Compassion for Challenging Emotions

This meditation is for those bluesy days. There's some difficult emotion swirling around inside us – anger, frustration, sadness, insecurity – and we're finding it hard to think about anything else. In this practice, we focus on the part of our body where we feel that emotion. We move to a place of total acceptance of whatever we are feeling. And then we bathe ourselves in compassion.

Transcript

Compassion and emotional release.

In this meditation we are going to extend our full compassionate attention to whatever we are feeling.

Oftentimes it is not a difficult emotion that is causing us distress.

It is our own resistance to that emotion.

When we can learn to make friends with whatever arises within us,

We give that emotion permission to release on its own whenever it is ready.

Let's just take a few minutes to settle into our bodies.

You may wish to take a few slow,

Deep breaths as if you could fill to the very top of your lungs.

And then exhale completely as if you could watch the breath moving through your body as you exhale.

Breathe in again slowly,

Filling all of your lungs with air.

And as you exhale,

Just feel the gentleness of that breath as it's moving and releasing through your body.

And now just settle into a normal breathing pattern.

Letting your body expand with the inhale and let go with the exhale.

Just watching the breath as it moves in and out.

Slowly and naturally,

Arising with the inhale and letting go completely with the exhale.

And now see if you can feel into that part of your body that's holding any emotional pain.

For some of us this feels like tightness in the belly,

Or maybe for you it's a sense of constriction in the chest.

You may feel your throat muscles clenching and tightening.

Or you may feel some tension in your face or your shoulders.

When you've found that part of your body that's holding this emotional pain,

See if you can focus all of your attention there in that area of your body.

As if you could rest your mind exactly in that physical and emotional space.

And now I invite you to name this difficult emotion silently to yourself.

You might say anger or frustration,

Stress.

And this may change.

Maybe you're feeling some anger now.

And slowly you may feel that anger shift into sadness or insecurity,

Self aversion.

Just keep naming the feeling silently to yourself as they come up.

And see if you can keep a steady,

Compassionate inner gaze on this emotion.

Breathe into it in your body.

Try to use your breath to connect directly to that emotion.

And when you feel yourself connecting with that emotion,

You might whisper to it in your mind,

I see you.

I'm here for you.

Perhaps this emotion is here for a reason.

Perhaps it has something to show you.

Just keep repeating those phrases softly.

Keeping your compassionate gaze on whatever you're feeling.

Anger,

Anger,

I see you.

I'm here for you.

Do this with whatever emotion comes up.

Keep breathing into it.

See if you can keep all of your heart's focus on that emotion.

Make friends with that emotion.

It's okay.

It may be here to help.

You may notice that your mind is trying to engage the story behind that emotion.

Perhaps it wants to replay certain events or maybe rehearse what to say to someone in the future.

If that urge comes up in your mind,

Just do your best to let it go.

See if you can watch it come up,

Be there,

And fade away.

Neither attaching to it,

Nor resisting it.

Just watch any thoughts come up.

Be present and then fade.

Our focus here is on the emotion itself.

So just keep trying to connect to that emotion with your breath.

If you're finding it difficult to accept that emotion,

That's okay too.

Just allow whatever is happening inside of you to take place.

And just keep breathing slowly and naturally.

And now you may want to ask yourself if that emotion has come to a place where it feels completely and totally accepted by you.

And if that happens,

You may feel that it is naturally starting to leave your body.

You may even picture a window opening up and all of that emotional energy just blowing out like smoke.

And if that emotion is ready to leave,

Then just watch it.

Watch it as it fades from your body and creates just a little bit more space in your mind.

Now if that's not what's going on for you,

That's okay too.

If the emotion wants to stay just a little bit longer,

That's okay.

The most important thing is to remain in a place of total acceptance of whatever you are feeling.

And now I invite you to call before your mind's eye an image of yourself.

And if it feels good to you,

You might repeat these phrases just quietly,

Inwardly.

May I be free.

May I be free from suffering and all of the causes of suffering,

Whether they are internal or external.

May I find support and acceptance.

And may I feel strength to continue on my path.

And just take a couple of minutes to breathe in all of that beautiful compassion for yourself.

And now let's extend that compassion to all beings everywhere.

You can start with people you know,

People you love or people nearby.

People all the way on the other side of the world.

And let's send that compassion out to all beings,

Also to animals,

To nature,

The oceans,

The trees.

May all beings everywhere be happy.

May we be free from suffering,

All of the causes of suffering.

May we all support each other and grow together.

And may we all find strength as we go along on our paths.

Just take a few more seconds to reconnect to your breath.

Being fully present in your body.

And now open your eyes and be well.

Reviews

This is the first time I’ve been able to sit since the election. Thank you for being here as always.

Very balanced and natural meditation. Took me right where I needed to be. Thank you.

This is going to take some work! Nevertheless, very enjoyable.

In western culture “bad emotions” try to be replaced or suppressed. But nothing better than acknowledging their ambivalence and dealing with naturalness with them. Glad I found this one. Gratitude! 💫

I loved the loving-kindness at the end. I love everything you do on Insight!

You give me hope I will find my true love. I had just about given up after relocating from FLORIDA after 20 years to Georgia where my daughter pushed me to move here during covid and after being given notice to move because my villa was being sold that i rented. I’ve sadly felt old and I’ve never felt old. I’m young looking. Active fun. Healthy. Whole food plant based vegan and very young looking and young at heart. But since moving here I have no like minded support. Eating and being healthy and seeking love and my sacred partner. You give me hope.
Roz

Exactly what I needed to sit with difficult emotions. Thank you for your guidance. ❤️

Really wonderful guidance for recognizing and accepting emotions within the body

Nice and relaxing, so much better to be compassionate towards feelings than trying to avoid or push away (which is the first instinct). Soft and soothing voice as well. Namaste 🙏❤

Soothing and effective for releasing emotion and anchoring compassion

Thank you for this loving meditation!
Blessings🙏🌺
Dakini Jewel 💎

This was amazing, I really connected with the experience, thank you 😊 🙏

This was really helpful, thank you 💗💗

Good stuff! Anger & resentment @ roommate, but this helped a lot so thank you💯

so very helpful, namaste

Thank you. Your lovely voice helps with my cabin fever.🌹😃

Thank you so much for a beautiful practice- just what I needed today! 💓

That was really amazing. Namaste and thank you. 👏🏼

Very relaxing!! Helped me have compassion on my fear, anxiety and possibillty of disappointment.