Making Room For What We Feel

Whatever you're feeling right now is okay. Your emotions aren't problems to solve, they're messages. In this guided meditation, Emily invites you to simply be open to what's here, without needing to push it away or get lost in it. When we make room for what we feel, emotions can move through us rather than get stuck. This is emotional flexibility, and it's something we can practise.

Transcript

Good morning everyone and welcome to our Friday morning practice. You're here with me, Emily Toner. Here in my living room. So I guide us through just a mindfulness-based meditation. Mindfulness is simply the concept of coming to your senses in the present moment. Now we all have senses and we're all completely capable of listening. And noticing our breath. And that's all that we're doing when we come and meditate together. So there's nothing that you really need to, You don't need to be an expert. You can literally just come and sit and be curious as to what you might notice for the next little while. So this month we've been focusing on the month of non-judgment. I really noticed my judging mind was very strong this week, Particularly towards myself. Some weeks you just have days where, I don't know what it is, But sometimes you just really notice your inner critic has dialed up a little. And that was me this week. I really started noticing. That I was putting some pretty hard expectations upon myself. To be perfect or to do things. Particular way and some really harsh judgments that I've placed on myself that I wouldn't put on other people And we do this. We tend to do this to ourselves. Most people can relate. I'm yet to come across someone who doesn't identify with the idea that we speak to ourselves in ways that we wouldn't normally speak to others. And so this month we've really just been trying to explore our judgments of ourselves. Judgments of others especially in conversation. Sometimes we might. Be judging someone as they're speaking and trying to work out what we're going to say next instead of actually really listening to what they're saying. I do it all the time. And. . . And the goal is not really to stop ourselves judging because it's pretty hard, Right? Judgments are useful. They help to keep us safe. We judge our environment all the time to try and work out whether we're safe. But we can start to bring mindful awareness to that judging mind and start to bring some discernment in. And ask the question, Is this. Is the way that I'm speaking to myself right now helping me to achieve what I want this week. For me, It was a big fat no. Oh, Dear. All right. So we'll move into our practice now. So when you're ready. Getting into a comfortable position. Why do we do this practice? There are many reasons And one is simply to know ourselves better. It is hard to work with the unknown. We can go through our whole day. Our whole week, Our whole life. Not really knowing ourselves. Not really being aware of our mind. Or our emotional experience. Just feeling certain things in the body, But maybe not really knowing why they're there. Or maybe just feeling debilitated by certain sensations. But not piecing together. The whole picture. The more we know ourselves. The more control we have over our. . . Internal. And external world. So starting to bring your attention to an anchor now. You might like that anchor to be the sounds around you. Or you might like that anchor to be the moving breath. Inside you. Wherever you've chosen, Just bring your full attention here now. Now this just isn't any kind of attention we're bringing here. Today. I invite you to bring loving attention here. If we cannot bring loving attention to ourselves, Then how are we supposed to bring it to others? So do your very best. Can fake it till you make it. It's a real thing warm, Loving attention to the breath. As it fills and breathes you. And whatever you're feeling right now is perfectly okay. It is. Simply there trying to share with you a message. Something your emotional body would like you to know. And we can simply be open to it. Without the need to necessarily indulge. We can be open to whatever is here. Without any resistance. As best you can. Using the breath as your anchor. Using the sensations in the body. As an opportunity to lean in. And so we have already begun. The journey of self. Confession, And love. By bringing our loving kindness. And switching it on. In our awareness Bringing warmth inward. And we have already begun. The process of self-acceptance. As we make room for however we're showing up in this moment. Allowing. Allowing. Allowing. So let's just rest back here now. Breath gently guiding us. No effort. No striving. How soft and gentle can your awareness on the breath become? When your mind wanders, You know what to do. You stink it. And come back. This subtle precious. You And then if you like. Letting go of the breath completely. Just allowing your attention to rest in this liminal space between things. If it wanders to sound, Just let it. If it wanders to the body, Let it. Just allowing your attention to be open and spacious. And not constricted in any way. Reaching out as far as it possibly can. To touch everything. To anyone sitting with feelings of loss. Or grief today. We sit with you. To anyone sitting with feelings of shame or guilt today. We sit with you. Anyone sitting in feelings of frustration or anger today. We are here with you. To anyone sitting in fear or anxiety today. We understand. We are here with you. To anyone sitting in feelings of peace. And tranquility. We are here with you. To anyone sitting in gratitude. And compassion. We understand. We sit with you. The one thing that unifies all of us. Is our awareness of what it feels like to be human. And two. Experience. The full gamut of human emotion. And no one is spared from this experience. No matter what. Your background is. Together there is deep understanding. Allow yourself to feel supported. In this moment. By the knowledge that you are not alone in any experience. Even though it may feel so sometimes. Chances are there is someone on the other side of the globe who is sitting in exactly the same experience as you. And although this doesn't make it any easier. It may provide some. So sitting taller, Allowing the shoulders to move back, Chin slightly tucked in. Knowing that you can do anything you need today. I invite you to consider two options. The first way is to focus on the things that you haven't done, The areas that you're lacking. The ways in which you are not enough. Or not doing enough. And the alternative. Is to connect to the ways, All the ways in which you're supported. Seeking out. Acknowledgement of all the ways that you feel supported. In your day. Even if it is just from the earth underneath you or this chair with his cup of tea. Whatever we focus on, We create. So I'm going to go with the second option today. And I hope you can join me. So deepening the breath. Notice how we're feeling as you begin to come to the end of this practice. You When you're ready. Opening up your eyes. Ready to take on this. Thank you so much everyone. Sending much love out to you all today. And receiving and feeling very supported by your wonderful energies, Your comments always. I feel so grateful to be able to share this practice with you. Just so grateful for this community. I'm going to go with the support option. Because I've been doing the other option one for the last week and it's getting a bit old. Thanks everybody. That practice was for all of us, Especially those that may have lost something or someone recently. Big love to you. Have a wonderful weekend, Everyone. Bye.