Mindfulness of Emotions Meditation
Want a new skill to practice that will help you feel less overwhelmed by your emotions? Try this mindfulness of emotion meditation. It's one way to practice making some room for unwanted emotions. When you allow difficult emotions to be present, they have less control over your behavior. The purpose of this practice is give you space to slow down and observe your inner experience. Emotions can be the scariest when you become focused on running away from them. In this exercise, you have the opportunity to practice doing the opposite. Over time, with continued practice, emotions or fear of emotions no longer have to drive your life!
This exercise will take about 10 minutes. See you if you can give yourself this time away from distractions. Put that “do not disturb” sign on your door and turn off your cell phone. Find a comfortable seat and press play.
Take a moment to consider what the exercise was like for you. Was it difficult? Did it bring up some anxiety? Or did you notice that your experience of emotion changed over time? It's common to feel all sorts of things when doing a meditation like this. Over time if you practice this on a regular basis, you may find that your emotions become less overwhelming and easier to regulate.
