Somatic Tracking Of Anger

Anger can be a common and understandable emotion experienced by people living with pain. Maybe it's a feeling of anger towards the limitations of your body, your circumstances, towards others who don't understand, or sometimes, its anger directed towards ourselves. It's also really common to ignore or suppress anger and this can impact on our pain levels. So, in this practice we attend to the physical sensations of anger with a light curiosity through a lens of safety, so we can simply learn that the sensations of anger in the body are safe to feel.

Transcript

Hi,

It's Mandy here.

In today's practice,

I'm going to guide you towards calmly and curiously exploring the emotion of anger.

Anger can be a powerful emotion.

It can also feel layered,

Mixed in with sadness,

Fear,

Frustration or grief.

Many people living with chronic pain notice that anger shows up somewhere in the mix.

It might be anger at their body,

At their circumstances,

At others who haven't been as supportive as we might like,

Or even anger towards ourselves.

And yet most of us were never really taught that it's okay to feel angry.

Instead,

Many of us probably picked up the belief that anger is somehow negative.

Maybe it's societal or gender-based pressure,

Or even a fear of letting anger take over and get out of control.

So in today's practice,

We're going to do something radical.

We're going to turn towards anger with awareness and compassion.

And you don't have to analyze it,

Justify it or act on it.

We're simply learning that the sensations of anger in the body are safe to feel.

So our meditation today leads us through how to turn towards anger in a different way.

A safe way.

A way that can bring some calm to the system.

By knowing that anger is a normal,

Healthy emotion,

And when explored it can provide relief and release.

Because emotions are just all a part of being human.

When we explore them with curiosity and kindness,

We can learn to manage them without feeling overwhelmed.

And in turn,

This can really help our pain system see that emotions aren't a threat after all.

And we're going to use the practice of somatic tracking like we've been exploring.

We're going to focus our experience on the emotion of anger in the body.

And we're not going to get caught up in labels or judgments or stories.

Just being with this emotion as it is,

Right here in this moment.

And knowing that whatever's here is welcome.

Because the feelings associated with anger are safe and okay to explore.

They're not dangerous.

No need to brace against them or protect yourself from them.

You can feel anger.

After all,

We need to feel to heal.

So let's try it out.

Taking some moments to settle into whatever posture makes you feel comfortable right now.

Could be sitting,

Or standing,

Lying down.

You're welcome to have your eyes opened or closed.

And just taking a couple of deep breaths to help you arrive here.

Softening and settling with each out breath.

And really dropping in and exploring all the different movements and sensations of breathing in the body.

The rising and falling.

Just breathing.

And knowing too that if at any time throughout the rest of this practice you feel overwhelmed,

It's completely okay to just take a break.

Pause,

Open your eyes,

Look around.

Or come back and rest in these feelings of breathing in the body.

Or noticing sensations in the hands or the feet.

This is your practice,

So just go at your own pace.

When you're feeling ready,

Let's start to get to know anger.

If it feels okay,

Gently bringing to mind a moment,

Recent or in the past,

When you've felt some spark of anger.

And it doesn't have to be big.

It might be frustration,

Irritation,

Or that subtle tightening when something just doesn't feel fair.

You don't have to relive the story,

Just noticing what anger feels like in the body right now.

And pay attention to those feelings,

This anger.

Knowing that it's safe,

We don't need to get rid of it or ignore it or get carried away by it.

Just getting curious and noticing.

Where do you feel it in the body?

What sensations do you notice when you feel angry?

And seeing if you can bring a sense of lightness to this exploration.

There's no right or wrong.

Just breathing into it.

Can you describe these sensations of anger in the body?

No need to label them as good or bad.

Just sensations.

You might notice tightness.

A fluttering.

Pressure.

A heaviness.

Or something else entirely.

Are these sensations widespread or somewhere specific?

Are they in different areas of the body or just one?

It might be in your chest.

Or a tightness in the throat.

Some sort of pressure or stiffness around the face.

Just remembering as you feel into these sensations that you're safe.

These sensations are not dangerous.

They might feel intense or unpleasant,

But that doesn't mean they're harmful.

And just letting the breath flow gently around these sensations.

You're not trying to push them away or make them bigger.

Just allowing them to exist in the space of your awareness.

Inhaling and letting the fresh oxygen move through the body.

Exhaling slowly,

Allowing the system to settle.

Almost like we're creating a bit more space.

And allowing the anger to be here.

You might like to silently remind yourself,

This is safe to feel.

I can be with this.

Or whatever message of safety feels right for you.

Knowing too,

Your breath is here as a safe place to return if you feel a bit overwhelmed.

And you don't have to do anything.

We're just feeling into these sensations.

Not trying to get rid of it or change it in any way.

Maybe you can describe the sensations as a colour or a shape.

Being playful and curious as best you can.

Seeing if you can meet these sensations.

The way you might sit with a friend who's experiencing something hard.

You don't need to fix them.

Just being with them is enough.

And as you do this,

As you explore the physical sensations of anger in the body,

You're letting your system know,

Anger is okay.

It's not dangerous.

It's safe to feel it.

So just allowing it to be here and do its thing.

Allowing it to play out in its own time,

In its own way.

Can you just continue to be with and pay attention to this anger and these physical sensations?

All you need to do is pay attention and notice what's here.

It's just like you're a passenger in a car,

Watching as these sensations drift past.

And it may feel a bit difficult or challenging.

It might feel very unfamiliar.

And you might want to distract yourself from it or explain it away or remind yourself that a good person doesn't get angry or any other beliefs you might have picked up along the way.

And so often we can get caught up in how we present to the world,

Putting on that brave,

Happy face.

But sometimes there are situations and people and things that just really tick us off.

And anger often is there to protect us from something tender underneath,

Like hurt or disappointment or fear.

And you don't need to go digging for that right now.

Just acknowledging that anger is trying in its own way to take care of you,

To protect you,

To protect your boundaries and your values.

So taking some time to pause here and see if you can take care of yourself with friendliness and a sense of compassion.

Just paying attention to these physical sensations right here in this moment.

Don't need to give it too much effort.

Just relaxing and breathing with these sensations.

If it feels okay,

You might like to place a hand somewhere on the body,

Maybe over the heart or on the belly,

Wherever feels comforting.

And just remind yourself,

I'm here.

It's okay.

It's safe to feel this.

And just knowing that you can meet this feeling of anger with understanding.

By observing the sensations of anger in this way,

You're showing the brain that you're okay.

There's nothing to be done.

Nothing to be undone.

This is safe.

When you're ready,

Maybe allowing the awareness to widen now,

Noticing the rest of your body.

Resting back into the surface beneath you,

Feeling how your whole body is supported and safe.

Maybe checking out the places in the body that maybe feel calmer or neutral.

Feeling into the breath.

And just noticing if there's been any subtle shifts,

Maybe a bit more space in the body,

A softening or a release.

And if there's still a bit of tightness,

That's okay too.

Nothing to fix or change.

Just resting here with this moment.

Just as you are.

Safe and okay.

When you're ready,

Taking a few fuller breaths,

Opening your eyes if they've been closed,

Seeing if the body feels like a stretch or a wriggle or a shake.

And as you bring your attention back to the room that you find yourself in,

Just taking a moment to acknowledge your courage for turning towards something that you've often avoided.

Turning towards anger with kindness and curiosity and the deep understanding that this is safe.

This emotion is safe to feel.

By exploring anger in this way,

You've been teaching your brain that this emotion,

Just like all others,

Can be felt and released safely.

And if anger comes up sometime later today or in the coming weeks,

Just pausing,

Even if it's just for one breath,

And reminding yourself this is safe.

Even small moments of practice like this can be really powerful.

And each time you practice in this way,

You strengthen that neural connection to safety,

Reminding your system that emotions are not threats.

They're just messages passing through.

Great work.

I'll see you next time.