Hello,
This is Dr.
Yonit Arthur and today we're going to be doing something a little bit different from any meditation you might have done before.
Unlike your typical meditation in which we're trying to relax or be calm or let go of feelings,
Today we're going to practice embracing the feeling of anger.
If you have chronic dizziness or chronic pain,
Chances are anger is something you have a little bit of trouble experiencing.
Some of you may find that you don't feel very angry or you have trouble feeling angry when maybe other people would.
And others of you might find that you're snappy or irritable about little things,
Like you're bubbling over with anger that seems to have nowhere to go.
So,
In either of these cases,
Let's practice today feeling our anger.
And before we get started,
It's really helpful to think of a scenario in the recent past or in the faraway past during which you remember feeling angry.
It's okay if you can't think of one,
You can just imagine one,
But take a moment to see if you can think of a time when you did feel angry.
Take a moment to inventory what anger feels like in your body or what you imagine anger would feel like in your body if you're having trouble thinking of that kind of scenario.
And let's begin.
So let's start by getting into a comfortable position.
You can be lying or sitting down or if it's more comfortable for you to move,
You can move.
If you're still,
It's best to close your eyes or if that is triggering for you with your symptoms,
You can keep your eyes open,
But try to soften your gaze.
Let's take a breath in,
Trying to breathe in in a 360 degree way.
So breathing in through your belly,
Your back and your sides.
And now long exhale out.
Try to make wind noise in your throat on your exhale.
Take a few more breaths just like this one,
Just to get yourself centered.
And as you're doing this,
Pay attention to the sensation of breathing.
Notice your belly expand as the air comes in and feel your chest fall.
Feel the wind in your throat as you exhale.
You might notice the tickle of air in your nose or your mouth.
Just pick one detail about the breathing that you notice and pay attention to it.
Okay,
Now if you were able to think of a scenario when you remember feeling angry,
I want you to think of that scenario now.
And if you were not,
I want you to imagine a scenario that happened to you recently in which you think most people probably would have felt some anger.
You can also think of a time if you don't really feel angry very much,
When you felt irritated or a little short with someone.
So as you're picturing this,
I want you to see if you can find what this feels like in your body.
So as you're picturing this scenario,
See if you can locate this emotion of anger inside your body.
Many people tell me that they feel the feeling in their chest or their hands or their neck and that as they continue to watch it,
It starts to heat and rise,
Maybe tingle.
Anger tends to tingle and rise as it starts to grow.
See if you can find this fingerprint of anger in your body right now.
It may be very hard to do if you're not used to feeling angry.
It may be just a slight tickle of irritation and that's okay.
Just find what you can.
Whatever it is that you're feeling or imagining,
I want you to invite it in.
Say anger,
You're welcome here.
I'm safe and it's safe for you to be here.
This anger will not hurt anyone.
It's just here.
See if you can find that anger in your body now.
What's it doing?
Is it moving?
Is it rising?
Is the heat building?
And as you're focusing on this,
See if you can find any point in the last day or two when you can recognize maybe a glimpse of this same feeling,
This same fingerprint that you just memorized.
It's okay if you can't.
Just think back on the last couple of days and see if there's a situation or conflict in which maybe someone might have felt anger,
A person other than you.
If that person were in your shoes,
Maybe that person would have felt angry.
See if you can locate just even a little bit of a glimpse of that sensation of anger in your body as you imagine this scenario.
Draw your attention back to your body and invite the anger in again.
Anger,
You're welcome here.
You cannot hurt anybody.
In fact,
Anger is a very powerful message that our bodies send to us to tell us that there's a need that has gone unmet,
That there is some emotional pain.
Anger is a very welcome and valuable emotion.
It doesn't mean that things aren't safe.
It doesn't mean someone's going to act out in anger or that you're a bad person.
Anger just is and it's welcome.
Welcome the anger.
Welcome that sensation as it starts to rise in your body.
Feel it rise up.
Feel it heat up.
Feel it tingle in your hands,
In your face as it rises.
Welcome it home.
You're welcome here,
Anger.
Anger is nothing to fear.
It's just a feeling that tells us that a need has not been met or it alerts us to emotional pain.
It's useful and it's welcome.
Take a few more moments here to experience any anger that you're able to call into your body welcoming it home.
Okay,
Now if you need to experience anger some more,
You can pause this recording and keep going.
If you feel like you were able to fully experience this anger today,
Then make sure you let it know how much you appreciate it being here.
Let it know it's welcome here.
It's welcome to alert you to needs not being met or emotional pain and you know now that it's valuable and it's okay to feel this.
Take another deep breath and a long exhale and when you're ready,
You can open your eyes and this ends the anger meditation.
