This is a meditation for learning a new way of dealing with difficult or uncomfortable feelings.
So rather than trying to avoid or push down difficult feelings,
We can actually make them shorter and less intense if we simply accept that they're just feelings and let them pass through like a wave.
So this will be a practice of simply noticing your feelings as just body sensations,
Giving them space to move and change without having to respond or react to them right now,
And offering yourself compassion.
So before we begin,
You can choose a situation or a feeling that you would like to practice with,
For example,
Sadness or anger or guilt,
Maybe something that only mildly bothers you if you've never tried this before.
And starting by getting comfortable in a chair with your feet on the floor and noticing that the earth is here holding up the chair and the chair holding you up,
You can place your hands comfortably in your lap and either close your eyes or just lower your gaze.
And beginning by focusing your awareness on your breath for a few moments,
Remembering that your breath is always here as an anchor to the present.
You can imagine your breath being like an anchor that allows you to rest at the ocean floor where the water is calm and still,
Even when the waves are tossing and turning high above.
And now bringing to mind the feeling or situation that's bothering you,
Notice what feelings come up.
Again,
Keeping your breath as your anchor in the background,
Noticing your feet are still on the floor and you can still hear the sounds around you in the room.
And as you simply allow and notice what feelings come up,
Expand your awareness from head to toe and noticing anywhere you can feel those emotions as body sensations,
Maybe as tightness or tension in your jaw or throat or stomach.
And intentionally bringing an attitude of openness and kindness and acceptance,
Allowing the sensation to simply be there right now,
Even if you don't want it or like it.
The goal is not to change it or make it go away right now,
But just to offer it kindness and presence and compassion.
So you can say to yourself,
It's okay,
Whatever it is,
It's already here.
I'm not creating anything new.
I'm just looking at what's here.
My feelings are okay.
The sensations can't hurt me.
Let me be open to it.
I can just watch them come and go.
They always end.
I don't have to react or respond to them right now.
They're just feelings.
And focusing your attention on that sensation,
Just observing it with curiosity like a scientist,
Noticing it's just a sensation.
It can't hurt you.
Simply noticing where it starts and where it stops.
Imagining if you drew an outline around it,
What shape it would have.
Noticing where it's more intense or where it's weakest.
Noticing if it feels heavy or light.
Noticing if it had a temperature,
If it's warm or cool.
And noticing if it's moving or if it's still.
And now imagining each time that you breathe in,
You're creating a space around the sensation with your breath.
So imagining your breath flowing into and around the sensation,
Giving it plenty of room to move or change.
Remembering that you can always create a space bigger than the sensation and that you are always bigger than the space.
And remembering your breath is still here in the background as an anchor to hold you steady.
And if you notice a hurt or a scared part of yourself behind the feeling,
You can offer that part presence and kindness.
If you like,
You can place a hand over your heart and or a hand over your belly if it feels right.
And sending yourself some compassion,
You can tell yourself whatever you're feeling is okay.
It's just a feeling.
I know it hurts.
I know you're scared,
But you're okay and I'm here for you.
And shifting your attention to your in-breath,
You can imagine breathing in a warm light of compassion for yourself,
Allowing it to gather at your heart area and sending that hurt or scared part of yourself an energy of calm and kindness and love.
Just continuing to breathe in compassion for yourself.
And continuing to breathe in and out that compassion,
You can imagine everyone else struggling with the same pain or the same feeling right now.
And on each out-breath,
You can imagine sending some of that compassion out to others.
So you can continue breathing in some of that compassionate light for yourself and breathing some out for others,
Thinking some for me,
Some for them.
Simply continuing to breathe in and out that compassionate light,
Some for yourself and some for others.
And you can end this practice by breathing in,
Counting to five,
And breathing out,
Counting to seven a few times.
Remembering any time you breathe out longer than you breathe in,
It helps to slow down your body.
So we can do this together.
You can breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
Breathe in,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Breathe out,
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
And you can repeat that a few times.
You can continue breathing slowly for as long as you like.
And for today,
You can notice your feet are still on the floor and the chair is holding you up.
You can notice the sounds around you in the room right now as an anchor to the present moment.
You can notice your breath still in the background,
Still here in this room.
And when you're ready,
You can return your attention to the room and open your eyes.
