Buddha once said that holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing in it someone else.
You are the only one who gets burned.
This quote powerfully captures the self-destructive nature of holding on to anger and resentment.
But if this is the case,
Why is it that so many people choose to hold on to their anger?
People choose to hold on to anger for many reasons,
As a means to control things when they feel vulnerable,
To validate their own feelings of injustice,
When there are unresolved grievances from their past as a justification for future revenge,
And are to reinforce negative and habitual patterns of behavior.
But once you understand your reason for holding on to your anger,
You are in a better position to work towards healthier ways to process it.
The alternative is to remain a prisoner in the cold fortress of your own resentment.
And so for today's meditation,
You will practice letting go of your anger.
And so our journey begins.
Find a comfortable seat,
Close your eyes,
And gently bring your attention within.
Feel the softness of your breath like a whisper brushing against your lips.
As you breathe in,
Notice the air cool against your nose,
Flowing down like a river into your chest.
And as you exhale,
Feel the warmth of the air softly leaving your body like a sigh carried out on the wind.
Let your awareness follow this rhythm.
Cool breath in,
Warm,
Cool breath in,
Warm breath out.
Bring your attention into your body,
Scan through your body now and soften and settle anything physically or emotionally that is pulling you away from this moment.
Your breath and your body are constant companions on your journey,
So remember to tune into them if this process becomes overwhelming at any point.
Simply begin again.
And now imagine yourself standing at the foot of a mountain.
Before you lies a winding,
Steep path up its side.
And on your back you are carrying a large,
Heavy backpack.
With each step forward,
You feel the weight of this backpack pressing down,
Pulling you back.
Take a moment now to tune in to that feeling.
Noticing how it feels on your shoulders,
The sensation that arises from the strain of carrying it.
There is no need to rush here,
Simply observe what it feels like to carry this weight.
Now gently open the backpack and inside find stones.
Each one represents a piece of anger or resentment you've been holding onto.
Take a breath in and with the exhale imagine holding one of these stones in your hand.
What does this stone represent for you?
Perhaps it's an old wound,
A name,
A memory,
Or a situation you've carried for far too long.
Feel the heaviness of this anger in your hand.
Why have you kept this with you?
What purpose has it served?
Maybe it feels like a protection,
A shield,
Or maybe it's ties to a desire for justice or closure.
So as you hold this stone of anger,
Simply reflect on its contents.
Whether you realize it or not,
My friend,
Carrying this weight has affected your journey in life.
Mentally,
It takes effort and strain to carry such heaviness around,
And physically it alters the way you breathe,
Your posture,
And your ability to fluidly take one step after another.
While it's natural to hold onto anger when you feel hurt or wronged,
How do you decide when it's time to let it go?
What opportunities or moments of peace do you miss out on by holding onto these burdens?
This resentment?
This anger?
So take a moment on your path to pause as if you are in a spacious clearing at the foot of this mountain.
The mountain looms ahead of you,
But for now,
You are in a quiet space,
Just you and the weight of your backpack.
As you pause here,
Reflect on what it would feel like to release the burden.
What would it be like to take off this backpack and set it down?
Imagine loosening the straps that have been digging into your shoulders,
Gently lowering this backpack to the ground,
And as you do,
Notice freedom of the weight,
The sensation of lightness that begins to permeate throughout your entire being.
The weight is no longer straining your muscles or hindering your steps,
And as a result there's a sense of peace,
A sense of ease.
You have let go of the heavy stones of anger and resentment,
Stones that have been burdensome on your journey.
So with each breath that you take in this moment,
Allow yourself to feel lighter.
It might help for you to use a mantra to silently repeat to yourself as you reflect and release this backpack or any stones along your path.
Perhaps you might say something like,
With each breath,
I release the weight,
Anger fades,
And peace awaits.
With each breath,
I release the weight,
Anger fades,
And peace awaits.
And as you repeat this mantra to yourself,
Notice how much easier your journey up the mountain becomes.
Your body feels freer and your breath flows more fluidly.
And so,
Without the burden of anger,
You can now look around and appreciate the beauty of this journey,
Noticing the trees,
The sky,
And the air around you.
And as you make your way on this path now,
Feel the space for peace,
For healing,
For new opportunities that are now available.
Letting go of anger doesn't mean fighting or forgetting or condoning what has happened.
It means choosing not to let it control you,
Not to let it weigh you down any further.
By setting down this backpack and the stones within it,
You've made a choice to move forward with freedom,
Openness,
And peace.
At times you may pick up new stones on your journey,
New weights,
But each time that you do,
Know that you have the choice to pause,
To reflect,
And to release it.
It's an ongoing lifelong practice that gets easier with time.
It's a gift that you give yourself when the weight of the world becomes too heavy for you to carry any further.
I will leave you here to practice for a few minutes longer,
Noticing what weights you're carrying and setting them down.
Again,
Should this process become overwhelming,
Anchor yourself back to your companions on your journey,
Your breath,
Your body,
And your beating heart.
With each breath,
I release the weight,
Anger fades,
And peace awaits.
With each breath,
I release the weight,
Anger fades,
And peace awaits.
I'll watch the time.
Bring awareness back to the space that surrounds you,
And remember that like the backpack,
You have the power to release anger whenever you're ready.
You can choose to set it down and continue your journey without their burden any longer.
And before you leave,
I want to share with you an excerpt from a poem titled On Anger.
For when the heart is set on fire,
Anger denies the soul its desire.
Let go,
My friend,
For peace is sweet,
And anger only leads to defeat.
In these lines,
We find the truth that grasping tightly to our sorrows only deepens our wounds.
May your mind,
Your body,
And your spirit be abundant with peace,
Lightness,
And the wherewithal to realize that you always have the choice to let go of that which weighs you down.
Until we meet again,
Namaste.
