As we begin,
Take a moment to connect with the mind and body.
To do so,
Simply ask,
Is the mind aware?
Is the body relaxed?
Is there a fullness of breath?
Today I will guide you through the 6 R's.
A method for working with the natural arising of difficult emotions or unpleasant states of mind.
We take this time to train the mind because at any given moment we may be confronted with such emotions or states of mind as anger,
Shame,
Doubt,
Self-pity,
Fear,
Anxiety,
Disgust,
Depression to name a few.
This guided practice is inspired by the teachings of Steve Armstrong who developed the 6 R's.
It is helpful to remember that freedom from difficult emotions or harmful ways of thinking comes from our developing capacity to attend to,
Understand,
And care for whatever arises in the mind.
In order to do this,
Steve Armstrong offers 6 R's,
Which includes the ability to recognize,
Relax,
Restrain,
Reframe,
Receive,
And realize.
I will offer guidance for walking through these 6 trainings,
And you can turn to the instruction again and again to support you in your efforts to build a healthier,
More skillful relationship with all that occurs in the mind.
The first R in working with difficult emotions is to recognize.
Take a moment to recognize or name the feeling or state of mind.
We name the emotions in order to tame the emotions.
We draw upon our knowledge and cognitive awareness to note harmful states of mind,
So that we can move away from the affective experience they invoke.
In doing so,
We diminish the mind's indulgence and identification with these mental torments.
No need to avoid or minimize the activity of the mind,
But again,
Simply recognize,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
The second R is for relax.
Relax the mind and body.
Relax into the acknowledgement and acceptance of,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
In our daily lives,
We're contending with deeply conditioned habits of mind that are not ours or mine.
While we cannot control all that has affected the mind,
We do have to deal with it.
So rather than deny or struggle with what occurs in the mind,
We learn to relax.
Relax into the awareness of,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
The third R is for restraint.
We restrain ourselves from indulging in the stories that accompany the arising of unpleasant states of mind,
And we avoid acting them out and causing harm to others.
To support our efforts of restraint,
It may require us to attend to another object,
Such as the breath.
Or we may need to engage in another activity,
Such as practicing loving-kindness meditation when aversion or judgment proliferates in the mind.
We can also protect the mind.
We protect the mind by avoiding those things that may trigger or sustain harmful mental states.
With restraint,
We come to accept,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
The fourth R is for reframe.
It is normal to feel disappointed,
Frustrated,
Or even defeated when difficult emotions visit the mind.
Rather than viewing the presence of these mental torments as a hindrance,
We can reframe our understanding and begin to see them as an opportunity for further cultivation of our awareness.
This reframing,
That the arising of harmful states of mind are an opportunity rather than a hindrance,
Further supports our acceptance of,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
The fifth R is to receive.
Rather than getting overtaken by unpleasant states of mind,
Our awareness allows us to receive insightful understanding.
Through relaxed curiosity,
Awareness reveals the nature of harmful states of mind.
We come to know the nature of vulnerability,
Shame,
Fear,
Disgust,
Depression,
Anger,
Anxiety,
And how all difficult emotions play out in the mind.
We also receive greater understanding and come to know what these mental states feel like in the body,
And how they influence our thinking and sense of self.
We can acknowledge what is known and continue to examine and gently question,
What else is there to be recognized,
So that we're open to receive.
This is how it is,
Just for now.
The sixth and final R is to realize.
We come to realize and understand the universal characteristics of difficult emotions.
We realize that unpleasant states of mind are impermanent,
Unsatisfactory,
And conditional.
Specifically,
We realize the nature of our experience is impermanent,
And that all unpleasant states of mind will come to pass.
But because difficult emotions repeat themselves,
We often come to believe that they are an everlasting part of who we are,
So that when anxiety arises,
We proclaim it as My Anxiety.
This and insight support us to realize the ephemeral,
Impermanent nature of all states of mind,
Whether pleasant or unpleasant.
We also realize the unsatisfactory and oppressive nature of harmful states of mind.
We realize the nature of suffering,
From physical and emotional pain,
To suffering from the vulnerability of things changing,
And suffering that results from our existence and struggle to survive on both a micro and macro level.
Finally,
We realize what is described in Buddhist teachings as no-self,
And that in essence the nature of our experience and the arising of difficult emotions are in fact conditional,
Damaging,
And insubstantial.
What arises in the mind is neither unique nor lasting.
Emotions or mental states that at times seem to torment the mind are temporal and universal,
And thankfully we can learn how to live with them.
And to see,
This is how it is,
Just for now.
Know that there is always an opportunity to practice.
At any moment in our daily lives,
We can be aware of the present moment.
We can ground the mind and body through training ourselves to recognize,
Relax,
Restrain,
Reframe,
Receive and realize.
Simply come back to these teachings again and again,
As a means to support your daily efforts to care for yourself and others.
As Steve Armstrong often suggests,
Let whatever you are able to do today in your practice be good enough.
May all beings be free from suffering.
May all beings be safe and happy.
And may our efforts make it so.
