3 – Dealing With Emotions

Choose a quiet and safe place where you will feel comfortable. If necessary close the door and let others in your house or apartment know that you need a short bit of quiet time. Take your time doing this meditation. If necessary deal with only one emotion at a time. But be thorough. Do not hide or ignore any emotion. It is essential that you are completely honest with yourself. If necessary ask someone you trust completely to guide you through this meditation. It is very powerful if done correctly.

I will list some guided meditation programs that you can use as well that are similar to this and music that you can use as background.

It is best to be sitting up when you do this meditation so sit in a comfortable position in a chair or sofa.

If you wish to use some music in the background choose some that is soft and that does not have any melody. You can also use some soft nature sounds like ocean waves if you wish.

Now close your eyes and take a deep breath and then release the breath as if you were blowing out a candle. Do this again 6 times. Pay close attention to your breathing. The inhalation and the exhalation.

Now pay close attention to all the emotions in your mind and in your body. Do your best to feel them all. Every one of them. Judge nothing. Do not hide from any of them. Do not let them hide from you. No emotion is good or bad, they are just emotions. Where in your body do you feel each one? Take your time. Name them. Begin with the emotions on the surface of your mind and work your way down to those emotions that are deep within you and those that locate themselves in certain areas of your body. Feel them, but do not let any of the emotions distract you. Just feel, listen, and watch. Do not let any of the emotions affect you. What do they say? Listen carefully but  listen to them as if they were not yours. They are just emotions and images floating through your mind and body. If you begin to get attached to any one emotion move on to another one with a deep breath.

Now imagine that all of these emotions are outside of you. Let them take on form. Use your imagination. Each emotion is an image. Be creative. What does each one look like? Examine each one in great detail. Take your time. Try to remember every nuance and feature. Which emotion does each image represent? Do your best to remember this. In the meantime, your mind and body are completely still. All emotions are outside you looking at you or looking at each other. If there are emotions that you no longer need you can tell each image, each emotion that it is no longer welcome in you and that in must leave now. See it leave. Watch it leave until it is really gone. If it tries to come back you can do the same exercise again and again. Emotions that you want you can allow back into your mind or leave them were they are so that you can reference them later. From now on you will be able to see and deal with emotions at any time by taking 1 deep breath and letting it out as if you were blowing out a candle.

Now it is time to move on with your day or to go to sleep. Take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Take a few more deep breaths and take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings.

leaving behind the darkness cover

Recommended meditation mp3′s. Meditation 1&2, Letting Go/Leaving Behind the Darkness – Walking Into the Light
Recommended background music mp3′s. To Touch the Light, Tibetan Memories, Music from the Waves