This meditation is brought to you by Raquel Shapiro and the Deep Mindfulness Collective.
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Visit deepmindfulness.
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Welcome to this meditation practice on befriending difficult emotions.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable meditation posture.
This practice will be much easier if you're able to hold your body still.
So see if you can find a seated position that you can maintain in stillness for a little while.
It often helps to arrange the body so that the hips are higher than the knees.
You'll know this has happened if there's a slight downward slope in your thighs as you're sitting.
If you're in a chair,
Sometimes it helps to scooch to the front of the chair to achieve this.
And just allow your body to settle in for a moment.
Allow your mind to settle in,
Arriving in the meditation.
And we'll begin by allowing attention to move through the body.
And just see if you notice any emotional sensations in the body.
Sometimes it might feel obvious that these sensations are emotional,
Like,
Oh man,
There's so much fear here,
Or anger,
Or sadness.
Sometimes it might be a little less obvious too.
Maybe there's some gripping in one part of the body,
Some soreness you notice.
Maybe a flood of pressure,
Force pushing outwards or inwards in one part of the body.
Just allow attention to move through the body.
And see if you notice a place in the body that feels like,
Oh,
This is an emotional sensation,
Or,
Hmm,
This might be emotional.
When you find such a place,
Allow your attention to rest there gently.
Noticing the size,
The shape of this emotional sensation in the body.
And allowing your attention to relax and spread out so that it's holding as much of that sensation as possible.
Sometimes this might mean holding the entire body in awareness.
If you need more time with this step,
You're welcome to pause the recording and do a little more investigation.
And hit play again when you feel you've found something that makes sense for this practice.
When you've found some emotional sensation in the body,
Awareness is holding that sensation.
Let's drop in the question,
How do I feel towards this emotion right now?
Whatever the answer is,
It's absolutely okay.
Sometimes the answer will be,
I hate it,
I wish it would go away.
I'm scared of it.
I'm scared it's going to take over.
I'm curious about it.
I don't feel like I really understand what it has to say and I'd like to learn more.
So take a moment and ask this question.
How do I feel towards this sensation,
This emotion?
If you notice that the answer is one of aversion,
I want it to go away,
I'm scared of it,
Sort of pushing away this part of ourselves.
See if you can just ask that part that's feeling aversion to this emotion,
If you'll be willing to step back for a few minutes so we can just get to know this emotion better.
This part that you've asked to step back,
May have some reservations or fears of its own.
If you can reassure it that you'll keep this being safe while getting to know the emotion you've identified,
The part of you that feels this emotion.
And if this part that feels aversion towards the emotion you've identified is willing to step back and does step back,
You may notice a sense of opening,
Of curiosity arising towards this emotion.
Let's see if it's possible to notice any inkling of that,
Of a curiosity,
Compassion for this emotion that's arising.
Sometimes this feels like a sense of relaxing,
Opening,
A warm emotional feeling towards the emotion that you've identified to work with.
Let's take a few moments just to say welcome to this emotion.
Welcome.
Welcome.
Welcome.
Welcome.
There is room for all parts of you in your experience,
Including the parts that hold difficult emotion.
These are really important parts.
Welcome.
You're welcome to continue with this practice for as long as it feels good.
Feeling the emotional sensation in the body,
The part of you that feels this emotion and offering it a welcome,
Letting know it's welcomed in this being.
Or if you feel you've contacted some sense of warmth and welcoming towards this sensation,
This part.
You can shift into asking this part if it would like to show you anything or tell you anything.
Directing this question towards the part of your body that's feeling this emotional sensation,
Asking,
Is there anything you'd like to tell me?
Just allow yourself to be quiet and receptive.
Emotions may arise,
An image may arise,
A memory may arise.
Just see if you can receive any of that with this attitude of welcome.
It's also absolutely possible and usual for nothing in particular to arise when asking this question.
That is totally fine too.
Just continue to give space and some listening to this part.
If you'd like,
You can ask again.
Is there anything you'd like to tell me?
Anything you'd like me to know?
Simply hold awareness with this part and see if it answers in any way.
It's possible big feelings might arise and flow through during this practice.
That's part of what we're making way for,
Making space for the thoughts and feelings that can be really difficult to have.
Letting them know that they're welcome,
Seeing what we can learn from them,
Knowing that they sometimes might hold a sort of extreme position,
But we can listen for the feelings and the needs that they're communicating.
I want you to be safe.
I feel like I need to do this or that to keep you safe.
I'm holding something really difficult that I need you to be here with me for.
Finding space for whatever this part wants to show or tell you.
If you'd like,
You're welcome to place your hand on the part of the body that's feeling this difficult emotion right now.
It's a physical way of letting it know we're here with it.
For the last few moments of the practice,
Let's offer some appreciation to this part for being willing to show itself to us today.
Knowing so hard to do its job to care for us.
Let's offer some appreciation for ourselves as meditators for taking the time and space and care for this work.
Knowing that we're cultivating ways of being that benefit ourselves and everyone we contact.
Thank you for your practice.
