I am feeling a bit panicky right now. This is partly to do with my work situation, but it is also just... there.

Anyone have any good prayers/ chants to calm me down?

I know you're seeking a spiritual solution, but sometimes just petting a dog or cat can be very soothing (and it doesn't require as much skill as meditation). The relaxing effects of pets have been medically verified (lower blood pressure and pulse rate); they probably put your brain waves in a slightly more relaxed mode as well.

Yeah.. I am at home now, having had dinner and a soothing bread-and-butter pudding, and with the cats on my lap and a third on my shoulders, and feeling much better already. Though there is still the underlying feeling of doom to come. Hmmmm....

Silja, I really liked your question and have been checking off and on all day, waiting for someone to offer you (and me!) a great prayer.

Although I'm not religious, I decided to go ahead and look for one for us.

This website has nice prayers if you are a Christian. I'm not sure what your religion is, and I'm not a Christian, so I kept looking.

This site also is Christian, giving soothing quotations from the Bible. I like the Bible and take comfort in its poetry. My favorite Bibical quote offered from this site is the first one:

"I'm leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So, don't be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)"

I wish I could find more for you. If you can't find a prayer, you might try to just close your eyes for a few minutes when anxiety is strongest and listen to yourself breathe.

I am feeling a bit guilty for not responding yesterday.

When I am feeling panicky I don't use a specific prayer. My feeling on prayer is a bit different, and is more like a conversation with God, than a specific set of words, so I didn't respond.

But, here is what I do when I am panicky, if it will help. I first picture the most serene place I can think of...for me it the lake we visit in Nova Scotia, at 6 am, with the fog still hovering over the water. I imagine myself there. I try to bring the scents, the sounds, the feel of that place. Then I breathe very deeply, and concentrate hard on the calming breathing and my favorite place.

I also get out my little jar of lavender essential oil....and breathe that in for a little bit.

It usually works. At least for me

Silja: I was just realizing today that the expression "When it rains, it pours" does not apply to how all life's difficult challenges have been attacking me for most of my adult life. Instead, the expression "It's one thing after another" applies to me. I even told my sister that the reason why I have been so cranky lately is that I feel as though I have spent most of my adult life in a boxing ring--continually getting knocked down and having to get up again, only to begin fighting again. Just about everything goes wrong, taking turns, not allowing me time to keep a light and happy heart too long.

Well, I also had two breakthroughs today. First, I decided to go back into the ring to fight some more, because the final battles in some areas of my life are going to finally end in victory for me. Hallelujah! I feel it in my bones. Second, after relaxing on the sofa (with only one cat next to me, sleeping), I reviewed who and what have not gone well for me for decades, but this time I realized that in their places some other people and things have been going right for me. In other words, God has closed many doors for me, but He has opened other doors for me and me alone.

We often forget to refuel on courage (taking heart) and patience (hanging in there for the long haul). Since challenges will come, and we do not know what these challenges will be, it is wise to decide now that the first thing which we are going to do is to enjoy the moment for this is the day which the Lord hath made for us to rejoice in it. The second thing which we are going to do is cross whichever difficult bridge comes into our paths, knowing that we have made a plan to apply our most noble (God-given, if you so believe) characteristics to the challenge and fully expect that we will overcome--or we will come over to another world, one much better than this one--either route if only for having had the wisdom, character, and strength to choose the high road whose name is Victory instead of the low road whose name is Defeat. Amen.

When the Spirit moves, what better is there to do than to share the revelation that resiliency is a blessed virtue?

Silja,

I just checked your profile, and given your beliefs, I think we can eliminate your religion as the source of your fear (since you don't follow a fear-based religion). In fact, I would think that with your knowledge of alternative healing, you probably already have some skill in meditation/relaxation/visualization. So I'm somewhat surprised that you're having a problem with anxiety.

Perhaps the problem is you're suppressing the source of your anxiety, and if you knew the source, you could deal with it more effectively. Try this. Choose a place and time when you can relax and not be distracted, then do a sentence completion exercise.

Write the following sentence stem, then write several different endings as fast as you can without thinking about it.

If I could be more open to my feelings, I'd see my fear of ___________________________________.

The key is to write as fast as you possibly can, so your conscious mind doesn't block your subconscious feelings. Write anything that comes to you, no matter how wierd or wrong it seems. Somewhere in those answers, you may find the answer to your problem.

Good luck!