Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
The world is a crazy place to be nowadays.
The global pandemic has taxed all of us in one way or another.
Many have lost loved ones to the ravages of COVID-19.
Others have lost their homes.
We are besieged by arguments over masks and distancing and vaccines.
Working from home has been a challenge for many.
Children have been uprooted from school and forced to do school from home,
And without all their friends.
There are wildfires and hurricanes,
Tornadoes and floods and droughts,
Protests about excessive violence by police,
Mass shootings,
And so much more.
All of these factors go together to cause anxiety for many people,
And in many others it leads to anger.
The inevitable feelings of helplessness brought on by the raging pandemic and all that it entails can make people feel an unreasonable amount of anger.
You see it every day in the news.
Fights break out in the grocery store or in the post office.
More than one flight has had to turn to the airport because of a rowdy or angry passenger.
And anger affects us in so many ways.
It can have an impact on our relationships.
It can impact our children,
Our neighbors,
And our colleagues at work.
Anger can have a serious effect on our driving.
It can cause us to do things that we normally wouldn't do.
And it can cause us to say things that we'll regret and that we can never take back.
And then there are all the physical effects caused by anger.
Headache,
Upset stomach,
Ulcers,
High blood pressure,
Anxiety.
It can cause problems with your skin,
Trouble sleeping.
And it impacts your immune system,
Your heart,
Your lungs,
And many other aspects of your life.
All this anger and tension does not serve you.
It hurts your mind,
Your body,
And those around you.
One way to deal with anger is to get in touch with your breath.
Close your eyes now.
And let's get in touch with our breath.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Lying down,
Or standing.
Take a deep breath and slowly let it go.
Just breathe normally.
Let's scan our body as we begin to relax.
Relax your neck and shoulders,
The commonplace of tension in today's world.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Let go of any tension in your chest and belly.
Feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.
Relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's start to focus even more on our breath.
Many of you know that I use the metaphor of your life being like a river because it fits so well.
Our lives flow along and as we go,
Others flow into our lives,
Just as some others flow out of it.
Our river is made up of all the people and events that have made a part of our life.
We can flow around the problems in our lives and we never stop until the river of our breath reaches its end.
Anger puts an unwanted current in our river and we need to push it away.
Because our breath is like a river as it flows in and as it flows out.
Inhale slowly and then gently exhale.
Notice your breath as it flows in.
Notice where you feel it in your body,
A cool sensation as it comes in through your nose.
Notice the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and as it flows out.
Put your hands on your chest and feel this river of life as it flows into your body.
Savor the sensation of the breath as it moves in and then feel it also as it slowly flows out.
It's sometimes helpful when dealing with anger to visualize the anger flowing out with each breath.
Just to continue to breathe at your normal pace and don't force anything.
Just let your breath move in and out.
Let your breath flow like a river,
Sure and tranquil and calm.
And each time you exhale,
Feel the anger flowing out of you.
With each breath you're a little more relaxed and a little less angry.
It's normal to feel this anger and anxiety but we have to let it go.
It doesn't serve us in any way.
Breathing in the calm and then breathing out any anger,
One breath at a time.
Thoughts are a part of us but you needn't concern yourself with thoughts when you meditate.
Just as a river pays no attention to the leaves and other debris floating on its surface,
So too we shouldn't concern ourselves with our random thoughts.
Just focus on your breath and let the thoughts pass across your mind and out again.
We are only concerned with our breath in this moment as it flows in and flows out.
If you hear sounds in the room,
Just let them go as well.
Barking dogs and meowing cats can affect your river of calm.
Your breath moving slowly in and slowly out is a powerful river of calm.
A river of peace and a stream of tranquility.
Focusing on the river of your breath can have a powerful effect on your life.
Being able to get in touch with this current can transform your life.
It can help you to deal with tension and insecurities.
Following the river of your breath can help you to deal better with the problems in your day.
It can help you deal with your anger by breathing in and breathing out.
The Buddha said,
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else.
You are the one that gets burned.
Anger is a poison that harms your body and mind and everyone around you and we must let it go.
Breathe in and the breath is calm.
Breathe out and let all your anger go.
Breathe in again and breathe in the calm.
As you exhale,
Feel the anger flowing from your body.
As we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room.
Stretch and feel how alive and calm you are.
Anger,
Tension and anxiety have no place in our lives as long as we can get in touch with the river of our breath.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.
Till next time.
