In this meditation,
I'll be inviting you to focus on a difficult emotion.
Initially,
I'll ask you to conjure something that provokes this feeling,
Maybe a memory of an experience.
And then I'll invite you to turn your attention to the feeling itself,
In particular the ways in which it manifests in your body.
And to begin,
Let me ask you first to find a comfortable posture.
If you're seated,
You might think about sitting in a way that's both relaxed and alert,
Allowing for your spine to be naturally curved as you sit up straight,
Keeping your head level.
And for this meditation,
I'd invite you to close your eyes if you feel comfortable,
As it will make it a little bit easier to focus.
If this feels too challenging or provocative,
You're welcome to keep your eyes open,
Maintaining a soft gaze just a few feet in front of you.
Starting with a few deep breaths in,
Feeling your chest and abdomen rise as you inhale,
And then fall as you exhale.
And now letting your breathing fall into its natural rhythm,
And bringing to mind something that's been particularly difficult or painful or challenging.
This might be a long-standing issue that you've struggled with.
It might be a painful memory,
Or even a recent experience that was very provocative.
And I'd like for you to immerse yourself in this feeling or memory or experience as much and as thoroughly as you can,
If you're remembering a past event.
Bringing to mind where you were,
Who you were with,
When it happened,
And really replaying the event in your mind's eye.
If you're thinking about an issue that you've struggled with,
Really being able to immerse yourself in that experience,
Knowing how you think about it,
The problems that it's caused you,
What you might be telling yourself about who you are or your place in the world.
And taking a few moments,
Really,
To immerse yourself as deeply as you can in your experiencing of this issue or difficulty.
And now I'd like for you to release your memory of this event or consideration of this issue,
And bring your attention to how you're feeling right now.
You might notice that you're feeling a particular emotion,
Like sadness or fear,
Shame,
Disgust,
Guilt.
Whatever it might be,
Starting to turn your attention to your experience of this moment and the emotion that you're feeling right now.
In particular,
Invite yourself to focus on whatever physical sensation is most prominent in your body right now.
Emotions are an embodied experience,
And whatever feelings you might be having are reflected in your body.
And right now,
What sensation is strongest?
Maybe you notice some tightness in your chest,
A burning feeling in your stomach,
Pain in your neck.
Whatever you notice,
I'd invite you to gently rest your awareness there,
Simply becoming aware of the physical sensations of this feeling.
And as you do so,
Really getting into the physicality of the sensation.
And you can begin by tracing the edges of that sensation with your attention.
So you feel the sensation in your body,
And at some point,
It fades away.
If you're feeling tightness in your chest,
For example,
It might not be present in your knees.
So where does this feeling fade away?
Starting by noticing the boundaries of this feeling in your body.
Is it hot or cold?
Noticing if there's any temperature associated with it.
Does it feel deep in your body,
Or more towards the surface of your skin?
Is it painful?
Is this feeling hurt?
Or is it uncomfortable or unpleasant?
What else do you notice about this physical feeling in your body?
Is there any dynamic quality to it?
Is it changing in any way,
Vibrating,
Pulsating?
Seeing if you can describe to yourself how this physical sensation feels in your body.
As you notice these feelings,
I'd like for you to give explicit permission for whatever it is you notice to be present.
It's here.
And let's see if you can begin to allow for its presence.
And you can do that by silently to yourself saying yes to whatever it is that you notice.
So it might be something like this.
Yes,
I feel tension in my chest.
Yes,
It feels deep in my body.
Yes,
It feels hot.
And here,
Beginning to allow for whatever it is you're noticing.
If you have other thoughts or notice something else,
You can say yes to those things,
Too.
You might also notice if you're resistant to allowing for these feelings,
Then you can say yes to that,
Too.
Yes,
I don't like this.
Yes,
I wish it would go away.
And in this way,
Saying yes to the parts of you that say no.
Cultivating an acceptance as the ground for all of your experiences.
Yes.
As you do this,
You might notice the feeling starting to change or not.
And you can continue to say yes to whatever it is you're noticing.
Allowing for it to be okay whatever is here right now.
You might not like it.
Might be unpleasant or painful.
And it's here.
Seeing if you can gently let go of any resistance to its presence by simply acknowledging that it's here,
That it's something that you're feeling or experiencing.
Yes.
If you're still noticing the sensation or feeling,
You might ask a gentle question of this embodied feeling.
And that question is,
How can I help?
How can I help?
And see if anything bubble ups as a way of reply.
If nothing arises or if the feeling has already faded or moved,
That's fine.
Very gently,
You can start to release this focus on this feeling,
These sensations in your body.
Bringing your attention back to the room around you.
Noticing what you hear.
Feeling the temperature of the air on your skin.
Does it feel warm or cool?
And then,
Whenever you're ready,
Opening your eyes and returning with your full presence and awareness.
