How To Ease Suffering By Widening The Container

Most of us know what it's like to have one worry take over everything.
This practice isn't about making that worry go away.
It's an invitation to widen the space around it — to keep feeling what's hard while also letting in your breath, your body, and the world around you.
The trouble doesn't disappear. Held in something larger, it simply takes up less room.
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*Please note: This practice is intended to support your wellbeing and does not replace professional mental health care.*

Transcript

Thanks for joining me. Let's take a few minutes. For a practice that I return to. When one thing has taken over my mind. I call it. Widening the container. First, Settle in. However you are comfortable. You don't need to close your eyes. Unless you'd like to. Begin. By focusing on something else. That's bothering you. Whatever it is. Let yourself really feel the feelings. That are attached to it. There's no need to push them away. So these feelings are the teaspoon of salt. Right now. That salt is dissolved in a small glass of water. And the taste. Is sharp. Now. Without pushing the feeling. Away. Expand your awareness. To your body. Notice your breath. Thanks for joining me. Your heartbeat. The feeling of the air. On your skin. Notice that with this wider focus, The suffering. May feel a little less intense. Now, Again, Without pause. Pushing any of the feelings away. Why? Your awareness further to the sites. In front of you. To the light coming through the window. And to the sounds around you. Birds. Traffic. The ordinary noise of the world. Notice. Have those difficult feelings. How that difficult thing feels now. The glass. With the teaspoon of salt has become a whole bucket, And the bucket has become a tub of water. The amount of salt hasn't changed. There's exactly as much of it. As before. When it's held in something larger. It has far less of a taste. This is widening the container. We don't push suffering or difficult feelings away. We just give it more room. And in doing so. We gently shift the story that we have been telling ourselves. So now when you're ready. Lift your gaze. Open your eyes. And carry this wider awareness with you. Into the rest of your day.

Reviews

Thank you! 💖 I've never experienced anything like this, and so immediate.. and lasting. I needed this! The feeling of the widening container continued,. and has been of great benefit throughout the day. I'm confident that I will sleep better also. With immense gratitude, I thank you. 😊🌻✨️

Blessed beautiful healthy healing

Helpful practice

Thank you for sharing this helpful practice. ❤️

I was struggling to feel good about myself as an artist. As though I don’t deserve to be apart of community events for it. But this has made me realize that I’ve only been doing thing for like 2 years (14), and that’s just my anxiety talking to me. I do deserve to bs apart of this community. I don’t use AI, I try my best, and I’m proud of the art I produce as I improve every time I set my own to paper (or pen/finger to iPad), each time I grab a canvas and start splashing paint on it. I’m DOING art, it’s meant to be expressive, not everybody may understand it, but that’s okay. Because I do :)