Insight Meditation 
(Vipassana)

Insight Meditation on Painful Emotions

 

 

Allow a painful emotion to arise without trying to control it. Regard it as an uninvited guest, not as oneself, that has arrived to stay for a while.

 

Be aware of the difficult mixture of emotions, perceptions, memories, intentions and projections. See what posture works best – sit, stand, walk, recline, dance.

 

Turn the attention calmly to the physical sensations in the body. Notice especially what part of the body releases the sensations, such as the abdomen, stomach or chest area.

 

Keep softly moving the focus of attention into that area experiencing the different degrees of unpleasant or painful sensations and feelings.

 

Settle into the bare experience of the feelings and sensations coming out of the cells noticing all the changes taking place. Do not look for anything behind the emotions as this is a resistance to the emotion.

 

Stay calmly focused in the locality even when it feels calm and clear. Remember to return to pain in the cells when you are swept back into the waves of emotions.

 

Any anger about a story belongs to the emotion and is not a response to it. Treat anger as unhealthy.

 

The dissolution of painful memory, images and issues springing from the cells takes the power out of the waves of emotions and the storyline that accompanies them.

 

Bring calm and focused meditation to the locations in the body regularly to cool out the fire that flares up into a reactive state about something.

 

Remember this is a regular practice.

 

When the fires of painful emotions begin to dissipate, we naturally think differently about that which troubles the mind. The problematic emotion will have dissolved – perhaps totally.

 

Reflect on what you have learnt from the whole experience so that drama never gets reborn in consciousness. Be grateful for working your way through the storm.