Free Calming the Rush of Panic by Bob Stahl

or not, panic affects your body and mind.
    In this chapter we would like to introduce you to mindful inquiry meditation, for your formal practice of mindfulness, and R.A.I.N., for your informal practice of mindfulness. Both of these can help you deal with emotions and feelings of panic. Let’s begin with mindful inquiry meditation.
    Mindful Inquiry
    Mindful inquiry meditation is a very useful way to work with panic-stricken emotions and feelings. It is a meditative process of inquiring into the nature of what may be fueling or driving your panic. This type of inquiry is a form of investigation; it is not a process of analyzing, trying to figure things out, or making you feel better through positive thinking. It’s a deep exploration of your body and mind, with a willingness to be in the unknown and the curiosity to see what’s actually there.
    This type of practice takes some willingness and courage, but if you really want to know what’s fueling your panic, an investigation may sound quite reasonable. After all, what do you have to lose? It seems the only thing you have to lose is your panic. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.”
    As a way to prepare you for this meditation, we would like to introduce you to two important aspects of mindful inquiry for working with panic. The first aspect is acknowledgment, and the second is letting be. You will discover that each supports the other in this process of investigation.
    Acknowledgment and Letting Be
    Acknowledgment is similar to one of the mindfulness attitudes: allowing. It is the practice of validating whatever’s in your direct experience in a matter-of-fact way, just as a meteorologist reports the weather: it’s 35 degrees, raining, and overcast; or it’s 75, calm, and clear. In the same way, if you are feeling panicked, scared, or fearful, you directly acknowledge those feelings in your body and mind whether you’re okay with them or not. Acknowledgment is this ability to see things just as they are without the filters of avoidance or grasping (disliking or liking).
    Letting be was also discussed in the Foundation chapter as well as several places in chapter 1. It is another important aspect or quality that you can bring to acknowledgment. Letting be is different from letting go. Letting be is cultivating the ability to let things run their course rather than trying to push them away or adding on to them. How many times have you told yourself to let go of panic and it didn’t work? If you could let go, you would have. Letting be is much more accessible, since you don’t have to change anything. Letting be is learning to ride the waves of panic that are affecting you physically, mentally, or emotionally and allowing them to run their course, just like ripples from a rock thrown into a lake.
    In the practice of mindful inquiry, please acknowledge whatever feelings of panic you may be experiencing in the body and mind and let them be. Learning how to go with the flow of life is a much more skillful approach to dealing with panic than fighting it. There’s a wise saying: “Whatever you resist, persists.” Although at first it may feel counterintuitive to turn toward your panic and acknowledge it and let it be, you may discover soon enough that as you learn to go with it rather than fighting it, it will begin to dissipate.
    It’s also important to note that when you begin to acknowledge feelings of panic, they may actually feel as though they are getting stronger. Please know this is a normal reaction. The reason it may feel like that is that you’re actually bringing your light of awareness to the panic, rather than turning away from it. You will, however, discover that if you continue to ride its waves, acknowledging the feelings and letting them be, they will gradually subside. In time, you will grow in confidence, you will feel empowered, and the panic will not be able to consume or control you as much as before.