We are always in relationship. We are in relationship with the world around us, with other people, and with what we experience inside ourselves. One relationship we can be curious about is the relationship we have with our own emotions.
Some emotions may be easier for us to experience than others. For one person, anger might feel harder to acknowledge or be with than sadness. For someone else, the reverse might be true. Even joy, contentment, or a feeling of relaxation can sometimes be difficult to experience. What feels easier or harder is specific to each person, and it is something that can change over time.
In this meditation, you are invited to practise offering loving-kindness toward a sensation or emotion that feels easier for you to experience, and then toward one that feels more difficult. You don’t have to choose a sensation or emotion that feels like the hardest one.
This meditation also gives you an opportunity to practise offering kind wishes toward yourself.
In light of Amy Cuddy’s research in the previous post on the effect in her studies of posture on certain outcome variables such as hormone levels, what do you think might be the hormone levels (and other variables) for this little guy? Read more ›
Compassion-focused therapy aims to help us cultivate certain skills, qualities, feeling states, and motivations (e.g., skills and qualities compassion, feelings of safeness, the motivation to show care and to alleviate suffering). These we can then use to help work with particular difficulties or situations such as shame, self-criticism, or difficult emotions. Compassion-focused therapy also aims to help address and alleviate the fears and blocks we may have to experiencing compassion Read more ›
I really enjoyed this book by psychologist, Lynne Henderson. You can find the book’s publication details, as well as a brief summary of my praise in the IC resource section here!
He accepted–really accepted whole-heartedly–that he was angry and jealous, that he resisted and struggled, and that he was afraid. He accepted that he was also precious beyond measure–wise and foolish, rich and poor, and totally unfathomable. He felt so much gratitude that in the total darkness he stood up, walked toward the snake [a source of great fear], and bowed.
–Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart, p. 5; [square bracket text added by Tracy]
You put your whole self in. You put your whole self out. You put your whole self in…. That’s what it’s all about.
— Lyrics from The Hokey Pokey
I believe concepts of self-compassion and emotion regulation are closely related.One aspect that can be found in both is the intention and action of honouring. Read more ›
