How to be in the session.

Your breath is the most reliable anchor you have during a session. When things feel intense or disorienting, returning to the breath can restore a sense of safety.

• Try box breathing before the session begins: inhale 4 counts, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
• During the session, breathe slowly and naturally. Don't force it — just notice it.
• If anxiety rises, lengthen your exhale. A longer exhale than inhale (e.g. in for 4, out for 6) signals safety to the nervous system.
• Mouth breathing can increase dissociation. Nasal breathing tends to feel more grounding.

Grounding techniques help you stay connected to your body and the present moment — especially useful if the experience becomes overwhelming.

• Feel the weight of your body in the chair or bed. Notice the pressure of the surface beneath you.
• Keep your eyes closed or use an eye mask. Reducing visual input often makes the experience feel more contained and safe.
• If you feel lost or frightened, remind yourself: 'This is temporary. I am safe. The medicine will pass.'
• A weighted blanket or soft object to hold can provide physical grounding throughout the session.

Spravato® can surface difficult emotions, memories, or insights. How you relate to what arises matters as much as what arises.

• Adopt an attitude of curious observation rather than judgment. You are watching, not being consumed.
• If something difficult comes up, try to stay with it rather than pushing it away. Resistance often intensifies the experience.
• You don't need to understand everything in the moment. Let images, feelings, and impressions arise and pass without forcing meaning.
• Trust the process. Many patients find that the most uncomfortable moments yield the most meaningful insights in integration.

During a Spravato® session, sensation is information. Turning attention toward the body — rather than toward thought or language — keeps you in the experience rather than narrating it.

• Notice where you feel the music in your body. Let sensation be your guide rather than thought.
• If emotion arises, locate it physically — tightness in the chest, warmth in the face, heaviness in the limbs. Stay with the sensation rather than the story.
• Avoid reading, scrolling, or any text-based activity during the session. Language engages the analytical mind and works against the medicine.
• Skip guided meditations with spoken words. Verbal instruction pulls you into the language center — the opposite of where Spravato® wants to take you. Let the music guide instead.