Labelling emotions meditation.
So to begin,
Settling down and gently closing our eyes.
Finding a comfortable position seated in a chair or on cushions.
Perhaps feeling the ground beneath our feet.
Sitting bones making contact with the seat.
Spine growing tall.
Head balanced on top of the spine.
And allowing the hands to rest on the lap or thighs.
Making a choice to allow ourselves to be exactly as we are in this moment.
Simply present with and open to what is happening right now.
As we settle,
Just allowing our attention to feel the body breathing.
The breath entering and leaving the body.
Bringing curiosity and freshness to this moment.
And noticing where we feel the sensation of breath most vividly now.
And centering our attention there.
Noticing that there is a beginning,
A middle and an end to the in-breath and a beginning,
Middle and end to the out-breath.
And now bringing our attention to our heart region.
If it feels right,
Perhaps placing the hand over the heart.
Feeling the warmth from the palm of our hand against our chest.
Perhaps finding a sense of the breath in the heart region.
Gently breathing into the area.
Breathing out of the area.
When the mind wanders,
Practicing coming back to the sensation of breathing.
And back into the heart region.
Breathing into the area beneath the hand.
Breathing out of the area.
And at any point,
Resting the hand if necessary.
And then if it feels appropriate,
Returning it.
And when you are ready,
Releasing the breath,
Keeping the attention in the heart region and asking yourself,
What am I feeling?
Letting the attention be drawn to the strongest emotion in the body.
To the location where the emotion expresses itself most strongly.
Even if it is only a whisper.
Inclining gently toward that area.
Allowing the breath to be our anchor.
Just allowing the sensation to be there.
Just as it is.
Perhaps soothing ourselves by holding our own hand.
Or once again placing the hand over the heart.
Allowing the gentle,
Rhythmic motion of the breath to soothe the body.
As we sit there,
There may be no obvious emotions.
Or we might be noticing there is a lot of emotion here.
Or perhaps contentment.
Or just curiosity.
Eventually we might become aware of another emotion.
Allow yourself to elabour these emotions.
Sadness is here.
Worry is here.
Loneliness is here.
Joy is here.
Or boredom.
As best we can labelling the emotion without being swallowed up in them.
If it feels right.
Repeating the label two or three times.
In a kind,
Gentle voice.
Perhaps saying there is a lot of emotion here.
Then returning to the breath.
Practice going back and forth between the breath and emotions in a relaxed way.
Letting the attention be drawn from the breath by an emotion.
Labelling it.
And then returning to our breath.
If no emotion shows itself.
Then as best we can,
Being open to the possibility that emotion may come into our awareness.
Simply sit and breathe.
Observing the whole of an in-breath from the beginning to the end.
Noticing the moment,
The space or pause,
When it shifts to become an out-breath.
And then noticing the out-breath from its beginning to its shift as it becomes an in-breath.
If it feels right.
Gently bringing emotions back into awareness.
Letting our attention be drawn from the breath by an emotion.
Labelling it.
And then returning to the breath.
If we become overwhelmed by an emotion.
Coming back to the anchor of the breath or feet on the floor.
Staying with the rhythm of the breath rolling in and rolling out.
The sense of being grounded.
Anchoring in the present moment.
Until we feel able to return to the emotion and its echo in the body.
If you wish,
Returning the hand to the heart region.
And practicing going back and forth.
Coming back to the breath.
Observing the in-breath from the beginning to the end.
And then noticing the out-breath from its beginning to its end.
Going back and forth between the breath and our emotions in a relaxed way.
Letting the attention be drawn from the breath by an emotion.
Labelling it.
And then coming back to the anchor of the breath.
Letting the attention be drawn from the breath and its echo in the body.
And then noticing the out-breath from the beginning to the end.
Again practicing.
Giving our strongest feeling a name.
Repeating the label two or three times in a kind,
Gentle voice.
And then coming back to the breath.
And then noticing the out-breath from the beginning to the end.
Realizing that no matter how many times the attention leaves the breath,
At some point awareness of that arises.
And there is an opportunity to choose,
To take care of ourselves.
And maybe choosing to bring the attention back to this in-breath and this out-breath.
Now anchoring in the body.
Gently sweeping the awareness from head to toe.
Taking a kindly breath to any tension or discomfort.
Noticing any sense of how the body resists uncomfortable emotions.
Perhaps the emotion can be felt in more places than originally expected.
Staying in touch with sensations in the body as we sit.
Anchoring ourselves in the present moment.
When the attention wanders,
Noticing and making a choice to bring it back with care and kindness to the awareness of this moment.
Of the body.
And of the breath rolling in and rolling out.
Now gently expanding the attention to include the entire body.
From the soles of the feet to the top of the head.
Being present with the experience of sitting here right now in this moment.
Perhaps feeling the breath.
How it has been a constant companion.
How it brings the whole body together.
Feeling the cushion or the seat beneath us.
Feeling the ground below.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Down into the ground.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Down into the earth,
Earthing ourselves.
Noticing any sounds in the room.
And starting to move and stretch in any way that feels good for you in this moment.
And when you are ready,
Gently opening your eyes and coming back into the room.
Your meditation is now complete.
