Aloha,
My name is Kate Belafiore.
Welcome back to Introduction to Mindfulness.
This week we're working with emotions.
Feeling strong emotions like fear,
Anxiety,
Anger,
Resentment,
Shame,
And guilt can be overwhelming.
Today's meditation will help us make room for these emotions.
Start by taking a seat that is comfortable and where you feel alert.
Take two deep breaths and allow your mind and body to settle,
Setting an intention for a relaxed presence.
Bring your attention to the anchor,
The breath wherever you feel it most easily,
Sounds around you,
Or maybe the sensations in your hands.
Let your breathing be natural and focus on the breath.
In,
Out,
Calm,
Ease.
Now,
Take a moment to remember a situation of difficulty.
Not a trauma,
Just a regular situation where you felt a strong emotion.
How does it feel when you're in it?
Think about the situation,
Who said what,
How you reacted,
And feel the emotion.
Just choose one,
Maybe fear or hurt,
Anger or frustration.
Let go of the story and just sense the feeling in your body,
Breathing to make space for it.
Naming it with an internal whisper,
Fear,
Fear,
Or grief,
Grief,
Hurt,
Anxiety,
And allow it to expand in a field of mindfulness.
Now,
Hold that feeling with compassion,
Compassion for all the suffering connected with it,
Letting go of judgment,
See how it responds to compassion.
As you allow this strong feeling,
Imagine how many others around the world are experiencing this same feeling and let your compassion grow to include them as well.
And now,
Notice if there are other emotions emerging and gently allow them to come to the front,
Allowing kindness and mindfulness to do their work.
If at any point it feels too intense,
Ground by going back to the anchor,
The breath,
Sounds or sensations.
You might try self-soothing with a hand on the heart or telling yourself gently,
It's okay,
I'm here,
If that feels right.
You might even need to open your eyes briefly and come back to the room,
Feeling wherever your body touches the ground.
Once you feel grounded,
Go back to the strong emotion and once you feel at ease with it,
Return to the anchor.
Add this awareness of body and emotions to your regular practice of mindfulness.
We talked about strong emotions today,
But it also works with emotions like calm,
Boredom,
Contentment,
And sleepiness.
Paying attention to the anchor,
And as a body sensation or emotion emerges,
Letting go of the anchor and giving your attention to the sensations and emotions.
Naming each softly as it moves or changes.
Then when you feel at ease,
Return to the anchor.
Learn to be present with the places that you're afraid of.
Find it in your body.
Name the body sensation or emotion.
Notice as it arises,
Stays,
Disappears,
Like waves in the ocean.
Sometimes they're like baby beach and sometimes they're like jaws.
Can you be with this strong emotion?
Can you hold it?
Can you be with this strong emotion?
Can you hold this feeling with joy or compassion?
Where in your body do you feel is the center of the feeling?
Let the emotion open up without judging.
Grief is like this.
Anger is like this.
Repression keeps us from being free.
Allow yourself to be present and balanced with these feelings and emotions just as they are wherever you are.
Namaste.
