Insight Meditation 
(Vipassana)

Guided Meditation 

Mindfulness of Painful Emotions

 

• Allow a painful emotion to arise without trying to control it. Regard it as an uninvited guest, not as oneself. 

 

• Be mindful of emotions, perceptions, memories, intentions and projections. 

 

• See what posture works best to move through painful emotions – sit, stand, walk, recline, dance.

 

• Turn the attention calmly to the physical sensations in the body. Notice especially what part of the body releases 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. 

 

• Notice the thoughts coming out from painful emotions or difficult body sensations.

 

• 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 there.