mamayogautah.com
Share this page
  • Mama Yoga
  • What to expect
  • Contact Me
  • Why Yoga?
  • Links

A practice in grief

11/9/2009

0 Comments

 
I had read about meditations focusing on sorrow, anger, grief, or other "negative" emotions, but I hadn't tried it formally until last week.  I'd always thought that meditating on positive feelings was more productive.  However, I've come to realize that it is just as important to recognize negative feelings and allow yourself to experience them so that they can be spent & you can move on.  I also came to realize that this was actually something I did in my life, but hadn't fully developed.
If you'd like to try this as a formal meditation here's some ideas & imagery that might help.  I always recommend meditating after some asana (physical) practice because it gives you time to focus on your physical body & then forget about it.  I also recommend making sure you are in a place where you won't be disturbed or distracted. 
Sitting in a comfortable position, start by focusing on your breath, letting the inhales and exhales, the expansion & contraction, take up all your thoughts.  Once your focus is complete, allow it to move to your heart.  Take inventory of your emotions, imagining sorting through a card file if you like, or searching through a pile of clothes, just noting what you find in your heart.  When you come across a sad, angry or unhappy emotion - just pick one - imagine yourself taking it out from the rest & bringing it closer so you can look at it.  Allow yourself to feel the emotion, you don't have to relive the experience that caused it, just experience the feeling.  You can visualize that feeling like a little flame, flaring up, growing, running out of fuel, dying down and eventually going out completely.  Imagine the ashes blowing away.  You could also try visualizing the emotion like a flower (I know, it's not a good emotion, but it could be a weed flower, like a dandelion if you want), imagine it growing out of your heart, getting bigger, blossoming and then slowly dying, the petals withering and falling off, the flower wilting and decomposing back to the earth.  You can make up your own visualization if you want, but the end of this visualization is the most important, letting the feeling die out and letting yourself release it.  Focus again on your heart & feel it a little stronger & healthier, maybe a little cleaner?
I think learning this skill is life saving.  Allow yourself to experience & release rather than wallow in or repress & you'll feel a big difference.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    My name is Kristen and  I started practicing yoga when I was 15.  I've been teaching for 2 and a half years now.  This blog is about my experiences as a yoga teacher and practitioner.

    Archives

    February 2011
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009

    Categories

    All
    Blogging
    Breath
    Disaster
    Goodness
    Grief
    Haiti
    Meditation
    Old Age
    Peace
    Pregnancy
    Retreat
    Science
    September 11th
    Teaching
    Thanks
    War
    Yoga

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.