Cooling the Fire Anger is an emotion that may consume you completely,
Causing you to act in ways that are harmful or unproductive.
When anger arises,
The mind can fall victim to harsh thoughts,
Judgments,
And obsessions.
By creating space and responding to your anger with compassionate awareness,
You can build resiliency and adjust your anger response.
This exercise offers a way to deal with anger when you're right in the midst of it.
When you notice anger,
Frustration,
Or irritation rising,
Allow your eyes to close.
Know that you are feeling anger.
Do not try to rid yourself of it,
Talk yourself out of it,
Or pretend it is not there.
Breathe deeply into the abdomen.
Feel the chest and stomach fill with air and exhale slowly.
As you exhale,
Make an effort to really empty the lungs.
Breathe deeply for a few minutes.
Breathe in deeply.
Breathe out deeply.
You You Bring to mind the situation that is causing anger.
When you are new to this practice,
It is helpful to work with something that is mildly frustrating,
As the feeling of full-on rage may be too overwhelming.
As you tune into the rising anger in the mind,
Allow yourself to feel what is happening in the body.
Notice the sensations that indicate anger.
You may feel tension in the shoulders,
Shallow breathing,
A pit in the stomach,
Or a number of other changes in the body.
Tend to each experience in the body with a compassionate awareness.
Notice the tension by noting tension and staying with the experience for a few breaths.
Then open your awareness and see what else is occurring in the body.
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♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Switch your awareness to the mind.
Ask yourself what may be underneath the anger or causing it.
There may be feelings of pain,
Betrayal,
Wanting to control something,
Or some perceived lack of safety.
First,
Patiently wait to see if anything comes up.
♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ When you do notice something underneath the anger,
Name it.
If you find that you are hurt,
Say,
Hurt.
Respond with a phrase of compassion,
Such as,
May I learn to care about this pain.
♪♪ ♪♪ As you finish this practice,
Take a break to journal.
Write what you noticed in the body,
What you found underneath the anger,
And how it felt to try to respond with compassion.
As you continue to experience anger,
You will find yourself able to see it with wisdom and patience.
♪♪ ♪♪
