So,
You're dealing with some uncomfortable emotions right now.
Maybe you've been triggered by someone or something that's happened.
Maybe you've had a confrontation with a colleague or a loved one,
An unpleasant surprise or a shock.
Or it could be that this is about a situation that has been coming for a while now.
When we're getting overwhelmed by emotions,
It's very easy to fixate on the facts as we see them.
This can be something we might do as a way of trying to make sure our emotions are valid or justified,
That we're not overreacting or in the wrong.
But replaying the situation again and again in our minds is very unlikely to help us to move past that challenging emotion.
And right or wrong aren't important right now.
In this instant,
Whatever it is,
Whatever has happened,
Whatever is behind what you're going through,
I'd like you to try just parking that for a while.
Now I would like you to find a comfortable sitting position.
Sitting upright,
Feeling your sit bones directly beneath you,
Each vertebra perfectly aligned with and supported by the next.
Your feet flat on the ground beneath you,
Grounding you,
Rooting you down to the earth.
Your head is balanced perfectly,
Sitting on the top bone of your spinal column.
It's almost as though effortlessly floating upward,
As though it's being held up by a golden string attached to a beautiful,
Round,
Red,
Helium-filled balloon,
Just gently sitting here,
Soft,
Weightless,
But anchored and safe.
I'd like you to take your awareness now to the breath as it enters through your nose and travels all the way to the bottom of your lungs.
No effort,
Just allowing the bright,
Clear,
Nourishing,
Oxygen-rich air to very gently fill up your lungs from the very bottom to the very top,
And allowing yourself to hold for a moment when you get there.
And now,
Slowly and gently,
Starting at the top of your lungs,
You allow the breath to gradually escape again through your nose,
Expelling the carbon dioxide,
Removing all toxins,
Stress and negativity from your body like a grey,
Smokey cloud,
Breathing out slowly,
Mindfully and completely,
Emptying your lungs without straining of all the stale air and stresses of any negative thoughts that come to mind that you're ready to put down and let go of.
Let's keep on with the breath for five more rounds,
Breathing in to a slow count of five,
Holding a moment,
And then breathing out to a slow count of six.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Inhale.
And Inhale.
And exhale.
Good.
Now let your breathing return to a gentle,
Natural pace.
You should feel as though the air is breathing itself into and out of your lungs.
No effort is needed.
Just allow yourself to breathe.
And bringing your awareness up to a spot just at the very top of your head,
I'd like you to notice,
With a gentle,
Non-judgmental curiosity,
What happens.
What does the top of your head feel like?
Is it warm or cold?
What's present here?
And then,
Very slowly,
Bring your attention gradually down through your body,
Inside and out,
Just noticing what's there.
Are there any quiet places?
Are there any areas making themselves known?
Which places might be uncomfortable,
And which areas feel comfortable,
And which feel neutral?
You might notice if there's one particular place you would prefer to avoid,
If there's one place that's especially tense or feels unpleasant,
And if there's one very comfortable or very neutral,
Balanced place.
Not trying to change anything.
And if you notice any judgement or good,
Bad reactions to what you find,
Well,
Just notice that too.
Try if you can,
Just for a short while,
Not to do anything.
Thoughts come and go.
That's normal.
That means you're still alive.
But you don't have to engage with them.
Just noticing,
Breathing,
Accepting with a friendly curiosity.
And once you've travelled through your whole body in this way,
I'd like you to just for a moment bring your attention back to that place you wanted to avoid.
That uncomfortable place.
That unpleasant place.
You don't even need to know why you wanted to avoid it.
Just bring your attention back to it so that it's just resting lightly on that area.
And sit for a moment with whatever comes up here.
No judgement.
Notice if your instinct is to pull away and distract yourself with thoughts.
That's a normal reaction.
But see whether you can bring your attention back again,
Very gently,
Without judgement.
It's okay.
You can bear this discomfort a short while,
And if you start to notice they're getting too much,
Then just bring your attention to that comfortable or neutral place for a while.
Allowing yourself to calm down,
To re-centre,
And notice what happens.
Then,
If you feel ready to again,
You might consider the possibility of taking your attention back to that difficult place,
Just for a moment,
Not forever.
There's no good or bad,
No right or wrong here.
There's no desired outcome,
Consequences or agenda.
Let's just see what happens.
What emotions,
Thoughts,
Physical sensations might come up.
No need to analyse,
Story-tell or put into boxes.
Just relax into the experience,
Exactly as it is.
Hold yourself with compassion,
As though you're sitting with a dear friend who's suffering.
You can be there for yourself in this time of need,
Supporting yourself in gentle,
Loving kindness.
You're strong enough.
You're worth this.
See whether anything changes.
Does the intensity grow,
Or does it fade?
Does the quality of the feeling change?
Can you breathe through the intense moments?
And if things become too intense again,
Well,
Just take your attention back to that neutral or comfortable place for as long as you need to.
Or simply come back to the breath as an anchor for your experience.
Let's try this experiment for another 30 seconds.
Let's return our attention to the breath now.
Once you're in that calm space again,
You might like to send your attention again,
Gently scanning down through the whole body lightly.
Just noticing with simple curiosity,
Has anything changed?
Has anything stayed the same?
No need to answer why.
There is no explanation called for.
This is just what is,
And you are just observing the simple truth of your experience.
No goals,
No success or failure in this space.
What is,
Is.
And that's perfect,
Even if it's not pleasant,
Even if it's difficult.
We can always engage like this with our experiences.
Taking time to come into clarity and simplicity.
To be there with tender compassion and gentle acceptance,
Just as we would for a loved one or dear friend.
In a moment,
It will be time to come back into the room.
Back to your day.
And now you have taken some space,
A sacred pause,
To bring calm,
Clarity and balance back to your day.
We can't stop difficult thoughts and emotions from arising,
But when we do,
As you've just done,
Bringing mindful attention to our whole experience,
We can step out of that trap of being reactive and gain the empowerment that self-awareness brings.
