Panic attacks can happen to anyone at any time. A cause fuelled by fear or grief leads to panic attacks. For example, you are in the shower and suddenly you remember having left an important detail in an office presentation. You then feel crippled Fear cripples you thinking about the repercussions and experience great fear and terror becomeyou get restless. That’s the sign of a panic attack. Or, let’s say you are about to speak to a crowd of a few hundred people and have forgotten your speech. That could lead to a panic attack. Thinking about memories of a person who has either left you or is no more could also create a panic attack. There could be any intense reason to trigger a panic attack.
Symptoms of a Panic Attack
While panic attacks are commonly seen in people, their magnitude can be of concern. You must be on the lookout for the following symptoms of a panic attack:
Troubled Breathing
Feeling stressed and anxious
Incessant sweating
Getting dark and racing thoughts
Feeling gloomy or terrified
Racing heartbeat
Feeling nauseous
Experiencing Digestive Issues
To reduce the occurrence or stop a panic attack, you needhave to remaincontrol your mind sustained calmness and react better to situationsyour stressful thoughts. The best ways to remain tranquil while handling difficultiesexercise self-control is are through meditation and breathing exercises.
The article below will help you understand how to calm yourself better during panic attacks.
How Can Meditation Help?
Meditation is a calming technique wherethat allows you to sit comfortably with closed eyes, with no effort to do or think anything and think nothing. Sounds difficult, isn’t itright? It is. The state of being thoughtless does not come naturally to us. It takes regular practice to meditate and observe thoughts and feelings without judging them. Meditation enhances mindfulness and increases the presence of the mind, which pushes the stress away. As we know, stress is an important factor in a panic attack, and meditation helps manage stress and anxiety.
Here are some ways to get started with meditation to stop a panic attack.
Guided Meditation
This method involves instructions that guide you to meditate. It helps you focus on the present, increases your body awareness, and helps you identify know your troubles. With improved awarenessconsciousness, you are better able to put your stress away. Your mind diverts from overthinking and you feel grounded. This process helps soothe your mind, relieves it from anxiety and worry, and helps control a panic attack.
“Meditation is the journey from sound to silence, from movement to stillness, from a limited identity to unlimited space.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Mantra Meditation (Sahaj Samadhi Meditation)
Repeating a mantra can work your mind to focus on the meaning of the mantra. For example, repeatedly saying to yourself, “This time shall pass” will inflict positivity on you. A mantra similarly disperses a spiritual energy in your being connection thatand that helps you become more conscious. In Sahaj Samadhi Meditation, you remember your personal mantra given to you which spontaneously leads you into a state of meditation, whereby you simply see all your anxieties vanish. you start by closing your eyes, in a relaxed posture, with a simple chant of a given mantra (like the “Om Namah Shivaya” chant). You breathe in and speak each word drawing the attention to your consciousness. By slow and constant repetition, Oone feels relaxed and gets into deep breathing through slow and constatnt repetition, whichthat eventually helps manage a panic attack.
Learn more about Sahaj Samadhi Dhyana Yoga for your personal benefit here.
Sudarshan Kriya
A super effective method of deep meditation that will suit everyto suit every individual is the Sudarshan Kriya. The name is in Sanskrit which decodes to “purify one from the inside”. Since emotions depict our energies, Sudarshan Kriya takes you into a meditative statehelps you meditate through rhythmic regulating breathings. It spontaneously leads you into an incredible state of calm and peace, where thoughts subside effortlessly. thoughtless and calm state allows you to deal with external situations by reflecting on your own thoughts with complete awareness. Regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya It helpsalso It also helps increases immunity, manages stress, and anxiety, and reduces the intensity of panic attacks. With regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya, you become more energetic, healthy, and conscious of your mental well-being.
Types of Deep Breathing to Curb Panic Attacks
While meditation requires you to indulge in some mental exercises, deep breathing involves focusing concentrating on your breaths and improving your awareness of the present.
Here are a three few deep breathing techniques that can to help you through a panic attack.
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Popularly called Nadi Shodhana in yogic terms, this breathing method controls the heart rate, improves oxygen circulation in the body, and relieves stress and anxiety.
You start by sitting comfortably.
Exhale and then using the thumb of your right hand, close the right nostril and breathe in through the left nose.
Hold the breath for a few seconds, concentrating on the breath movement.
Close the left nostril with the little finger and lose the thumb from the right nostril. Breathe out from the right nostril.
Hold for a few seconds and repeat the same process for some time.
Popularly called Nadi Shodhana in yogic terms, this breathing method controls the heart rate, improves oxygen circulation in the body, and relieves stress and anxiety.
“Our breath plays a very important role in our life. The breath is the connecting link between the inner world of the mind and the outer world of the body and environment.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Humming Bee Breathing
Sit comfortably in a relaxed position.
Close both your eyes using the first four fingers on either side.
Close both the ear lobes using the thumbs.
Inhale deeply and fill your stomach.
Pause for a few seconds.
Exhale slowly with lips closed making the sound of a humming bee.
Continue for a few cycles.
Popular as the Bhramari Pranayam, this breathing technique provides instant calmness, soothes the mind, and relaxes tension from the body.
Coherent Breathing
Lie down and close your eyes.
Breathe in through your nose, for about 5 seconds.
Pause and exhale for the same 5 seconds.
Continue the process with an increase in inhaling/exhaling time.
Coherent or Resonant Breathing helps in fighting depression and stress, and improves cardiovascular function.
“See life as an adventurous game and play the game without worrying about the outcome.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
What Other Methods can Help?
Meditation and Deep breathing techniques are a great help to relieve stress and anxiety which that triggers panic attacks. However, during a panic attack, the brain freezes and it is not feasible to employ these methods. Some other measures you can take to stop a panic attack are,
Going for a walk and listening to the surrounding sounds. It diverts your attention from the worrisome cause to the peaceful present.
Listening to calming music or an inspirational podcast. Stories can also too take away the mind off issues stuck in your head that may spur a panic attack.
It’s essential to remember that the moment of a panic attack is just a phase and it will end. Hope and consistent efforts to stop a panic attack will eventually relieve you from it.
“Meditation and Sudarshan Kriya, building strong relationships and having faith that a higher power is taking care of you, will help people come out of addiction.”
~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Learn the art of meditation and Sudarshan Kriya to find immense joy in your life.
