Settle into a comfortable position,
Sitting or standing,
Solid base,
Making firm and stable contact with the ground,
Spine rising tall but not rigid,
Shoulders soft,
Chin gently tucked,
Neck lengthening slightly,
Eyes lowered and gaze resting gently on a point on the ground a few feet ahead.
Settling into your posture,
Keeping in mind the phrase,
Not too tight,
Not too loose,
Taking a slow deep breath in through the nose,
Hold it for a second and letting it go gently through the mouth.
One more time,
Breathing in,
Expanding the lungs and the belly,
Holding it for a second and slowly letting it go through the mouth.
Resting your attention on the sensations of breathing at the abdomen,
The subtle but constant rising and falling,
Your attention not an intense focus but precise and light,
Like a feather touching a bubble.
As you drop into the body,
Notice how the mind feels right now,
Unsettled,
Dull,
Busy,
Restless,
How is the internal weather today?
No experience right or wrong,
No good or bad,
Noticing what's already here and allowing it to be part of your experience.
With the breath as your anchor,
Take a moment now to bring to mind a recent situation in which you felt anger,
Nothing too intense,
On a scale of 1 to 10,
About a 5 or a 6.
Once in mind,
Notice what is happening in the body,
A tightness in the chest,
Heat or tension in the face,
The shoulders rising,
What's present right now for you.
No need to dive into what you find,
Noticing from the safety of the breath.
And if in any moment you feel overwhelmed or get lost in thought,
Coming back to the sensations of breathing fully at the abdomen.
We often relate to anger as something bad or wrong,
Something we're not allowed to or shouldn't feel.
The intensity of its fire may take over us and cause us to react.
Our only other alternative being to push it down and hope that it stays inside.
But we all experience anger,
Even the calmest and wisest of monks.
It's a natural response that we don't need to or would want to get rid of.
Rather,
We can change how we relate to it.
Here,
Now,
Finding a middle ground between expressing and ignoring.
Breathing with the fire.
Anger is not bad or wrong.
It is permitted.
Like a smoke signal,
An alert that's asking us to pay attention and listen.
Coming back fully to the breath whenever you need to.
Noticing the changing sensations moment to moment.
Flashes of thought or images may pop into the mind.
Notice how the body reacts to these.
Does it tense up and tighten against them?
As if trying to protect yourself from something.
A danger that is no longer present.
Letting it all be here,
However unwelcome or unwanted.
Knowing that you are safe now and choosing to turn towards your experience with open arms.
Sometimes anger arises when our limits are crossed.
Or when something needs to change,
But we don't know how to.
Often there is sadness or hurt underneath.
What may anger be trying to tell you today?
You may notice other emotions or feelings present.
It may help to give them their place too,
By gently labelling them.
Frustration is here.
Hurt is here.
Wanting things to be different is here.
Now bringing your attention fully back to the breath.
Your anchor in the present moment.
With each exhale,
Imagining the fire softening,
Calming,
Dissipating throughout the body.
If it feels okay,
Placing a hand over the heart.
Offering yourself a few compassionate words of support.
It's okay to feel anger.
There is wisdom in anger.
I can hold the fire of anger with compassion and care.
Visualise the anger now like a bonfire or campfire from your childhood.
A mysterious source of immense power.
This power can get out of control and be very destructive.
But if you learn to tame and respect it,
It can also be the source of incredible energy and light.
Resting finally in the steadiness of the breath.
Knowing you can return to the breath whenever anger arises.
Pausing,
Noticing,
Making space so you can relate to anger differently.
With compassion,
With acceptance,
With awareness.
When ready,
Expanding your attention outward,
Gently lifting your gaze.
Returning the attention to the sights and sounds of the space you are in.
Bringing some light movement to the body.
And carrying this calm,
Grounded presence with you into the next moment of your day.
