We’re all guilty of reacting too quickly sometimes. Of getting defensive. Of manufacturing anger or hurt over *nothing*.
Deep down, we know that all moods and emotions will eventually pass on their own accord. They come and go like clouds in a windy sky. That is unless we hold onto our emotions with our thoughts. When we continue to think about what made us upset or hurt, unsurprisingly, we continue to feel hurt and upset.
While it seems simple on paper, in reality, being aware of your thoughts like this in the moment is one of the most challenging of human endeavours.
It is, however, something that we can work on through meditation.
While there are many types of meditation, mindfulness meditation deals with helping us to let go of negative emotions by observing our mental state.
The next time you find yourself reacting strongly to something, take the time to be aware of the emotion as energy in your body. When you focus on the emotion, where do you feel it? In the chest? In the head? Everywhere? If it feels tough, keep going. Focus only on feeling where you hold the emotions in your body, and let everything else drift away.
When you really do this from a state of mindfulness, you will find that the emotions are no longer as important to you as they once were.
Mindfulness is just one of many ways we can enhance our intimacy with ourselves.
"The real meditation is how you live your life.”
- Jon Kabat-Zinn
