Hi,
This is Jen Norton and this is a meditation practice around applying loving kindness to emotional,
Mental or external difficulties.
We're practicing being caring with things that we call difficult.
When we're faced with a difficult emotion,
For example,
We often seek ways to change how we feel,
Trying to outthink the emotional experience or simply putting our attention elsewhere.
Attending to these moments with mindfulness requires some patience and compassion.
By caring for the painful experience,
You can allow yourself to feel it and see it with clarity.
This exercise will help you practice being with the difficulty rather than pushing it away.
Start this practice when you are experiencing something difficult.
It can be an emotional experience such as anger or a mental experience like racing thoughts,
An external experience like a stressful work day or any other difficulty you face during your day.
When you notice that you're having a difficult moment,
Bring your awareness into the experience.
Instead of pushing it away or resisting it,
Turn toward it.
Place your hand over your heart.
This stimulates the vagus nerve,
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Recognizing the pain and keeping your hand on your heart,
Offer yourself a few phrases.
These phrases help you recognize the difficulty,
Turn toward it and respond with compassion.
You can say to yourself,
This is a moment of pain or discomfort or difficulty.
You can say to yourself,
I cannot avoid all pain in my life.
But you can say to yourself,
I care about this suffering.
Repeat these phrases to yourself with the intention of caring for the difficulty.
Repeat these phrases to yourself with the intention of caring for the difficulty.
If the mind tries to fix the pain or solve the problem,
Just return to the phrases.
Return to self-compassion.
This is a moment of pain.
I cannot avoid all pain in my life.
I care about this suffering.
After 10 minutes,
Let go of the phrases and remove your hand from your chest.
The difficulty may not be gone.
But remember,
The phrases are always accessible throughout your day.
They're there in your heart.
You can turn towards them at any time.
Thank you for practicing with me.
