Hand on Heart Guided Meditation for Anger

Let yourself start by feeling your breath and noticing what does the rhythm feel like? Does it feel like a flow? Does it feel superficial? Are you allowing yourself to find a rhythm in your breathing? And also scan your muscles in your body, starting with your jaw and just let it relax and just go to your stomach. Just feel whether you're just letting go there. And just go to your heart center and send a wish for your heart to be relaxed as much as possible. Appreciate that you're taking this time to neutralize the destructive impact of your own aggression, which includes anger related feelings such as irritation, impatience, annoyance, sarcasm, rage and fury. And gently, just place your hand on your heart as a reminder that you want to reach this part of your purity as soon as it can naturally occur. It doesn't matter that at this moment you feel some form of anger. Doing this integrative practice is one of the purest intentions and prayers that a person can have. Breathe and let yourself feel whatever kind of anger, aggression, irritation, annoyance, impatience, frustration that you're in right now and just give yourself at least a few seconds to feel. Where is it located in your body? What does it feel like exactly? What's the quality of the tension? And just allow it to be exactly as it is in your body right now. Don't attempt to change it in any way. It will move on its own when it's ready. Simply feel your muscles as they are, starting with a scan of your stomach. Then allow yourself to go to your chest, your legs, behind your eyes and your jaw and just feel the effects of of this anger or anger related feeling in your body. Just pause, just keep feeling and appreciate that you are taking this time to actually not only feeling and being angry, but being a witness to it and attempting to integrate your heart. Take notice where the aggression or the anger is most apparent in your body. Where is it central? Because this will be a key for you if you can heighten your awareness where it arises in your body. To locate it quickly in the future. And keep reminding yourself that you're in a safe place and now is the time to let yourself be as angry as possible. This is a place where you are not going to hurt anyone, including yourself. Flash to the scenes or the scene of what made you angry or most angry. Allow yourself to express a few words of direct anger and support it. And it might be something like I'm really angry that you blah blah blah, but don't hold it back, don't be inhibited. Allow this full central expression. This is the time where you can be angry and not hurt anyone. Scream if you want to. And if you're in a safe place, definitely allow yourself to visualize not only the situation or situations that created the anger, but also how you would be if you were just loose and just allowed yourself to be angry and to have a sense of what you really were angry about or are angry about. Say words out loud and enjoy the quality of being free and seeing that the anger itself is not a destructive emotion, it's only the acting out that actually creates suffering. In fact, it would be helpful to exaggerate what you're feeling so that you can experience it more clearly and understand what really is the cause of the anger, what are your needs underneath the anger and allow yourself to create a place like this and a space like this to go to. Keep breathing and telling yourself that it's okay. In fact, it's better than okay that you are allowing yourself to be exactly as angry as you are. And let yourself continue to be in this experience as much as possible. Don't wander. Just stay focused on the sensations themselves, on the scene itself, on the words themselves, on the tone themselves, on the quality of your muscles, on the way you're breathing. The more okay you make it, the freer you can become. Again understand, the more okay you make it. It's this safe environment, the freer you can become. And that is because you found a way to be angry and actually to neutralize its destructive impact. From time to time, return your awareness to the hand on your heart to help recall your intention, to allow your anger to support the ultimate return to the purity of your heart. For a period of time. Let yourself just continue to feel the anger and try to drop any content or thought in your mind. It is helpful to recognize your anger without a story. Just feel the sensations. Just be your body. Just be inside the experience and let the mind go for 30 seconds. Encourage yourself to stay with it to breathe and feel the subtlety of the contractions in your body. You will likely notice at a spontaneous moment without effort that you feel more relaxed, peaceful or strong. You may become clearer what it is that you need from your heart being contracted simultaneous with your anger. You may need something very simple and allow yourself to be aware of without pressure. Simple needs could appear like wanting to receive or understand, receive kindness or patience. However, don't make it a goal. Simply notice how containing this vital, alive energy naturally transforms itself sooner or later. Later not at your timing, but as you dedicate yourself to mixing the permission to be angry in a safe container and at the same time putting your hand on your heart. The transformation is inevitable. If the aggression doesn't change in any noticeable way, recognize that you have heightened your own awareness of these sensations. And at the very least, you're practicing the act and art of tolerance and containment. When you feel ready, end the meditation by feeling the hand on your heart, feeling the intention, and letting it coexist with whatever anger remains. Feel the sincerity of your intention and recognize you have just participated in an act of peace.