Letting Go Of Uncomfortable Emotions

This guided meditation invites you to relax deeply, cultivate emotional awareness, and gently release stress. It begins with mindful breathing to calm the body and mind, followed by a compassionate exploration of emotions. A soothing visualization of a flowing stream helps wash away tension and negativity, creating space for ease and clarity.

As the session concludes, you’ll return to the present feeling lighter, clearer, and at peace.

Transcript

Welcome to today's meditation.

It's not always easy to take time out of the day to care for ourselves,

Especially when we're feeling stuck with uncomfortable emotions.

Emotions can come and go.

Sometimes they're subtle,

Like a quiet undercurrent.

Other times they feel stronger,

Like waves crashing against the shore.

They can sit heavily in the body,

Creating tension or a sense of unease.

So in the following session,

We're going to spend some time relaxing the body with some controlled breathing,

And then we're going to gently explore any emotions that are present,

Letting them go or letting them be,

As they arise and pass moment by moment.

We'll end with a visualization exercise,

Helping us to release any stress,

Tension or negativity that might still be lingering.

I invite you to find a comfortable position now.

You might choose to sit with your back supported,

Or you might want to lie down,

Allowing the surface beneath you to hold your body completely,

So you can fully let go.

If it feels comfortable,

You can gently close the eyes,

Or you can leave them open with a soft gaze.

And let's take a moment now to notice the sensations of the body resting here.

How does it feel to allow ourselves to pause,

To settle?

Okay,

Let's begin.

I invite you now to bring awareness to the breath,

Noticing the inhale,

Noticing the exhale.

Without trying to change anything about the breath,

We're simply noticing how the body is naturally breathing.

Now we might notice an urge to direct the breath,

Or to control the breath in some way,

And that's completely normal.

For now,

Seeing if we can simply allow the breath to flow exactly as it is,

Allowing it to move freely,

Moment by moment.

How is the body breathing right now?

Is it slow or rapid,

Deep or shallow?

Maybe we're breathing into the chest,

Or perhaps into the stomach.

Is the inhale longer than the exhale,

Or is the exhale longer than the inhale?

There's no need to change anything,

We're just noticing the breath as it is.

Now we're not so much watching the breath as we're experiencing it,

Feeling what it's like to breathe.

Maybe we can feel the cool air entering the nostrils as we breathe in,

Noticing the lungs,

The chest,

The stomach expanding.

And then as the breath changes direction,

We might notice the body softening,

Relaxing,

Gently releasing.

We're letting go of tension,

Letting go of any resistance.

And if the mind begins to wander,

Or if any restlessness arises in the body,

That's completely normal.

Whenever we realize that we're lost in thought or distraction,

We simply bring our awareness back to the breath,

Back to that next inhale,

Back to that next exhale.

As we breathe in,

We might imagine breathing in calm,

Ease or lightness.

And as we breathe out,

We imagine letting go of tension or heaviness.

With each breath in,

We're inviting in something supportive,

Something nourishing.

And with each breath out,

We're releasing anything we no longer need.

When we slow down the exhale just slightly,

We let the body know that it's safe to relax.

This works by activating the vagus nerve,

Which signals the parasympathetic nervous system,

Your body's natural relaxation system.

It lets the body know that it's okay to release tension and let go.

For the next minute or so,

I invite you to gently lengthen your out-breath,

Making sure that the exhalation is longer than the inhalation.

A simple way to do this is to count the breath.

For instance,

We might breathe in for a count of three and breathe out for a count of six.

Let's try it together for a couple of rounds and then I'll let you do some on your own,

At your own pace.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three.

Breathing out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three.

Breathing out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Breathing in,

Two,

Three.

Breathing out,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five,

Six.

Now it's up to you what you count to,

Whatever feels comfortable.

There's no need to be precise and if counting feels unnatural,

You can simply focus on making the exhale a little longer than the inhale,

Imagining that with each out-breath you're releasing a little more tension,

A little more stress,

A little more negativity.

Let me be quiet for a few moments so you can take a few breaths on your own.

As you continue to control the breath,

Notice how the body feels.

When we take deeper breaths,

We might notice tension creeping in,

Especially on the in-breath.

If that happens,

See if you can soften the breath,

Maybe pulling it back by 10 or 20 percent,

Not breathing in so deeply and allowing the in-breath to feel light and gentle.

And as we continue to breathe,

Let's notice how the body's responding.

Is there any sense of heaviness easing,

Any tension softening?

Are the forehead and the jaw relaxed?

Are the neck and the shoulders soft?

Is the stomach at ease?

Already some of us might be starting to notice small shifts,

Perhaps a sense of spaciousness opening up or a feeling of warmth or tingling spreading through the body.

Maybe we can notice the body beginning to release,

Letting go of stress,

Negativity or any weight we've been carrying breath by breath.

And now,

Whenever we're ready,

Allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm,

And noticing how the body is breathing now.

Is the breath softer,

Slower maybe?

We're just noticing.

We're feeling the cool air entering the nostrils as we breathe in,

Noticing how the lungs,

Chest and stomach expand.

And as we breathe out,

Noticing the warm air leaving the nostrils,

Feeling the body soften,

Relax and let go.

With each out-breath,

We might imagine releasing more of what no longer serves us,

Letting go of tension,

Letting go of negativity,

Letting go of anything we don't need to carry in this moment.

If we notice the mind wandering,

Perhaps to the past,

To worries about the future,

Or even to everyday thoughts and to-do lists,

That's perfectly normal.

The mind tends to drift,

Especially when we're holding stress or negativity.

This is simply the mind's way of trying to process or fix things,

But often this kind of thinking can add to the weight we're carrying.

So as soon as we notice that our mind has wandered,

Gently guiding our attention back to the breath.

There's no need to judge ourself or feel frustrated.

Instead,

We can see this as an act of kindness.

Gently,

Patiently,

Bringing our focus back to this moment.

Back to that next inhale,

And back to that next exhale.

Good.

Let's gently shift our focus to emotions,

Those feelings that live not only in our hearts,

But also throughout the body.

Emotions,

Just like thoughts,

Can come and they can go.

Sometimes they're subtle,

Like a quiet undercurrent.

Other times,

They feel stronger,

Like waves crashing against the shore.

Stress and negativity often carry emotions such as frustration,

Sadness,

Worry,

Or even anger.

These emotions can sit heavily in the body,

Creating tension or a sense of unease.

We might notice sadness as heaviness in the chest.

Maybe worry feels like a fluttering in the stomach.

Anger might feel like heat in the face or hands.

Whatever we find,

We're simply noticing.

In this part of the practice,

We'll gently explore any emotions that are present.

Offering them space to soften and flow,

Without judgment or resistance.

It's also possible that no strong emotions are here right now,

And if that's the case,

Simply rest in the natural calm of this moment,

Allowing yourself to feel ease or stillness.

I invite you now to turn your attention inward to the emotional landscape of the body.

Perhaps asking ourselves,

How am I feeling right now?

Is there a specific emotion present?

Or maybe there's a mix of feelings.

Perhaps there's no clear emotion at all,

Just a sense of neutrality or calm.

Whatever we find is perfectly okay.

There's no need to search for anything,

Simply noticing what's here.

If an emotion feels particularly strong or overwhelming,

We might picture wrapping it gently in a soft blanket,

Holding it with care.

Or we might simply allow it to rest nearby,

Without needing to engage.

If we're aware of a particular emotion,

We might take a moment to gently name it.

We might say,

Ah,

Here's frustration,

Or this is sadness,

Or simply,

I feel worry.

Naming an emotion in this way helps to create some space between us and the feeling.

It reminds us that emotions are part of our experience,

But they don't define us.

Now let's explore where this emotion shows up in the body.

Often,

Emotions leave subtle or even strong sensations in different parts of the body.

Do we notice any areas of tightness,

Warmth,

Heaviness or fluttering?

Maybe a weight in the chest,

A tension in the shoulders,

A sensation in the stomach?

Wherever we feel the emotion,

Seeing if we can bring a gentle,

Curious awareness to it,

As if we're meeting it for the first time.

If it feels comfortable,

I invite you to breathe into this area of the body,

Sending your breath there like a soft,

Soothing wave.

As we inhale,

Imagining the breath creating space around the emotion,

Softening it.

And as we exhale,

Picturing the breath helping to release any tightness or tension.

Allowing the emotion to flow freely.

Inhaling space and ease.

Exhaling tension and resistance.

Now if the emotion feels particularly strong or overwhelming,

Knowing that we're always in control.

If it feels too intense,

We're welcome to shift our focus back to the breath,

Back to the sensation of our feet on the ground or back to any other object that feels supportive to us.

Now let's take a moment to acknowledge that emotions,

No matter how big or small,

Are part of being human.

They rise and fall like waves in the ocean.

Some are gentle ripples,

While others are stronger swells.

But eventually,

All waves settle,

Returning to the stillness beneath.

Each time we breathe,

We're inviting the waves of emotion to flow more freely,

Softening their intensity and allowing space for calm.

Inhaling ease.

Exhaling release.

And if we notice the mind wandering to a thought about the emotion,

Like,

Why am I feeling this way or I shouldn't feel like this,

Gently reminding ourselves that there's no need to explain or fix anything right now.

We're simply allowing the emotion to be as it is.

Okay,

Good.

Let's take a moment now to notice whether the emotion has softened or shifted.

Or maybe it's still present or even stronger.

Whatever we're experiencing is okay.

Simply by observing and allowing,

We've already created more space for peace and ease.

Now that we've spent some time observing the breath,

The body,

I invite you to take this moment to gently explore the idea of letting go with a visualization exercise,

Helping us to release any stress,

Tension or negativity that might still be lingering.

For some of us,

Visualization might feel natural,

Like imagining a picture or scene in the mind.

But for others,

It may feel challenging or not quite right to visualize,

And that's perfectly okay.

If visualizing doesn't come easily or it makes you feel uncomfortable,

You're welcome to simply focus on the sensations of the breath or the body.

But if it feels within your reach,

I invite you to imagine a small stream flowing gently nearby.

The water is clear and calm,

Sparkling in the light.

This stream represents a safe space,

A place where we can release anything we no longer need to carry.

As we breathe in,

We might imagine drawing in calm,

Ease or lightness.

And as we breathe out,

We might imagine stress or tension leaving the body,

Flowing out like a soft mist or whisper of smoke,

Carried effortlessly into the stream.

If we like,

We might even give it a color,

Making it easier to see as it leaves us.

And as the stress or tension touches the water,

We can imagine the stream carrying it away,

Dissolving it completely into the current.

Whether we're imagining the stream,

Focusing on sensations or simply breathing,

Let's allow this process to feel easy and effortless.

And if there's a particular area of the body that feels tight or heavy,

Maybe the chest,

Shoulders,

Jaw,

We might imagine stress flowing directly from that area into the stream,

Or softening with each exhale.

Feeling the lightness growing within us,

As if space is opening up where tension used to be.

And if the mind feels clear and the body feels light,

We can simply rest here,

Enjoying the stillness.

With each breath,

We're inviting ease,

Peace and freedom into the body and mind.

Breathing in calm and clarity,

And breathing out,

Releasing all that feels heavy.

And as this practice comes to an end,

Knowing that you can come back here anytime,

This place of calm,

Relaxation and release.

Let's take a moment now to notice how the body feels and how the mind feels.

Maybe we notice a sense of lightness or maybe the breath feels a little softer.

Perhaps the body,

A little more at ease.

Or perhaps you're still holding on to some stress or tension and that's perfectly okay too.

Some days are easier than others.

And the most important thing is that we've shown up for ourselves today,

Creating this space for care and kindness.

Now,

If you're feeling tender,

Tired or overwhelmed,

I encourage you to be gentle with yourself.

Try to take it slow and if possible,

Leave anything that can wait until tomorrow.

Allow today to be an opportunity to nurture yourself,

However that looks for you.

Whether that's resting,

Taking a slow walk or simply doing something that brings you joy.

Letting go isn't always easy and sometimes it doesn't happen all at once.

It's a practice of returning to ourselves moment by moment and releasing what no longer serves us.

And it's important to remember that life's challenges,

Our stress,

Emotions and even negativity are all part of being human.

Some days feel lighter while others weigh us down and that's okay.

Letting go doesn't mean erasing what we've been through.

It means creating space for growth and new possibilities.

Let's begin to bring small movements back into the body.

Perhaps we can wiggle our fingers and toes or gently roll the shoulders.

We might like to stretch the arms or legs or simply take a deep breath in and out to reawaken the body.

And whenever we're ready,

Gently opening the eyes,

Slowly allowing the light back in and taking a moment to notice the room around us.

Congratulate yourself for taking time out to care for your mind and body today.

I hope this sense of lightness and freedom you've cultivated here stays with you as you move through the rest of your day.

Or if you're listening to this before bed,

Sweet dreams.

Reviews

This is a meditation I want to do regularly. The instructor gently encourages us to focus on our breath and observe our physical and mental state without judgement. So much of modern life is focused on doing. I want to thank him for offering space for being.

Thank you for this..What a calm strong and also sweet voice you have.

Sweet dreams to you too!