Hello and welcome to this short practice of calming the feeling of anger in your body.
You might have been taught that anger is a negative emotion to have.
You might have been taught to ignore anger,
To hide it,
Or to quiet it.
And now,
As a parent,
You struggle with what to do with all of this anger that comes bubbling up within you.
You struggle with what to do with your own anger,
And your child's anger,
And how to support them with love.
Remember now,
That you are not wrong for being in this place of uncertainty,
Of not knowing what to do with the anger in yourself and now your child.
You simply were not taught.
Anger in itself is not a negative emotion.
In fact,
Anger is a powerful and necessary feeling that leads to change.
Anger tells us that something is not right.
Maybe you have been hurt,
Or your needs have not been met.
Maybe you have seen or experienced an injustice,
Or need to change something about a relationship you have.
Anger is a catalyst for change,
And if handled with love and care,
Can be a powerful and healthy feeling.
And sometimes,
You also choose to calm the anger.
Maybe it is something you cannot change right now,
Or maybe it is past anger that needs more time and space to heal.
Whatever your reason is right now to calm your anger,
Remember this.
You are making the choice to calm your anger.
You are not being forced to calm down because you shouldn't be angry,
Or because it is bad to feel anger.
You are choosing that you don't want to feel anger at this very moment,
And you are choosing to take the steps to move through it now.
You know that it is okay that you are feeling angry,
And you are choosing to calm it,
Because you are powerful and in control.
So let's begin.
Let's start by releasing any tension and tightness that you might be feeling in your body right now as a result of your anger.
Close your eyes now,
And squeeze your hands shut.
Still squeezing as tight as you can,
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs with air.
Now as you exhale through your mouth,
Gently open your hands and shake all the tension out.
One more time,
Breathe in through your nose,
And as you breathe,
Let your head gently sway back and forth,
Releasing any tension that you have stored in your neck.
Unclench your jaw now,
Wiggle your torso.
With each breath,
Gently release and move the tension through and out of your body.
Now let's acknowledge and accept the feelings of anger within you,
Not trying to stop it,
But simply acknowledging that it is there.
Now take another big slow breath in through your nose,
And as you exhale,
Imagine the anger within you transforming into a thin mist,
And releasing with each breath out.
Visualize in your mind it leaving your body,
Floating up into the air and then slowly disappearing.
Continue to breathe,
Releasing more anger with every breath out,
Imagining it floating away as you do.
And now,
If you are ready,
Repeat this phrase,
Quietly in your mind or out loud.
I am choosing to release my anger right now,
And respond with peace and understanding.
I am choosing to release my anger right now,
And respond with peace and understanding.
Feel these words within you,
Feel your deep intention to calm the anger right now.
Feel your own power to choose how you respond right now.
Stay in this moment for as long as you need to calm your anger.
And when you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and bring your awareness back into the present moment.
You have chosen to calm your anger in this moment.
Carry this calmness with you as you navigate the next situation that might trigger anger,
And know that you always have the power to choose calmness over anger.
