Hi everyone.
Releasing anger is something that a lot of us struggle with,
Including myself.
Anger is not generally socially acceptable,
Even though it's a natural emotion that everyone feels at times.
Getting control of yourself can often mean stuffing it down and pretending you're not upset.
The thing is,
Is that on the outside,
You may look visibly okay,
But beneath the surface,
Your seething,
Holding on to this tough emotion,
Can have devastating effects on our physical,
Mental,
And spiritual health.
Imagine shaking a bottle of pop or carbonated water.
You know what's going to happen when you take the cap off.
It's going to go everywhere,
And that it's often why we try to keep the lid on our anger.
Because we don't want it to go everywhere,
We know we might say or do things we regret,
That we might hurt someone we really care about.
I had a supervisor,
Suzanne,
Shake a Coke bottle in one of my art therapy classes,
And I remember how nervous I felt when she reached for the cap.
She opened it part way and shut it tight again several times,
Each time letting out a little more air,
And soon she could take the cap off without any regrets.
This is what we have to try and do with our anger,
Let it out a little at a time.
So today I'm going to teach you a short jigong technique for releasing anger,
And finish with a much simplified version of the Druidic call for peace.
I find short and simple is often better for everyday use.
The jigong movement is called liver harmonizing.
In Chinese medicine,
The liver is associated with anger.
You can do this from a standing or seated position,
But it requires enough room to extend your arms fully to the sides and above you.
If you're standing,
Start with your feet shoulder width apart,
Gentle buoyancy throughout your joints,
Knees slightly bent,
Back straight,
Arms at your side relaxed.
If you're doing this from a seated position,
Sit on the edge of the chair,
Not so far forward that you feel unbalanced and you're going to fall,
But enough so that you can sit with your back straight and fully extend your arms.
Your feet should be placed flat and on the floor evenly apart.
So bring your hands together,
Fingertip to fingertip,
Palms up in front of your navel.
As you inhale,
Separate your hands and bring your arms in a large circle over your head,
Bringing your hands together in a prayer position.
As you exhale,
Continue bringing your hands down to your navel in the prayer position.
Then inhale your prayer palms all the way back up through the center,
Exhaling as you release,
Palms out and bringing your arms all the way down in a big circle again until your hands are facing up as they meet again fingertip to fingertip.
As you repeat this movement,
Imagine when you're inhaling your prayer palms skyward,
You are releasing a little bit of your anger and frustration each time,
Slowly and mindfully.
Inhaling up to prayer palm,
Exhaling prayer hands down to center,
Inhaling them back up and exhaling down,
Bringing fingertips to fingertips.
Inhaling up,
Exhaling down,
Inhaling up and then exhaling back down,
Inhaling up,
Exhaling down,
Inhaling up and then exhaling back down.
Continue this as long as you wish to,
Continuing through the call for peace if you like.
If you're standing,
You may wish to turn and face the directions.
May there be peace in the north.
May there be peace in the south.
May there be peace in the west.
May there be peace in the east.
Bring your palms to rest over your forehead.
May there be peace within my mind.
Bring your palms to rest over your heart.
May there be peace within my heart.
Bring your palms to rest over your lips.
May I speak words of peace and harmony.
May there be peace in the whole world.
I hope this was of some small help to you.
Something you love and like in these challenging times.
Namaste.
Thank you.
