Calming the Rush of Panic by Bob Stahl Read Free Book Online Page A

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