Calming the Rush of Panic: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Guide to Freeing Yourself from Panic Attacks and Living a Vital Life

by Bob Stahl PhD, Wendy Millstine NC

Overview

Do you constantly feel anxious? Do you have panic attacks that make you feel as though you are about to lose control? You are not alone. In fact, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions faced by our society. Perhaps you’ve tried therapy or medication and have not found any real, lasting relief for your symptoms. So where do you go from here?

Calming the Rush of Panic will introduce you to the practices of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)—a proven-effective meditational method developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn—as a way to work through episodes of panic. After an informative introduction to MBSR, you will be guided through a number of exploratory practices and meditations to transform your panic into peace." Each chapter in the book contains informational background on the topic, guided meditations, and up to 10 practices that let you put the information and skills you will learn into action.

The book promotes mindfulness-based practices and exercises to help you deal with the physical, emotional, and mental effects of panic, and inside you will learn foundational MBSR meditation practices, including mindful breathing, sitting meditation, and loving-kindness meditation. If your fear response is out of sync with the situations you find yourself in, this book will show you that your thoughts are just thoughts—they are just one part of you.

This quick, accessible book is the first to use an MBSR approach to specifically target panic attacks and panic disorder, and its goal is to show you what exists beyond your panic—a life filled with a greater sense of calm, connection, and happiness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608825288
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	03/01/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	931 KB

About the Author

Bob Stahl, PhD, is the founder and director of the mindfulness-based stress reduction programs at Dominican Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, and El Camino Hospital. Bob serves as a senior teacher for Oasis, an institute for mindfulness-based professional education and innovation. Bob is the guiding teacher at Insight Santa Cruz and visiting teacher at Spirit Rock and Insight Meditation Society. He is coauthor of Living with Your Heart Wide Open and the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. Stahl lives in Santa Cruz, CA.

Wendy Millstine, is a freelance writer and certified holistic nutrition consultant who specializes in diet and stress reduction. With Jeffrey Brantley, she is coauthor of the Five Good Minutes® series, and Daily Meditations for Calming Your Anxious Mind. She is also coauthor of True Belonging. She lives in Santa Rosa, CA.

Bob Stahl, PhD, founded and directs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programs in three medical centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. A longtime mindfulness practitioner, he has completed MBSR teacher certification at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, and lived in a Buddhist monastery for more than eight years. Bob also serves as adjunct senior teacher at the UMass Memorial Health Care Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.

Wendy Millstine, NC, is a freelance writer and certified holistic nutrition consultant who specializes in diet and stress reduction. With Jeffrey Brantley, she is coauthor of the Five Good Minutes® series, Daily Meditations for Calming Your Anxious Mind, and True Belonging. Millstine is also coauthor of Calming the Rush of Panic. She lives in Santa Rosa, CA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Fear 2

Panic 3

Anxiety 4

The Basis of Our Approach 4

Overview of the Book 5

About Us, the Authors 8

Foundation 13

The Many Causes of Panic 14

How Mindfulness Helps 14

MBSR 15

Mindfulness Attitudes 17

Establishing a Formal Practice of Mindfulness: Meditation 19

Establishing an Informal Practice of Mindfulness: Mindfulness in Daily Activities 25

1 Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Body 29

Mindful Breathing 30

Foundational Practice: Mindful Breathing 31

The Body Scan 35

Foundational Practice: The Body Scan 36

S.T.O.P. 43

Applied Practices 46

Kick Off a Good Day 47

Start Your Morning with Mindfulness 49

Wash Away Your Panic 52

Drive with More Ease 54

Give a Worry-Free Presentation 57

Get Grounded 59

Find Balance 61

Get a Good Night's Rest 63

Here We Are 65

2 Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Emotions and Feelings 67

Mindful Inquiry 68

Foundational Practice: Mindful Inquiry 74

R.A.I.N. 76

Applied Practices 79

Start Your Morning Off Right 80

Restore Peace in Your Heart 83

A Good Day's Work 86

Transform Your Anger 88

Free Yourself from Feeling Out of Control 91

Work Through Painful Emotions 94

Let Emotions Be 97

Get the Rest You Need 100

Here We Are 102

3 Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Thoughts 103

Sitting Meditation 104

Foundational Practice: Sitting Meditation 111

Pause, Observe/Experience, and Allow 116

Applied Practices 120

Relax about Social Situations 121

Overcome Your Fear of Crowds or Tight Spaces 124

Cope with Your Fear of Illness 127

Dissipate Ail-Consuming Thoughts 130

Calm Your Fear of Being Alone 133

Find Freedom from Thoughts of Death 135

Quiet Your Fears of the Unknown 138

Feel Comfortable around Others 141

Here We Are 143

4 Life Beyond Panic 145

Loving-Kindness Meditation 147

Foundational Practice: Loving-Kindness Meditation 148

The Web of Life 153

Foundational Practice: The "Web of Life" Meditation 155

Applied Practices 158

Contentment 159

Self-Love and Appreciation 161

The Gift of Panic 164

Balance and Joy 167

Compassion 170

Sacredness 173

Happiness and Love 176

Interconnectedness 179

Supporting Your Practice 181

Closing Words 183

Resources 187

References 193

Interviews

Bob Stahl lives in Santa Cruz, California, and Wendy Millstine lives in Santa Rosa, California.

Editorial Reviews

We have the capacity, within our own heart and awareness, to handle panic attacks. Calming the Rush of Panic is a clear and compassionate guide in navigating this acute form of fear. Through wise teachings, case studies and a range of reflections and meditations, this book will strengthen your inner resources and nourish your spirit.”
—Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

“An extremely useful and practical book that goes to the very heart of the matter. If you wholeheartedly embody in practice what it recommends, it can help transform a tendency to panic into an opening to greater balance of mind, self-acceptance, and self-compassion, right in that moment. Ultimately, it manifests as wisdom. That is the power of mindfulness. And it is already yours.”
—Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Full Catastrophe Living and Mindfulness for Beginners

“Panic attacks are one-two punches: they feel dreadful, plus people shrink their lives to avoid having another one. With kindness, insight, and research-proven methods, this book shows you how to prevent panic attacks or ride them out with less suffering, plus how to reclaim your own full life. Grounded in the power of mindfulness, full of effective tools and practices, and rich with the authors' warmth and genuine wisdom, this is a remarkable guide to a life beyond panic.”
—Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain and Just One Thing

“In addition to the clearly presented instructions for counteracting and overcoming panic, what makes this book special is the uniformly kind tone of voice of these authors throughout. They embody the wisdom of health professionals in emergency situations: they reassure, and they convey confidence and hope. You believe that they are teaching out of personal experience!”
—Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job

“Delightfully clear and practical, Calming the Rush of Panic offers profound insights from ancient wisdom traditions and modern psychology to help free oneself from panic attacks and live a healthier, more joyful life. The mindfulness practices offered are wise, scientific, nourishing, and transformative. Grounded in modern science, yet written from the heart, this book is a gem.”
—Shauna L. Shapiro, associate professor at Santa Clara University, clinical psychologist, and coauthor of The Art and Science of Mindfulness

“Grounded in the experiential and direct, this pragmatic approach will help you become intimate with the taste, touch, and ‘mind’ of fear. Of course, no one wants to look closely at such painful experiences. Yet, deftly guided by the authors into developing a clear-minded relationship with the unwanted, you’ll learn to catalyze within yourself the openness, kindness, clarity, and love that have the power to liberate and release you from the knot of panic.”
—Saki Santorelli, EdD, MA, associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts Medical School and author of Heal Thy Self

From the Publisher