5-minute guided letting go practice for panic — before public speaking

About this practice

A 5-minute letting go session for panic, before public speaking. No app, no account — press start. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: panic

A panic surge is a false alarm firing at full volume. The body floods with adrenaline for about ten minutes, and then the chemistry drains on its own whether or not you do anything.

It tends to show up as:

• Heart pounding out of nowhere
• Feeling you must leave immediately
• Tingling hands or a tight throat

Knowing the surge is time-limited matters more than stopping it. A steady, unhurried voice in the background gives the body something to pace itself against.

Doing this before public speaking

• Do it somewhere private, or in the washroom if needed
• Slow the exhale deliberately and check your speaking pace after
• Warm the voice by reading a line aloud, not by staying silent

Rushing is the tell of nerves. A slower breath now is what sets a slower pace in the room.

How letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let the first out-breath be longer than the in-breath. Nothing dramatic, just longer.
2. 0:13Ask yourself what you could stop holding for the next sixty seconds. That one is a good start.
3. 0:29We'll be quiet for a bit longer than usual. Stay with whatever shows up.
4. 0:43We'll start broad and narrow down. Nothing sudden is coming.
5. 0:55Notice the breath you're taking right now. That's the only one that exists.
6. 1:08Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
7. 1:19Notice your toes, starting with the big one on the left.
8. 1:31Feel the middle of your back, the part that never gets attention.
9. 1:44Feel your forearms, from the elbow down to the wrist.
10. 1:56Nothing changes for a moment.
11. 2:05Quiet now. The next part will wait for you.
12. 2:16You have been carrying this competently for a while. A few minutes off will not undo that.
13. 2:31Notice any part of you that wants this to be over.
14. 2:43You are allowed to be unimpressed by the sudden surge of panic. Indifference is a legitimate response.
15. 2:58When the wave rising in your chest presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
16. 3:18Let the breath get soft, the way it goes when someone is reading beside you.
17. 3:32Whatever the fear that this will not pass is doing right now, your breathing can keep going underneath it.
18. 3:48If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
19. 4:01Pause here. Count three breaths if you need an anchor.
20. 4:13Setting something down is not the same as giving up. You can pick it up again after.
21. 4:28Notice whether you feel any different. If not, that's also normal.
22. 4:40Let it be this simple.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.