Before you begin,
Please find a quiet and comfortable space.
You can sit in a comfortable position.
In this practice,
We will explore your emotions.
Should any emotions or experience with this practice be overwhelming or overly uncomfortable
for you,
You can always take a break or stop the practice at any time.
This practice is intended to help you explore and connect to your emotions in a gentle and
easeful manner.
Let's begin.
Now that you have found a comfortable position,
Take a few deep breaths,
Allowing yourself
to settle into the present moment.
As you breathe,
Letting go of any tension in your body or distractions in your mind.
Slowly arriving in the here and now.
Start by bringing your attention to your breath,
Taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling through
your nose and exhaling through your nose,
Feeling the body expand with each inhale and
feeling a sense of grounding and relaxation with each exhale,
Allowing your breath to
find its natural rhythm,
Shifting your attention to your body and noticing any sensations that
arise,
Allowing yourself to take note of these sensations without judging them or trying
to change them.
Noticing the contact points between your body and the surface you are on.
Now shifting your attention inward to your emotional state,
Noticing any emotions that
may be present right now.
Without judgment,
Observing the feelings that are arising within you.
Acknowledging these emotions without trying to change them or trying to push them away.
Without getting caught up in any stories related to them,
Simply taking note of these
emotions as though you were taking inventory in a store.
Now that you have taken a first look at the emotions that are present within you in this
moment,
Gently turn your attention back to your breath,
Allowing yourself to anchor in
the here and now,
Feeling the sensation of your breath entering and leaving your body,
With each breath creating a sense of calm and presence.
Now turn your attention back to your emotions.
Identify the primary emotion you are experiencing,
The one you are feeling the strongest in this
moment.
Exploring the nuances of this emotion.
What is its tone?
Is it positive or negative?
How intense is it?
Does it change in intensity or tone or stay the same?
Also seeing if you can locate the emotion in your body.
Where in your body do you feel this emotion?
What are the body sensations associated with it?
Taking a few moments to curiously explore this emotion without judgment,
Without any
expectations and without trying to change it,
Hold on to it or push it away.
Next,
Imagine your breath gently flowing into the areas of your body where you feel
the emotion.
As you inhale,
Creating space in your body to hold this emotion and as you exhale,
Releasing
any tension and allowing the sensations associated with the emotion,
Whether positive or negative,
To arise and subside with the breath.
Should you find your mind wandering or yourself getting distracted,
That's okay.
Simply notice where your mind has been and bring it back to breathing into the space
in your body where you are experiencing the emotion you are focusing on.
When you have done this for a while,
Expanding your awareness to other emotions that may
be present within you,
Bringing the same curious attention to those emotions,
Simply
taking note of them,
Allowing them to come and go and observing them like waves,
Rising,
Crashing and then slowly rolling onto the sandy shore before they return to the ocean,
Remembering that emotions are temporary and ever-changing.
You may think to yourself,
I am not my emotions,
I experience emotions and they come and go.
Again taking another moment to check in with any physical sensations that accompany your emotions.
Are there any areas of tension or ease,
Softness or spaciousness?
Can you notice a connection between your emotions and the physical body?
Whenever you feel that you are getting distracted or caught up in any emotion,
Gently bring
your attention back to your breath,
Focusing on each inhale and each exhale with your entire attention.
When your mind has settled,
You can return to calmly observing your emotions as they
arise,
Stay for a while and then subside.
We are reaching the end of your practice for today.
As we conclude,
Bring your attention back to your breath,
Taking a few deep breaths
and expressing gratitude for the awareness you've cultivated,
Allowing this awareness
to be a source of compassion and understanding for yourself.
Now slowly bring your attention back to the space you are sitting or lying in,
Taking
note of any sounds around you,
The temperature of the room or space around you,
Taking a
few deep breaths and taking one more clearing breath in and a clearing breath out.
And then slowly,
When you are ready,
Opening your eyes.
Remember again that the key to this practice is non-judgmental awareness.
Allow your emotions to be present without attaching labels or stories to them.
Through regular practice,
You can develop a better connection to and awareness of your
emotions.
When we are more aware of our emotions,
This can help us understand ourselves better as
we relate to others and the world around us.
Thank you for taking the time to practice today.
I look forward to your next session.
Until then,
Take care.
