Naming Your Feelings

This practice allows you the opportunity to check in with your body so that you can name the feelings that are less visible like the part of an iceberg that is beneath the water. Emotions manifest as physical sensations. By bringing conscious awareness to the connection between mind, body, and emotion you are inviting healing to the underlying emotion. Feel free to have your journal nearby to write down what feelings you are able to name and where you found them.

Transcript

Welcome to this meditation that allows you to name your feelings. I'm Dr. Dautzen of Playfully Psych'd. Thank you for joining. As you begin this meditation today, I want you to think about what things have been weighing on your heart. What thoughts have been floating in your mind? What sensations have you experienced in your body? Allow space for those right now. I'm going to begin our meditation. As we do so, I want you to sit quietly for a few moments, Settling into your seat. Notice the feeling of your breath entering and leaving your body. Notice the sounds around you, The sensations on your skin, The sensations within your body. Notice any thoughts that might be floating around and trying to bubble up to the surface. Imagine these thoughts as icebergs. The thought is what we see above the surface of the water. Beneath the surface, A much larger part is an emotion, Maybe several emotions. For example, If we're thinking about our long to-do list, How we're never going to get everything done, The emotion below the surface might be anxiety or guilt. If we're struggling with an argument we had with a loved one, The underlying energy might be sadness or a feeling of abandonment or rejection. What emotions are beneath your thoughts right now? If you're able to name these emotions out loud or write them down. When you notice the temptation to get lost in the story, You know the story, I feel sad and I don't know what to do and what if I try talking to them or all the things that get wrapped up in that story, Gently return to the emotion. You can do this by stating it. I feel sad, I feel angry, I feel hurt, I feel lonely. Notice if there are any emotions lurking around that might feel less difficult. Is there any joy? Excitement? Is there a space for all of these emotions to coexist? Every time a thought arises, Name the emotion beneath it, That large, Often unseen part of the iceberg. Continue naming the emotions until it feels as though you've named them all. How will all your time right here do that? Once you feel like you've named all your current emotions, Don't worry if more pop up later. It's really never too late. But see if you can feel where these emotions are living in your body. This is a practice that takes some time to establish, So let's be patient with yourself. We are not accustomed to taking note of what we're feeling in our body unless it's acute pain or an open wound. One way to do this is to look for tingling or tightness. Emotions can also show up as fluttery feeling or clenching, Where you might feel actual physical pain. Try going slowly through your body bit by bit to keep things simple. Do you notice any sensation of emotion in your head? In your neck? Throat? Just checking on your chest, Upper back. What about the space around your heart? Travel through your shoulders, Your upper arms, Down to your hands. Take a trip to your stomach area, Lower belly and pelvis. Taking conscious awareness to your seat and lower back, Your legs and your feet. If you notice any feelings in any of these places, Observe them but don't interact. Note them but don't try to change anything. Be curious and compassionate. It is human to have emotions. If we are alive, We are feeling them in our physical body. If we have been busy or preoccupied for some time, We may not have noticed these feelings until now. We may not want to be experiencing these emotions. See if you can allow your feelings to just be there. See if you can pull up in your chair next to the fluttering feeling or the buzzing and just experience it. Notice if any fear comes up around doing that, Which is very natural. If something feels too traumatic or jarring and it doesn't feel safe to feel, Please let it go for now. Notice if there's a message your body or yourself needs to hear in this moment. It could be, I'm here. It might be, You are loved or I am loved. It could be it's safe to feel this. You're doing your best in this moment. You're forgiven. I am worthy. I am enough. It may help to place a hand gently on your chest or your belly. Repeat the message to yourself gently and kindly until you notice a shift. And when you're ready, Gently let it go. You can repeat this and revisit this with as many feelings as you like. And as you're ready, Begin to move your body in ways that you feel comfortable and that feel good. Opening your eyes, Letting the light back in. Taking note of how safe you are in your environment, Noticing the things that you can see, Feel, Hear, Smell. Inviting the day or the night back into your space. Until next time.

Reviews

That was really helpful. I am trying to pay more attention to feelings and this gentle process worked for me. Thank you.