Weak Legs From Anxiety — A 10-Minute Meditation for Anxiety Symptoms

You stand up and suddenly your legs don't quite feel like your legs. A little soft around the knees, a little hollow. Perhaps almost a zoe the strength had drained out of them. And then comes that thought, "What if they give away, what if I fall, what if something is serious?"

And before you know it, you're looking for something to hold onto, a chair, a wall, a table, not necessarily because you need it, but because you're not quite sure you can trust your own legs right now. If you've ever thought, "My legs feel like jelly," or "My legs feel weak when I'm anxious," then this meditation is for you. This is calming anxiety, I'm your host Martin, and for the next 10 minutes, there's nothing you need to fix, just somewhere quiet to be. When anxiety rises, your body gets ready for action.

Your muscles may tense, your attention becomes sharper, your heart might beat faster, and sometimes that physical readiness can leave your legs feeling strange. It's a healthy, soft, unsteady, and then your mind does what anxious minds do. It notices and immediately tries to explain it, something's wrong. They're going to give away, I'm going to fall, and that creates more fear, which creates more attention on your legs.

That's what will interrupt, not by pretending you can't feel your legs, but by allowing yourself to feel them. Just one important thing before we settle. We're working on the kind of sensation that comes and goes with anxiety, but if there's a new sudden weakness, always seek out medical help. Now, we'll use 4-7-8 breathing today, in through the nose for four, hold, and then out through the mouth for eight.

If you need to cut it short, do just always longer with the out breath. There's no prize for holding your breath. Ready, my friend? Breathe in.

Two, three, four, hold, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Now just roll the shoulders unwind a bit more, however that helps.

Now once more with me breathing in deeply, fill the lungs completely. Breathe in, two, three, four whole 2 3 4 5 6 7 exhale 2 3 4 5 6 8 Relax completely mind and body sinking into the surface below. Let's do another round Ready in through those once more. Breathe in, two, three, four, pause, two, three, four, six, seven, breathe out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Continue that rhythm of breathing as I talk. Now bring your attention down towards your legs, not to check them, just to notice them, your thighs, your knees, your carbs and ankles and then your feet. Perhaps they feel completely normal, perhaps maybe a little strange still, maybe there's some heaviness or softness or that peculiar feeling of not quite trusting them, whatever is there you don't need to change it and I'd like you to try something different. Instead of asking are my legs okay? Try saying this, I can feel this sensation without needing to solve it. Again I can feel this sensation without needing to solve it because you don't have to turn every physical sensation into a question and you don't have to keep checking your body for an answer. Sometimes my friend, a sensation can simply be a sensation. On the next ember as you breathe in, ever so gently just to say hello, just tense the muscles in your carbs or your thighs, then as you breathe out, release that slight tension and realize the power that control you have with your mind at your breath, relax any part at will wherever you are, whenever you need. Now quietly, gently inside your own mind, repeat these wonderful words with me. This sensation is uncomfortable but I do not have to be frightened by every sensation. I do not need to keep checking my legs.

My jelly legs are a feeling, not a forecast. I can feel uncertainty without turning it into danger. My body is allowed to feel strange sometimes.

I do not have to prove that my legs are okay. Just let that one sit there for a minute. You don't have to prove anything. The less you test, the less you check, the more opportunity your attention has to move somewhere else. Take another comfortable breath in and slow you let it go. Notice the weight of your body, the support beneath you, the room around you, the sounds that you can hear and your legs exactly as they are. You don't need them to feel perfect before you continue your day. You don't need to wait for absolute certainty to guide you with reframing these strange sensations. Here are your three daily caring tips.

One, if your legs feel weak or unsteady, give yourself permission to sit down. That's not a failure. That's simply looking after yourself. Two, name the sensation once. My legs feel weak and then try not to keep checking whether it has changed. Three, when you're ready, move normally and gently. Not to test your legs, not to prove anything. Just because movement is part of ordinary life. Now let's come back. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Let your shoulders move. Breathe in, hold at the top and as you exhale stretch out the muscles in your arms and legs and when you're ready, open your right. Your legs may feel completely normal now or maybe still a little strange and that's okay. The goal was never to force a sensation to disappear. It was to show you that you can experience a sensation without immediately turning it into a threat. If you find yourself somewhere without a signal when this happens, anchored my app is there too. The sessions can be downloaded and played offline so there's no waiting for a connection when you simply need somewhere quiet to go. And if I may, for only 5.99 a month, the price of a rather expensive coffee, you get all of this advert free for 30 days. That's a bargain. Right, take care of yourself, my friend.

Remember, you really don't have to prove that you're okay. You can simply give yourself a little time and let the moment pass. I'll be here again tomorrow so in everything, as always, be kind.