Caring For The Difficulty

Practice this meditation when you feel difficult emotions in you. It will help you to deal with them instead of pushing them away. Difficult emotions need not hold us back, we can learn and grow from them.

Transcript

Caring for the difficulty When we are faced with a difficult emotion,

We often seek ways to change how we feel,

Trying to out-think the emotional experience or putting our attention elsewhere.

Attending to these moments with mindfulness requires some patience and compassion.

By caring for the painful experience,

You can allow yourself to feel it and see it with clarity.

This meditation will help you practice being with the difficulty,

Rather than pushing it away.

Start this meditation when you are experiencing something difficult.

It can be an emotional experience,

Such as anger,

A mental experience,

Like racing thoughts,

Or an external experience,

Like a stressful work day.

When you notice that you are having a difficult moment,

Bring your awareness into the experience.

Instead of pushing it away or resisting it,

Turn toward it.

Place your hand over your heart.

This stimulates the vagus nerve,

Activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

Recognizing the pain and keeping your hand on your heart,

Offer yourself a few phrases.

These phrases help you recognize the difficulty,

Turn toward it,

And respond with compassion.

Say things like,

This is a moment of pain.

This is a moment of discomfort.

This is a moment of difficulty.

I cannot avoid all pain in life.

I care about this suffering.

Repeat one of these phrases to yourself with the intention of caring for the difficulty.

If your mind tries to fix the pain or solve the problem,

Just return to the phrases and offer yourself compassion.

Relax.

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