Welcome to this guided meditation for sitting with your big emotions.
Sometimes we get the idea that meditation is supposed to quiet our thoughts and emotions.
But here,
Today,
We're actually going to do the opposite.
We welcome all of our feelings,
Understanding that each one has a meaning,
A purpose,
And a value.
When we work mindfully with our feelings,
We can also create some distance between feeling an emotion and acting on it,
Which is a different process altogether.
Right now,
Let's just sit with whatever it is and feel our feelings.
Keep in mind that,
Of course,
This practice will invite feelings and may bring up tears or feelings of tenderness.
It may also bring a feeling of resolution or peace.
Make sure you're in a safe enough place to care for yourself here and that you have some time afterwards if you need it.
Take a moment to get comfortable.
Any position is fine for this meditation,
Including lying down,
Curled up in a ball,
Or seated.
Whatever feels right.
You might notice that your emotion already has a shape or a posture.
That's just fine.
Let your body be in whatever shape it wants to be right now.
Take a few deep breaths to settle into the space.
Acknowledge the land you are on and your relationship with this particular part of the world.
Imagine safety around you.
You may want to call up the image of a safe space.
Circle of stones,
Clearing in the woods,
A wide open beach,
A cozy couch.
Invite that protection around you and clarify your intention to work with your emotions and your energies.
Anything and anyone else can stay out of this circle.
Now let's call up the emotion you're working with.
You may or may not have a name for this emotion right now.
You may or may not know what the emotion is reacting to.
It may be one emotion or plenty.
All of that is just fine.
There's room for all of it.
Focus on the experience you're having in your body.
Get curious about the sensations.
Is it tension?
Space?
Heaviness?
Is it sharp?
Does the sensation move?
Does it have an image,
A color,
A character?
Does it ebb and flow?
Simply observe what it is.
Now check in with your breathing.
It's very common to breathe shallowly when we're resisting a feeling.
If you feel safe enough,
Try to do the opposite.
Soften your jaw.
Maybe even open your mouth a little if you want to.
Deepen your breath,
Letting it move around the sensations.
Imagine giving these sensations space.
Just let them be exactly what they are.
You're safe.
You're in a safe space.
It's safe enough to feel.
All you need to do right now is breathe.
Imagine these emotions like waves crashing over you.
No point trying to stop a wave.
Simply surf with your breath.
Notice if your mind is trying to pull you away from your body.
If you feel unsafe and need to open your eyes and get up and move,
That's completely okay.
Looking around,
Counting the red or blue objects in the room will help you to get present again if you feel like you're disappearing somewhere into the past.
And if you feel like you can stay with this emotion a little longer,
Simply stay.
Remember to focus on sensations in your body.
Stories may come up to fill in the emotion,
To add to it,
But see if you can soften the stories a little bit.
You could thank your mind for being here,
But focus again on your breath and your body.
There's nothing that you need to fix,
Change,
Know,
Analyze,
Decide,
Accept.
Nothing at all.
You're just breathing right now.
Just staying aware.
Now I'm going to invite you to move your body a little bit if you haven't already.
This could be as simple as slightly adjusting your posture,
Moving your arms or hands,
Rolling your neck or shoulders.
Notice how your body is holding itself in relationship to this emotion or these emotions See if you can soften that posture,
Continuing to allow the emotions to move through you.
Notice if this movement affects the experience of the sensation at all.
No right or wrong,
Just notice.
Let's take a little more time here.
There's no rush.
If you want to spend a little more time with the waves or your emotions,
You can pause this meditation anytime and do that.
When you're ready,
Take another deep breath.
You might want to sigh with some sound,
Make a noise,
Say a word that came up for you.
Come back to your voice.
Consider if there is something that your body is trying to tell you,
Something it wants or needs.
Sometimes all we need is to be with the emotion that we're feeling.
Sometimes there's gratitude or peace or softness simply from having done that.
And sometimes the emotions come with messages.
Sometimes we know what they are.
Sometimes we don't.
There's no right or wrong,
Just notice what's happening.
In your own time,
Gently come back to the room.
If you feel a little tender,
Shake out your hands and sigh again.
If there's anything you can do to take care of yourself today,
Go ahead and do that.
Thank you for sharing this practice with me.
