This guided-meditation transcript instructs listeners to ground in ambient sound, identify one or two recurring "resistant" emotions (anger, irritation, annoyance, impatience, frustration), and visualize a safe container (e.g., TiVo/big screen, padded cell, meditative posture) in which to observe and fully feel those emotions. The speaker guides participants to animate and dignify the feeling, avoid suppression, and explore the vulnerability and unmet needs beneath the resistance so it can be transformed into self-care and clearer communication with others.
So as we start the awareness of containment resistant emotions, you might notice that we hear a vacuuming sound. And let that be part of the meditation where we might have resistance to it, we might have acceptance to it, but don't shut it out just as we hear those sounds. As a matter of fact, allow this meditation to start with the awareness of sound. Not only that humming sound that we all hear, but the crackling of chairs moving, the sound of clumping feet, the sound of silence, and just appreciating that we get to be our ears, we get to actually hear something we normally take for granted, and just keep allowing the sense of hearing to be the dominant place you put your attention and see if you can really capture some of those moments of silence. And when you're ready, just ask yourself to become aware of the number one resistant emotion or state that's most repetitive that you go into in your life, that has the greatest impact on your life. And if you have two, that's fine, but not more than two. And preferably to find one that you believe is the one that you just seem to gravitate towards, whether it's a contraction, irritation, annoyance, impatience, frustration, just give it your full awareness and allow yourself to feel the sensation as if you're watching it on a big movie screen. And you really get to visualize it exactly like it is. And if anything, animate it a little bit. If it's just a feeling of annoyance, let your eyes express it, let your body move a little bit, in a way, let it be obvious, this is what you feel. Don't be subtle, let it be as overt as possible, so you can't hide from it within yourself. And in that way you're appreciating that awareness of the resistance itself is a sacred interplay. And as you really zoom into it, appreciate the honesty and the integrity that's involved in actually dedicating yourself to seeing what you normally would blame on someone else only would normally just have it be a quick impulse. But instead, now you're using your contemplation and then you can start to visualize what kind of container or space do you most visualize yourself in. That will allow you to feel safe to continue to feel this resistance. You can imagine, for example, that you are on a big screen TV and you have a TiVo, and every time, every time you get mad, every time you're irritated or annoyed, you just press the TiVo button. You say, okay, I'm going to replay this later, I'm going to really look at this clearly, every single ounce of it. No suppression. Just letting myself be that way. Again, no suppression. And the beauty is, if I press that TiVo button, it means I don't have to act out, but I get the chance to fully experience where I am. Which I know increases the chances of me feeling my intensity, but also if I feel my intensity, increases the chances that I'm going to be able to discover the underlying vulnerability that exists with it. If I really experience being angry and annoyed at something, and let's say my partner has not done something that I want them to do or has done something I don't want them to do, then I might be able to feel the hurt or perhaps the fear of asking them for what I want. And I'll be able to experience some of the subtle, vulnerable feelings that are there, as well as start to get an indication for myself, well, what is it that I really need? And reminding ourselves that the purpose of this containment and of all really looking for the type of container that we want to create, whether that's a padded cell, whether that's a TiVo screen, whether that's a meditative posture, whether that's on a dance floor, or whether it changes from one to another depending on the mood we're in. But the reason why we're doing this is so that we can discover how to transform our resistance into what it is that we really need and learn how to take good care of ourselves. This is not a masochistic exercise. This is not designed so we just freeze anger and resistance inside us and end up being in a catatonic state. The whole point is to let the energy move to allow for the possibility that this resistance could find a home in our hearts and allow us to be liberated, to express and experience. Experience what it is we want and need and have the best chance to communicate that to ourselves first and then to our partners. So let yourself be encouraged that you're actually zeroing in. This is my resistance within the container. And I'm so happy that I have a home for it now. I'm so happy that instead of rejecting it or ignoring it, I'm actually dignifying to a sacred place in my life. No longer is anger and resistance bad. It is now a friend. It is now an ally in discovering what it is that I feel, what it is that I need and I want to be here because I get that Rest in a deeper knowing that you have this great place inside you that can learn how. That is learning how to transform this anger, this resistance, number one, to Be felt. If that's all you can do right now, just feel it. But if you have the liberty and the development to where you've not only felt it, but you sort of get a hint as to what the need is, just allow yourself in this containment phase to go into the need as well. And you may also notice that there's a greater vulnerability that's there. And if you don't notice, look for it. Because when you do contain the resistance, invariably there will also be vulnerability as a constellation of these feelings. And so you want to open and ask for the vulnerability to appear too. When I'm feeling annoyed, am I hurt that I didn't get what I want? Am I afraid of asking? When I'm angry, is there a sadness? Is there a hopelessness? Is there despair? I'll never get what I want. The person will never understand what I need. When I'm feeling irritated, is there a certain kind of despair? Well, I've already told the person so many times, there's no point in telling them one more time that I don't want them to be emotional again. No point in telling them one more time. And so notice the despair and the helplessness and the hopelessness. And if you've asked your partner to be kind and then they haven't been kind towards you, and so you just feel uptight and you have this constant state of uptightness, can you go back to feel? I feel a sorrow or a helplessness at being able to convey it, because it just doesn't seem that they're going to change. So be aware of the vulnerable feelings as well, and appreciate the fact that that love and wisdom is what's guiding you into this containment. Because that part of you knows that if you get the depth of really stopping yourself, containing yourself and just being able to hold this resistance in this safe place, that you're going to bring more love into your heart, into your life, and you're going to be able to do this as a person, as a counselor, as whatever person that you are in life. It's just going to create benefit for you and those around you. So just let yourself recognize that this is coming from love and wisdom, and that this containment is a vehicle to transform your life from resistance to something softer, into something closer to your hearts. And that you are so fortunate to have this loving wisdom to guide you in your life, to guide you in your path, and to allow you to have much greater chance of fulfillment.
