Hi,
This is Sherry Macri,
Clinical director at Green Mountain at Fox Run.
For this meditation,
We'll be focusing on any uncomfortable emotion that you may be experiencing.
This can be used with any discomfort,
Whether it's grief,
Anger,
Nervousness,
Or when it comes to eating,
It can be used in the face of craving,
Which is also somewhat uncomfortable.
When we feel uncomfortable emotions,
We often do what we can to distract or avoid the emotion.
Though this is understandable,
We may find that if we take a few moments to actually experience the emotion fully,
That it subsides sooner than we would have imagined and is easier to cope with,
Where the avoidance of it generally leads to more struggle.
So to begin,
Sit comfortably with your back erect,
Though not rigid.
You can close your eyes if you're comfortable doing so,
Or if you prefer to leave them open,
Simply settle into a soft gaze.
Soften your eyes,
Drop your shoulders,
Relax your jaw,
Soften your belly,
And begin to notice the sensations of breathing.
Feeling the place where your breath is most vivid,
Perhaps that's at your nose,
Or your lips,
Or your belly.
You may notice the coolness of the in-breath,
Warmth of the out-breath,
Or expansion and contraction of the belly.
Simply breathing and noticing the sensations of breathing.
When attention wanders and you're distracted,
Notice that you've been distracted,
And without judgment bring your attention back to the place where you feel your breath most vividly.
Taking a few moments now to gradually move the focus of your attention throughout your body,
Beginning at your toes and moving up through your feet,
Your legs,
Noticing sensations through your body,
Through your hips,
Your torso and back,
Shoulders and arms,
Your head,
And as you scan your body,
Noticing any sensations that are present.
Being aware of any sensations of discomfort,
Tension,
Tightness that may be in any part of your body.
As you notice sensations of discomfort,
Gather all of your attention to this area,
Simply noticing the discomfort,
Simply being aware of what's already here.
You might be able to identify an emotion that's associated with this discomfort,
Sadness,
Anger,
Shame,
Guilt,
Craving,
Any emotion that seems to be associated with this discomfort.
When noticing the sensations of the discomfort,
What does the sensation feel like?
Is it tight?
Is it cool?
Is it tense?
Is it hot?
Perhaps you notice tightness in the belly associated with anxiousness,
Or heaviness in the chest associated with sadness.
Perhaps tightness in the throat associated with craving,
Or tension in the shoulders associated with frustration.
Simply being aware of whatever the sensations and emotions are,
Simply noticing what's already here.
Feeling naturally as you notice.
You might make a quiet mental note of what you're noticing,
Like a whisper in the mind may sound like anxious,
Anxious,
Or tense,
Tense.
As you continue to be aware and notice,
Be aware of any changes to the sensation,
To the emotion,
To the discomfort.
Simply noticing any shifts.
Does it move to another part of the body?
Does the intensity change in any way?
Breathing naturally and noticing.
If you care to and if it's possible,
You might place a hand over the part of your body that feels the discomfort.
Noticing what the touch is like,
The warmth,
The pressure,
And if this touch creates any change to the sensation.
Breathing naturally and noticing.
Gradually releasing the focus of your attention from this area of the body,
Bringing attention back to the sensations of breathing.
Perhaps making a mental whisper,
Breathing,
Breathing.
And as this meditation comes to a close,
You can gradually open your eyes and check in with the discomfort,
Noticing if it's still there,
If the intensity is the same or different.
This meditation may be done repeatedly if time allows,
And you may find that the discomfort changes and decreases as you bring focused awareness to it.
Thank you for taking care of yourself in this way.
