Calm English [STILL] - 03: Where Are You Right Now?

ENWelcome to Your English Toolbox.

ENThis is Calm English...

ENSTILL.

ENI am Peter.

ENLast time, we learned twelve words for breathing... and a technique to calm the body.

ENToday's episode is different.

ENToday is about the moment when everything disappears.

ENYou know that moment.

ENThe heart gets fast.

ENThe thoughts get loud.

ENAnd your English... is the first thing to go.

ENMartin and Julia talked about anxiety.

ENAbout what it does to your mind.

ENToday I want to show you what to do with your body.

ENRight in that moment.

ENWhen the wave comes.

ENOne request, as always.

ENPlease do not listen while driving.

ENAnd one difference from our other episodes.

ENDo not lie down today.

ENSit somewhere normal.

ENA chair.

ENA sofa.

ENA kitchen table.

ENWith ordinary things around you.

ENBecause today... those ordinary things are the lesson.

ENHere is something true about anxiety.

ENAnxiety lives in the future.

ENWhat if I make a mistake.

ENWhat if they laugh.

ENWhat if I fail.

ENAlways the future.

ENNever now.

ENBut your senses... your eyes, your ears, your hands...

ENthey only exist NOW.

ENThey cannot see the future.

ENThey can only see this room.

ENSo when you give your full attention to your senses...

ENanxiety has nowhere to live.

ENThe technique is called five... four... three... two... one.

ENFive things you can see.

ENFour you can touch.

ENThree you can hear.

ENTwo you can smell.

ENOne you can taste.

ENThat is all.

ENBut to do it well in English... you need the right words.

ENFourteen of them.

ENAnd we are going to learn them the STILL way.

ENNot with a list.

ENWith your own hands, ears and eyes.

ENStart with your hands.

ENTouch the surface of your own clothes.

ENFeel it with your fingertips.

ENWhat you are feeling right now... is TEXTURE.

ENTexture — the way something feels when you touch it.

ENEvery object in your room has one.

ENNow find something SOFT.

ENA cushion.

ENA sleeve.

ENYour own hair.

ENSoft... gentle to the touch.

ENNow something ROUGH.

ENA wall.

ENA carpet.

ENThe edge of a book.

ENRough — the opposite of soft.

ENIt resists your fingers.

ENAnd now something SMOOTH.

ENA phone screen.

ENA table.

ENYour own skin.

ENSmooth... your fingers slide, and nothing stops them.

ENTexture.

ENSoft.

ENRough.

ENSmooth.

ENYour hands already knew these words.

ENNow your English knows them too.

ENNow, the space around you.

ENFeel the air on your skin.

ENIs it warm?

ENIs it cool?

ENThat is TEMPERATURE.

ENThe temperature of the air... of your hands... of the room.

ENNow feel what is underneath you.

ENThe chair.

ENThe sofa.

ENThe floor.

ENThat is a SURFACE.

ENThe surface — the top of the thing you are sitting or standing on.

ENFeel your back against the chair.

ENThat gentle push... is PRESSURE.

ENPressure — one thing pushing against another.

ENAnd feel how your body presses down.

ENThat is your WEIGHT.

ENThe weight of your own body... resting.

ENYou are not floating in your thoughts.

ENYou are here.

ENYou have weight.

ENYou are real.

ENNow, your ears.

ENListen for a sound that is CLOSE.

ENYour own breathing.

ENThe chair.

ENThis voice.

ENClose — near to you.

ENNow listen further away.

ENA sound that is DISTANT.

ENTraffic.

ENA neighbour.

ENThe wind.

ENDistant — far from you.

ENAnd now, with your eyes, find one thing that is completely STILL.

ENA lamp.

ENA book.

ENA door.

ENStill — not moving at all.

ENLike the name of this series.

ENThe world is full of still things.

ENCalm... quiet... waiting.

ENNow the three most useful small words of today.

ENPress your thumb against your finger.

ENBut very, very lightly... almost nothing.

ENThat is BARELY.

ENBarely — almost nothing.

ENJust a trace.

ENNow press a little more.

ENThat is SLIGHTLY.

ENSlightly — a little.

ENNot completely.

ENNow press with everything.

ENThat is FULLY.

ENFully — completely.

ENOne hundred percent.

ENBarely... slightly... fully.

ENThree small words... that can describe anything you feel.

ENAnd now... we do the whole technique together.

ENSlowly.

ENCalmly.

ENNot because you are anxious right now.

ENBut because practising in calm moments... is what makes it work in difficult ones.

ENOne slow breath first.

ENIn through the nose...

ENand out.

ENFIVE things you can see.

ENLook around... slowly.

ENFind the first thing.

ENLook at it fully.

ENIts colour.

ENIts texture.

ENThe light on it.

ENThe second thing.

ENSomething you never usually notice.

ENThe third.

ENIs it still... or is it moving?

ENThe fourth.

ENAnd the fifth.

ENFive things.

ENYou saw them fully.

ENFOUR things you can touch.

ENThe first — the surface underneath you.

ENThe second — the texture of your clothes.

ENThe third — something smooth... or something rough.

ENAnd the fourth — your own hands.

ENWarm or cool?

ENNotice their temperature.

ENTHREE things you can hear.

ENOne close.

ENOne distant.

ENAnd one more... maybe so quiet you can barely hear it.

ENTWO things you can smell.

ENThe air of the room.

ENYour clothes.

ENA cup of coffee.

ENAnything.

ENIf you find nothing, that is fine.

ENJust notice the air moving through your nose.

ENAnd ONE thing you can taste.

ENRight now, in your mouth.

ENMaybe it is barely there.

ENThat counts.

ENOne slow breath to finish.

ENIn...

ENand fully out.

ENWhere are you right now?

ENNot in the future.

ENNot in the what-if.

ENHere.

ENThe next time anxiety comes — and it will come —

ENyou do not need this episode.

ENYou have the technique.

ENYou have the words.

ENFive things you can see.

ENFour you can touch.

ENThree you can hear.

ENTwo you can smell.

ENOne you can taste.

ENThat is all.

ENYou already know how.

ENCome back to this episode whenever you need it.

ENIt will work every time.

ENThis was Calm English...

ENSTILL.

ENI am Peter.

ENAnd wherever the wave finds you...

ENyour senses will bring you home.

ENThank you for being here with me today.

ENGoodbye, friends.