness that you feel.
   
9. Take a brief moment to reflect on what’s going on with your mind and body right now. Are you still holding a sensation of dread and of impending doom, or has it started to subside? Let whatever you’re feeling just be what it is. Acknowledge the transient nature of these sensations, and let them come and go of their own accord.
   
10. Take a few more breaths before returning to your morning duties.