dancing with emotion

today’s meditation prompt follows up on the thoughts laid out in Wednesday’s newsletter. during times of upheaval and grief, practicing awareness can feel like a low priority. there have been times that I felt this way, fell off my practices and lost myself further as a result. the concept of practicing non attachment toward emotion is not a form of emotional suppression. it’s a way of processing what you’re feeling without getting thrown into a cycle of emotion and narrative (see flow chart 1 in Monday’s newsletter for a refresher). it can be an endless loop. these practices help guide how we treat ourselves and others. thank you for being here today. I’ve included a transcript of the prompt below. lots of love,James ——— navigating discomfort, pain and sadness is an everyday occurrence. however peaceful your baseline might be, living in this physical realm means you will experience both highs and lows. sometimes these moments overlap, as two things can be true at once. it is a dance: allowing space for emotions, while finding the space between you and them. the more space you can create, the more full of space you will become. typically, emotions are experienced like a blanket that completely covers the landscape of your thoughts. because of this, we don’t naturally step back from emotion. how can we, when it seems there is no point where they end and we begin? it is only by grasping this blanket and manually peeling it away that we begin to see distance. your being is eternally more vast than the passing phenomena of feelings that cross your path. remind yourself that you are still here. your being is present. the emotion is a visitor in your reality. remember, you have felt this feeling before and it has passed, you will feel something different again. what if, after you’ve become aware of the emotion’s temporary nature and its separateness, the feeling doesn’t disappear in a poof of smoke? while you may sense it is there, it doesn’t weaken your presence. say to this emotion: you are here and I am too. just like two people sitting on a park bench. though they share a seat, they are different entities. notice what thoughts come up when strong emotions visit. notice them. do not attach to them. do not follow the stories that they will attempt to weave. just like emotions, thoughts do not make up the substance of your being. when we recognize the eternal aspect of ourselves, nothing can come close. lets take a moment now, to come into the presence of our being. close your eyes and bring your attention to the center of your chest. can you feel the rib cage expanding ever so gently with each inhale? as the breath enters the body, imagine it expanding like a hot air balloon. a warm buoyancy fills your body. the warmth extends out with each exhale. breathing in I am expanding light, breathing out I am increasing space. breathing in I am expanding light, breathing out I am increasing space. breathing in I am expanding light, breathing out I am increasing space. your body is filled with a radiance, originating entirely from your being. this growing light extends past the body’s physical limits. you can just begin to sense the vastness of your being. existing in a dimension beyond even our mind’s comprehension. in this limitless space, your spirit is palpable. return here whenever you wish. come here so often, that you find yourself doing so with ease and experiencing the joy of coming home. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nowisgood.substack.com