Letting go meditation for panic (7 min), on your commute

About this practice

When panic shows up on your commute, this 7-minute letting go session gives you somewhere to put it down. 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 on your commute

• Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
• Keep one part of your attention on your stop
• Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching

Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.

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. 0:00Begin with the simple fact that you got here. That already happened.
2. 0:13Setting something down is not the same as giving up. You can pick it up again after.
3. 0:28Let your attention settle on the space between your nose and your upper lip, where the air passes.
4. 0:44Bring your attention to the parts of you that are already still.
5. 0:57Let your breathing find the rhythm it uses when you're almost asleep.
6. 1:10Feel your breath move down your back, all the way to your lower ribs.
7. 1:24Feel your tongue sitting in the bottom of your mouth.
8. 1:36Notice your toes, starting with the big one on the left.
9. 1:48Notice your hands again. Check whether they've loosened on their own.
10. 2:00This is not the last time the wave rising in your chest will visit. That is not bad news. It means you will get more practice.
11. 2:19You are allowed to be unimpressed by the fear that this will not pass. Indifference is a legitimate response.
12. 2:35Feel your hips. Wide, heavy, and doing nothing.
13. 2:46Nothing changes for a moment.
14. 2:55Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
15. 3:10If you're judging your performance, that's the same habit as judging everything else.
16. 3:23A short silence. Let it be empty.
17. 3:33You have been carrying this competently for a while. A few minutes off will not undo that.
18. 3:48Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts.
19. 3:59Feel the pause at the top of the in-breath. It's shorter than you think.
20. 4:13Silence. Let your shoulders drop again if they've crept up.
21. 4:25When the sudden surge of panic presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
22. 4:44There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
23. 5:02Notice the first breath of the day versus this one. They're the same mechanism.
24. 5:16If you're distracted by a sound, let the sound be the object for a moment.
25. 5:30Notice whether you're breathing or holding. Start breathing again.
26. 5:41Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
27. 5:53With each exhale, let a little of the effort go. Not the problem — just the effort.
28. 6:08If you're going straight back to work, take ten seconds at the doorway first.
29. 6:22Notice the quiet you made, and let it close gently.
30. 6:34Let 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.