Last week, we kicked off the February meditation series with an exploration of why we feel so much more when we start a meditation practice. We worked with Brene Brown’s definition of vulnerability {uncertainty, risk & emotional exposure} as a clear picture of what is happening when we meditate.

Brené Brown says that “vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy and creativity.” And, as powerful and important as that is, vulnerability also has its own unique feeling in the body – often, it is one that feels “unsafe” to our primal brain. What a paradox to know that love, belonging and joy are right there, and yet, they feel inaccessible because of the feelings vulnerability creates in the body.

There is an old joke about a therapist who tells her client to start meditating. She says, “you’ll feel better…” So, the client begins a meditation practice and comes back to the therapist only to report, “You lied to me! I am feeling all this STUFF coming up. All these emotions and anxiety… I don’t feel better at all?!”

Today’s mini meditation comes from a new virtual course I’ve recently created for companies wanting to introduce mindfulness in the office. This meditation is a quick practice of returning to presence when we are stressed, distracted or overwhelmed at work. Take 5 minutes and try it today.

I am always honored when someone takes the time to share a bit about their meditation practice with me and asks about their meditation struggles. This year, I intend to do an occasional FAQ bonus episode where I will answer a few of the questions I receive, and this is the inaugural episode! Today, I am chatting about what to do if “feeling the breath” makes you feel anxious, uncomfortable or like you are hyperventilating. I’ll try to answer the “how do I know my practice is working??” quandary. And, I’ll talk about meditating with the really tough stuff: trauma, emotional or mental overwhelm and imbalance…

Gregory Boyle defines compassion as “to be in awe of what someone has to carry, rather than to stand in judgment of how they carry it.” 

Mindfulness Meditation is often described with the image of a bird – one of the bird’s wings is “presence/awareness” and the other wing is “heartfulness”. This heartfulness is the cultivation of compassion. It is both part of the practice itself and part of the outcome of the practice.

Today’s mini meditation is practice that is phenomenal if you find yourself really struggling with thoughts during meditation. If you aren’t sure what to do with your thoughts, how to relate to them without struggle, or how to get quiet… this might be the practice for you!