This is a meditation to create a little bit of distance between us and our emotions and recognise that we are not the emotions.
So get comfortable if you are sitting on a chair,
Have your back nice and straight but also soft so you can let your shoulders drop,
Let the muscles soften up in your back,
Feet flat on the floor and you can put your hands on your lap or wherever they are comfortable.
And I'd like you to take in your chin a little bit so that if you've got your eyes open you're looking down towards the floor.
And you can leave your eyes open if that is more comfortable,
Just soften up your gaze,
There's no need to stare at anything in particular,
Just soften your gaze down to the floor.
And if it is comfortable you can close your eyes.
So first of all we're going to home in on the breath.
Where do you feel the breath in your body?
It could be around your nostrils with the cool air going in and up your nose and down the back of your throat.
Or it could be in your chest rising and falling.
Or it could be in your belly expanding,
Relaxing,
Expanding again and relaxing again.
And I'd like you to choose one place,
One of these areas in your body and see how much of the breath you can follow,
How much of the whole cycle of breathing you can follow.
Breathing in,
Your body expanding and there's a little bit of a gap at the top before the in-breath turns into the out-breath again.
And again a little bit of a gap at the bottom and then it turns into another in-breath.
Can you follow the whole cycle of breathing?
And if you notice that your mind has got distracted that is brilliant.
You have become aware.
That is mindfulness.
You have become mindful.
So well done.
Just congratulate yourself and then come back to the breath.
You might need to do this over and over and it is absolutely normal.
It doesn't mean that you can't do it.
It means you're doing it right.
Every time come back to the breath.
All right.
And as you keep breathing do you notice any emotions surfacing?
What is bubbling up into your awareness?
What are you feeling?
Right here,
Right now,
What are you feeling?
And bear in mind that there might be nothing much.
There might be a sense of being relaxed,
Being comfortable,
Being content.
There might be a little bit of anxiety,
Maybe a little bit of stress.
There might just be a sense of curiosity.
Where is this going?
What's going to happen?
There might be a little bit of boredom.
There might be a little bit of impatience.
Or you might be feeling happy.
You might be feeling in love.
You might be feeling enthusiastic.
You might be feeling a little bit lost,
Floundering.
There might be more than one feeling.
There might be different layers of feelings.
Maybe on top of each other.
Or interacting,
One changing into the other.
And just flowing.
So what we're going to do now is put labels on these feelings.
Just try to point out the most prominent feeling right now.
What is the strongest feeling you're feeling now?
And what is it?
Do you have a name for it?
For example if it is stress.
Imagine you're putting a label on it with the word stress.
And just repeat it to yourself.
This is stress.
I am aware of stress.
I am feeling stress right now.
And then once you have acknowledged it and labeled it up,
Come back to your breath.
The breath is still there.
The breath is always there.
Come back home to the breath.
And then let's go back to another emotion.
What else are you feeling?
What else is there?
Just pick another one and give it a name.
Put a label on it.
So if it is for example happiness.
Call it happiness.
And just say to yourself,
Ah I'm aware of happiness.
I'm aware that there is happiness here and this is what it feels like.
Acknowledge it.
So see it has a label on it.
It's not you.
That label is not your name.
It's the emotion's name.
And that creates a little bit of distance.
These emotions are arising in you.
They're not you.
You are the one observing them.
And then come back to the breath again.
Come back home.
And you can keep alternating between labelling the next emotion and coming back to the breath.
Fill the.
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If you're having strong emotions and it gets a little bit overwhelming,
Just stay with the breath.
Stay with the breath until you feel that it's okay to go back to the emotions.
And then we're going to offer ourselves some kindness.
We're not used to it but just go with it.
We're going to say some sentences inside us to offer ourselves kindness.
Something that resonates with you but it could be things like,
May I be happy?
May I be at peace?
May I be healthy?
Whatever works for you,
Whatever is meaningful for you,
Just change the words.
May I be happy?
May I be at peace?
May I have papers?
May I love myself?
May I feel accepted?
May I feel loved?
May I be healthy?
May I be well?
And yes,
We do deserve it,
Just as much as anyone else.
And just for a few seconds come back to the breath.
Feel the physical sensations of the breath in your body.
How your whole body seems to expand a little.
And relax again.
And how enjoyable it can be when there's nothing else to do.
And we're just being.
Just being,
Sitting here with a breath.
Feeling safe,
Feeling stable,
Grounded.
Going home.
Just enjoy it for a few seconds.
And just for a few seconds.
And just remember as you go about your day that your breath is always there.
Home is always there.
And you can always come back to the breath,
Come and shelter in that home.
And when emotions feel like they're taking over and you feel like you are being blown about in a storm,
Label them.
Give them a name.
You are not the emotions.
They have different names.
They will come and they will go.
And when you're ready you can start wiggling your fingers and toes.
Maybe having a little stretch if you need to.
And when you're ready you can open your eyes.
P.
