7-minute guided body scan practice for panic — when you are overwhelmed

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for panic. A body scan session you can do when you are overwhelmed. A guided session of about 7 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 when you are overwhelmed

• Do not decide priorities during it
• Pick the shortest session available here
• When you finish, write down the first physical action on paper

The pile looks less like a pile once the alarm stops ringing. Sort it after, not during.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Notice the heaviest part of your body right now. Let it be heavy.
2. 0:13Start at the crown of the head and move down slowly. Do not skip to the parts that hurt.
3. 0:29There's no correct speed. Slower isn't better. Steadier is the only aim.
4. 0:42Let your attention rest on the out-breath. The in-breath can take care of itself.
5. 0:56Notice your breathing getting quieter on its own, without you deciding anything.
6. 1:09Let your breathing be boring. Boring is good here.
7. 1:20Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
8. 1:30Notice your jaw again. Let your back teeth part slightly.
9. 1:42Feel your palms. Warm or cool, either is fine.
10. 1:53You do not have to solve the fear that this will not pass in these few minutes. Your only job is to keep breathing while it is here.
11. 2:13If the sudden surge of panic has been with you all day, it is probably tired too. Let it rest alongside you.
12. 2:31Feel your ankles. Let them be loose.
13. 2:41Keep following the air.
14. 2:50Feel the air as it passes the back of your throat. It's cooler going in.
15. 3:04Notice your pelvis resting on the surface below you.
16. 3:15If you're distracted by a sound, let the sound be the object for a moment.
17. 3:29Let's rest here in silence. It's short.
18. 3:39Move at the speed of your attention, not the speed of a checklist. There is no schedule to keep.
19. 3:55If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
20. 4:10Let your shoulders stay still while your ribs move.
21. 4:21Quiet for a moment. No need to fill it.
22. 4:32Whatever the wave rising in your chest is doing right now, your breathing can keep going underneath it.
23. 4:48You are allowed to be unimpressed by the fear that this will not pass. Indifference is a legitimate response.
24. 5:04Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
25. 5:18If you feel emotional, you don't have to explain it to anyone, including yourself.
26. 5:32If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else.
27. 5:45I'll step back. You stay here.
28. 5:55We will travel down through the body, one region at a time, and leave each one softer than we found it.
29. 6:12Let the last of the stillness stay with you for a few more seconds.
30. 6:26Notice whether you feel any different. If not, that's also normal.

Questions people ask

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