Befriending Difficult Emotions

This meditation, appropriate for children and adolescents alike, teaches mindfulness skills to help listeners learn to turn towards, and "befriend" difficult emotions such as sadness, anger, frustration, disappointment or anxiety with compassion and kindness.

Disclaimer: The following meditation is purely for educational purposes and is not intended as a psychological intervention or as a substitute for professional mental health or other services.

Transcript

This meditation may be helpful if you're feeling strong emotions such as anger,

Frustration,

Disappointment,

Anxiety,

Or sadness.

Know that you are taking the time right now to stop and be with these feelings,

Instead of acting these feelings out.

This meditation can help you to sit with those feelings and make space for them.

The way that you might sit and be with someone you care about,

Like a good friend or family member.

Begin by noticing how your body feels and bringing your attention and awareness into your body.

Is there a particular place in your body that you are feeling your feelings most strongly?

As you notice your breath coming in and out,

See if you can breathe some breath into those places where you're feeling your feelings most intensely.

Now imagine that you are watching your feelings through a special telescope that makes near objects appear farther away.

This telescope allows you to see your feelings at a distance so that you can watch them without getting swallowed up by them.

Take a look through your telescope and see if you can see your feelings.

Can you give them a name?

What words best describe what you are feeling right now?

Adjust your telescope and put your feelings as close or far as you would like.

Whatever allows you to get a look at them.

What do they look like?

Does your feeling have a color?

Does it have a shape or a face?

Does it look like a little creature or perhaps it has no form?

Practice being with your feelings,

Just watching them without needing to make them go away.

You might imagine your feelings like waves of the ocean.

Are they giant?

Are they loud and crashing?

Are they powerful?

Or are they smaller and more steady?

Or something else?

Just watch the waves of the ocean as if through your telescope and notice their intensity and size.

You might imagine your feelings like a storm passing through.

What kind of weather are you experiencing right now?

Is it a blizzard,

A hurricane,

A rainstorm,

A cloudy day or something else?

Know that you can watch these storms pass overhead and still feel safe inside.

Now imagine just sitting next to your feelings,

Maybe putting an arm around them.

What do you need?

What do your feelings want to say?

See if you could just listen.

See if you can send some care and kindness to whatever you are feeling.

Take a moment to think about what might be most helpful for you right now as we end this meditation.

Take several slow deep breaths and bring your attention back into the room when you are ready.

Reviews

I loved the imagery of seeing my feelings (and myself) from a distance. This led into some other personal insights into the source of the scary feelings. Thank you so much!

Beautiful. Thank you

This is really poignant and powerful. Thank you- so happy to find this meditation.

Wonderful, thank you very much!🙏

A very good, calming meditation for every difficult emotion that you are feeling

I have loved this meditation! 💜

Short and effective. Brought instant ease and comfort despite the challenge involved. Useful for adults too.

So easy yet so profound. That's what should be taught in schools!!!

Very helpful, thank you ☺

Good job on this meditation

I needed the visuals thank you for this it’s appreciated!😊☀️🙏

I used this with a small group and it was really effective. People shared that it helped them focus and interact with emotions.

I like the meditation 🧘‍♀️ i will give it ⭐️⭐️🌟⭐️⭐️ stars 🙏🏻 nasamate🙏🏻

Perfect-short and deep!

Very helpful action delivered by a sincere soothing voice.

Lovely, simple, but profound. Very helpful. Thank you

Clear and stable male and direct! Thank You