Welcome,
I'm Sarah.
This meditation is a simple practice inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.
To help you befriend your emotions.
Particularly the more difficult ones.
Over time,
This practice can help you better understand and work with the emotions that arise.
Today,
You might choose to work with an emotion you're experiencing now.
Or one that arose recently.
Start with something manageable.
Rather than something overwhelming.
Like strengthening a muscle.
This practice takes time to build the capacity to stay present with difficult emotions.
Take a moment to arrive in a comfortable seated position.
Somewhere you won't be disturbed.
Let the body settle into itself.
Feel your sit bones sinking into the surface beneath you.
Lengthen the spine.
Allow the shoulders to soften away from the ears.
Relax the muscles of the face.
Especially the jaw and the muscles behind the eyes.
Let the eyelids become heavy.
Or allow them to close.
Let the body arrive.
Arriving in this moment.
Bring your attention to your natural breath.
Belly soft.
Notice how the breath moves within and around you.
Feel the air as it enters and leaves your nostrils.
Notice the gentle expansion and softening of the torso with each inhale and exhale.
Let the breath remain natural.
Effortless.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Solid and supportive.
Holding you steady like a mountain.
As you root yourself in this moment.
Bring your awareness to a particular emotion or recent situation that stirred a difficult reaction.
Notice where this emotion lives in the body.
What sensations do you feel?
Take a moment to recognize what is here.
Hello,
Fear.
A little anger Hello Jealousy I see you.
Rather than pushing this emotion away because it feels uncomfortable.
Allow your awareness to rest gently upon it.
Simply let it be here.
Your fear.
I know that you are there.
I accept that you are part of me.
What does it feel like to accept this emotion?
Where do you notice it in your body?
Has anything shifted?
Even just a little.
Now that you've given this feeling some space,
Let's gently open our hearts to it.
Embracing it as a mother would cradle her upset child.
I'm here for you,
Anger.
I'm not running away.
I'm right here with open arms.
With love.
I am here for you.
Sometimes the simple act of holding our emotions with mindful awareness allows a sense of ease to arise.
Stay present.
Stay grounded.
Stay open.
Now that there's a little more calm.
Recognition and acceptance.
Begin to look deeply into where this emotion came from.
Sometimes we believe we're upset about one thing.
When underneath it all we're actually reacting to something else.
Bring your attention back to where this emotion lives in the body and ask to your jealousy.
Where have you come from?
What conditions have allowed your seed to sprout in this moment?
Take a moment to sit quietly and notice what arises.
Feel your breath.
Feel the steadiness of your body resting on the earth.
By looking deeply into your emotions.
You begin to see the causes and conditions that have brought it into being.
With greater insight.
You may begin to see what supports healing.
And what no longer serves you.
This is where healing can happen.
This is where we begin to change our habitual reactions.
Bring one hand to your heart.
And then the other.
Allow the breath to deepen.
We get to choose how we respond rather than react.
Sometimes difficult emotions are necessary,
Especially in situations where they are trying to keep us safe.
The goal of this practice isn't to get rid of our emotions.
But to become aware of them so we can begin to befriend them.
Take a moment to thank yourself for taking this time to care.
For your mind.
Your body.
In your emotional well-being.
May this practice be a tool you can return to whenever you need it.
May you have a wonderful rest of your day.
Until next time,
Friends.
Namaste.
