The last thing I want to do when I am feeling bad is sit with myself. I want desperately to not feel what I feel. I want to scroll, snack, distract or addict because that makes me feel different. But those behaviors don’t process the badness. They simply pave it over, leaving it to curdle somewhere down the road into something I can’t ignore like pain or illness.
The idea of meditation practice, of being able to sit with oneself no matter what we are feeling is the act of ultimate compassion for ourselves. Most of us would in an instant put an arm around a friend who was sad, angry, hurt or ashamed as an empathetic act of care. But when it comes to ourselves we run in the other direction.
Through sustained daily practice we develop the capacity to embody our emotions-all of them. That emotional resilience blossoms into ever deepening clarity, kindness and expansive awareness that all emotions, even the “bad” ones are part of our human experience. The less we resist, the vaster our root system and the broader the bloom of our self awareness, enabling us to respond to life from our deep well of felt sense knowing rather than reacting from the blindness of our subconsciousness.
It's an honor to be with someone you love. It is an honor for you to be with you and develop this most amazing relationship you have, that affects all the other relationships you have in this world and beyond. Certainly 10 minutes a day isn’t too much to ask. Will you water your flower of practice with time and attention?
Need assistance with learning to meditate? Eileen is an alternative healer who has completed 15 vision quests enabling her to be a clear and effective conduit for your personal growth. She has worked with somatic breathwork practices for the last 9 years and is a certified Unified Mindfulness Coach Contact Eileen@relaxandexpand.com
Yes! I will water my flower of practice with time and attention. I love this phrase. I can relate to watering my flowers when I see them drooping. I do it because I don't want them to die. But I don't often do the same for myself. I have to show the same love an care for myself that I do for others. Thank you for sharing this. Love and blessings. ✨