Hi there,
This is Anu,
And today I'll be sharing with you a guided meditation on meeting anger without becoming it.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable seated posture.
You can allow your eyes to gently close,
Or you can soften your gaze and place it at something stationary in front of you.
And for the first few moments,
Just take a moment to sense and feel your body being held by the chair,
The ground,
Or the earth below you.
Now bring your attention to your breath,
Not forcing the breath,
But just noticing the survival of each inhale and the release of each exhale.
With each exhale,
Allow the body to just settle just a little more.
Allow the shoulders to soften,
Let the jaw unclench,
And let your nervous system know that you're safe in your body,
In your temple.
Today we'll be practicing how to meet anger when it arises,
And the goal isn't to suppress anger or to indulge it,
But rather to relate to it wisely.
If anger is present right now,
See if you can allow it to be here,
And if it's not present,
Just gently recall a moment,
Nothing overwhelming,
Of just irritation,
Frustration,
Or when a little bit of heat arose in the body,
And as you recall this incident,
Stay anchored in your body,
And bring your attention to notice where in your body do you feel anger?
What are the sensations beneath this anger?
Perhaps it's in your chest,
Your belly,
Your jaw,
Your hands,
Or someplace else.
Just bring your attention there,
Not needing to fix or change anything,
But just notice,
Savoring each breath as you bring your attention to your body.
Just inviting a little bit of softening amidst the tension,
The contraction,
With kindness,
With care.
One of the ways that the Buddha invites us to meet anger is actually with loving kindness,
What's known as Netta.
It is a protection,
And what it does is it helps us plant new seeds,
So while the fire of anger may be present in us,
We simultaneously plant new seeds of love and kindness,
And we do that by really directing our attention towards sincere and loving phrases,
To see if you can offer yourself a few phrases,
Like may I be happy,
May my heart remain free,
May I be filled with love,
May my anger not harden me,
May I remain connected to my humanity.
Whichever phrase or phrases resonate with you,
Just sincerely sharing these affirmations,
These phrases with yourself,
Letting each phrase be an intention that you plant in the field of your consciousness.
May I remain connected to my humanity.
In a world shaped by reactivity and dehumanization,
The simple act of loving kindness allows us to practice sovereignty over what goes in to our consciousness,
And as we deepen into the practice,
Gently invite compassion.
Many wisdom traditions teach us that most harm does not arise from wholeness,
But from suffering and confusion,
What's known as hurt people hurt people,
So if this anger is connected to a person or a situation,
See if you can silently acknowledge that this suffering,
This harm that you're experiencing is too shaped by suffering and harm itself.
This anger that you feel is a result of the suffering that this other person or group of people feel.
This is not to condone any harmful behavior,
But rather it is to soften the sharp edge of blame and shame,
And to acknowledge within ourselves the nature of interdependence,
This network of mutuality that each one of us is a part of.
Now just returning to your breath,
Allow compassion,
Compassion for your own suffering and the suffering of others,
To loosen the grip of anger,
Of tension that may be present in the body,
And now see if you can bring to mind and your heart the quality of equanimity,
The steady remembrance that each being is the owner of their own thoughts,
Words,
And deeds,
And their consequences.
Silently reflect to yourself,
I am responsible for my actions and others are responsible for their actions.
I am not required to carry what doesn't belong to me.
My happiness and my unhappiness depends on my own thoughts,
Words,
And actions.
And now feel into what it's like to set down,
To release what's not yours to hold,
That with the thought that equanimity allows us to care deeply,
Without collapsing,
Building firm boundaries,
Without hatred.
Now just resting in your body,
If there's still some tension or contraction,
Notice the sensations there,
And see if you can invite some feelings of compassion,
Loving kindness,
And equanimity,
These divine abodes,
These brahmaviharas,
To your own body,
To your own heart,
To your own spirit.
Holding yourself with gentle care,
Kindness,
And presence,
And just breathing,
Allowing the breath to wash away what doesn't serve you.
The Buddha said,
Anger is like picking up a burning coal with the intention of throwing it at another person,
But it's our own hand that burns first.
Just allowing these words to land on the field of your consciousness,
Not as a warning,
But as care,
As guidance,
That gives you freedom to choose,
Choose what is wholesome,
What is skillful,
And what is life-giving to you,
And releasing the rest.
Now slowly return your attention to your breath.
Feel the inhale and the exhale.
Just notice the state of your body compared to when we began.
No need to analyze or evaluate,
But just notice your attention.
And after your next exhale,
You can bring your chin to your chest,
Stretching the back of your neck,
And slowly open your eyes if they were closed.
Just carry this practice with you,
This presence in your body,
In your heart,
In your spirit with you,
Into your day ahead.
Thank you for practicing with me.
May we learn to hold the fire of anger wisely,
So it warms rather than wounds.
Take good care.
