Send Loving Kindness to Your Pain

In addition to reading Jack Kornfield’s A Path With Heart, I am also listening to Thich Nhat Hanh’s Creating True Peace.

Something that TNH says that I really appreciate is instead of reacting to your pain (of whatever nature) with fear or anger or hate, react to your pain by sending it love and kindness.

Guess what? It really helps.

When I feel myself getting upset with someone at work (a type of pain), I stop and I send loving kindness to myself and to my reaction.

“Hello anger. Hello impatience. I see you. I accept you.”

Instead of a downward spiral of anger and frustration, it stops in its tracks. The anger towards the other lessens dramatically and I also don’t beat myself up for feeling that anger in the first place. I don’t feel anger towards them and I don’t feel anger towards me. I also don’t pass that anger onto someone else that might not have been involved at all. (You know how that goes, when you’re having a “bad day.” It’s a non-stop pissy fest.)

It’s a great mindfulness meditation that you can do all day long … Hello sadness. Hello pain. Hello impatience. I see you. I love you. I accept you.