英文原文
A 10-Minute Meditation to Work with Difficult Emotions
When we deny what's difficult by putting our heads in the sand, we create more suffering. Here's a 10-minute meditation to reverse the tendency to start digging.
Life feels a little more intense these days at home, work, out in the world. When life begins to feel more intense than normal, it’s important to remember to slow down, turn toward these bigger feelings, and see the bigger picture. Take each day at a time.
Life is always in flux. Every thought, feeling, and moment is quickly changing into the next. In the moment, when something feels difficult, it seems like it will never pass. The practice is learning how to stay with and turn toward the difficulty.
The power of learning how to live a mindful life is to embrace this truth as much as you possibly can and live for the moment with some future planning that you hold loosely.
What I hear from most of my clients and students is that uncertainty is what creates the most difficulty. As much as we would like to know, to control, and to plan every little part of our lives so that it all works out in a way that creates more security and ease, we cannot. Life will always be impermanent and therefore always uncertain. We never really know what is coming next and sometimes the best and most courageous thing we can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep breathing through all of it. The power of learning how to live a mindful life is to embrace this truth as much as you possibly can and live for the moment with some future planning that you hold loosely.
The more we can meet any difficulty with presence, compassion, and kindness, the easier we can move through it. It requires that we learn to stay by turning toward the difficulty versus pushing away.
Meditation trains you to be resilient. The more you can learn to stay with all the highs and lows of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, the more strength you can bring to each moment and experience.
For example, the other week, a good friend was going through a lot of difficulty and loss. After meeting with him recently, I was struck by how intense the feelings of sadness and loss were transmitted between us. I spent a few days afterward feeling off center, crying off and on, and feeling a bit agitated in my body. At first, I was taken aback by how intense these feelings were and noticed my mind trying to make sense of what was happening. The more I could turn toward my experience, and the physical sensations in my body, with compassion and understanding, I could feel the emotions passing and releasing.
Meditation trains you to be resilient. The more you can learn to stay with all the highs and lows of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, the more strength you can bring to each moment and experience.
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor shares in her research that most emotions don’t last longer than 90 seconds. I first heard about the lifecycle of emotions several years ago. I felt relieved to hear this 90-second timespan because it had mirrored some my experiences as a meditation practitioner for nearly 20 years. In the beginning of my practice, I had big waves of emotions that definitely lasted longer than 90 seconds. Why? I had never really sat with myself or allowed these feelings to be seen so there was a lot inside of me that wanted to come out. However, with time and practice, whatever feeling I was having passed through me more easily—as long as I brought my attention, understanding and compassionate observing to the table. In the case of grief, PTSD, and/or depression there may be more time needed to work with these feelings and I recommend that anyone with depression or mood disorders consult a mental health professional before beginning or altering any course of treatment.
I have also found, personally and professionally, that other somatic-based therapies can be complimentary to a meditation practice for approaching difficult emotions, including somatic release, acupuncture, yoga, and daily movement.
What Does Staying with Uncertainty Look Like?
We have a tendency to resist, reach for something pleasant, or deny the difficulty by putting our heads in the sand and this can ultimately create more suffering. This is a phrase I say to myself at any time I feel fear, anger, or confusion arising. It encourages me to stay and be here no matter what I am experiencing
“I am here.” “I am now.” “All I need is within me.” “All I need comes to me.”
Below is a meditation practice I have been using on myself and with clients that can support you to stay with what is difficult.
Guided Meditation for Difficult Emotions
Working with Difficult Emotions
Come into a comfortable sitting position. Imagine something difficult that you are going through. It doesn’t have to be the most difficult, but something moderately difficult. We want to practice with moderation before we move into the most difficult. Now, recognize your desire to push away the difficulty, to reach toward something that would soothe the difficulty in the moment (reaching out to someone, chocolate, distracting with technology, etc.), or denying that this difficulty is actually happening. Now turn toward it. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth a few times. Now invite into your awareness a large figure of compassion and strength who envelops you in a blanket of love, acceptance, and security. It can be a big cloud of compassion, a large grandmotherly figure, anything that feels loving and kind. Now, imagine this figure is holding you. Turn fully towards your difficulty. Face it, head on. There is no need to be scared. Feel this wise being enveloping you and speaking kindly to you “It will be okay, you are okay, you are lovable, you are enough, you are not alone, and we will get through this together.” Let yourself offer and receive loving and kind statements as many times as you need until your mind and body can soothe and slow down. Each time, you notice yourself reaching for the old familiar way of turning away from discomfort, try gently turning toward it. The more you train the mind to acknowledge and name whatever difficulty is here, it won’t feel so challenging. In addition, your limbic system and specifically your amygdala will send a signal to your sympathetic nervous system that you can physiologically relax. When I do this meditation, I often hold stones that are comforting to me, such as rose quartz, while sitting on my meditation cushion. You can find the props or comforts that speak to you.
中文翻译
应对困难情绪的10分钟冥想
当我们把头埋在沙子里否认困难时，我们制造了更多痛苦。这里有一个10分钟的冥想来扭转开始挖掘的倾向。
如今，生活在家、工作、外出时都感觉更紧张一些。当生活开始感觉比正常更紧张时，重要的是记住放慢脚步，转向这些更大的感受，并看到更大的图景。一天一天地过。
生活总是在变化。每一个想法、感受和时刻都在迅速变成下一个。在那一刻，当某件事感觉困难时，似乎它永远不会过去。练习是学习如何与困难共处并转向它。
学习如何过正念生活的力量是尽可能多地拥抱这个真理，并为当下而活，同时有一些你轻松持有的未来计划。
我从大多数客户和学生那里听到的是，不确定性造成了最大的困难。尽管我们想知道、控制和计划我们生活的每一个小部分，以便它以创造更多安全和轻松的方式运作，但我们不能。生活将永远是无常的，因此永远是不确定的。我们永远不知道接下来会发生什么，有时我们能做的最好和最勇敢的事情就是一步一步地走，并在所有事情中保持呼吸。学习如何过正念生活的力量是尽可能多地拥抱这个真理，并为当下而活，同时有一些你轻松持有的未来计划。
我们越能以临在、慈悲和善意面对任何困难，我们就越容易度过它。这要求我们学会通过转向困难而不是推开它来保持。
冥想训练你变得有韧性。你越能学会与你的想法、情绪和身体感觉的所有高低起伏共处，你就能为每一个时刻和经历带来更多力量。
例如，前几周，一位好朋友经历了很多困难和损失。最近与他见面后，我被悲伤和损失的感觉在我们之间传递的强烈程度所震撼。之后我花了几天时间感觉偏离中心，断断续续地哭泣，身体感觉有点烦躁。起初，我被这些感觉的强烈程度吓了一跳，并注意到我的头脑试图理解正在发生的事情。我越能以慈悲和理解转向我的经历和身体中的身体感觉，我就能感觉到情绪在通过和释放。
冥想训练你变得有韧性。你越能学会与你的想法、情绪和身体感觉的所有高低起伏共处，你就能为每一个时刻和经历带来更多力量。
神经解剖学家吉尔·博尔特·泰勒在她的研究中分享说，大多数情绪不会持续超过90秒。我几年前第一次听说情绪的生命周期。听到这个90秒的时间跨度我感到宽慰，因为它反映了我作为冥想练习者近20年的一些经历。在我练习的初期，我有大的情绪波动，肯定持续超过90秒。为什么？我从未真正与自己坐在一起或允许这些感觉被看到，所以我内心有很多东西想要出来。然而，随着时间的推移和练习，无论我有什么感觉，只要我带来注意力、理解和慈悲的观察，它就会更容易地通过我。在悲伤、创伤后应激障碍和/或抑郁的情况下，可能需要更多时间来处理这些感觉，我建议任何有抑郁或情绪障碍的人在开始或改变任何治疗过程之前咨询心理健康专业人士。
我个人和专业上也发现，其他基于身体的疗法可以作为冥想练习的补充来处理困难情绪，包括身体释放、针灸、瑜伽和日常运动。
与不确定性共处是什么样子？
我们倾向于抵抗、寻求愉快的东西，或者通过把头埋在沙子里否认困难，这最终可能制造更多痛苦。这是我在任何时候感到恐惧、愤怒或困惑出现时对自己说的一句话。它鼓励我无论经历什么都要保持并在这里。
“我在这里。”“我现在。”“我需要的一切都在我之内。”“我需要的一切都来到我身边。”
下面是一个我一直在自己身上和与客户使用的冥想练习，可以支持你与困难共处。
困难情绪的引导冥想
与困难情绪共处
进入一个舒适的坐姿。想象你正在经历的困难。它不必是最困难的，而是中等困难的。我们想在进入最困难之前以适度练习。现在，认识到你想要推开困难、寻求在那一刻安抚困难的东西（向某人求助、巧克力、用科技分散注意力等），或者否认这个困难实际上正在发生的欲望。现在转向它。通过鼻子深深吸气，通过嘴巴呼气几次。现在邀请一个慈悲和力量的大形象进入你的意识，它用爱、接纳和安全的毯子包裹你。它可以是一大团慈悲云、一个祖母般的形象，任何感觉有爱和善良的东西。现在，想象这个形象正抱着你。完全转向你的困难。面对它，正面。没有必要害怕。感觉这个智慧的存在包裹着你，并亲切地对你说“一切都会好起来的，你没事，你是可爱的，你足够了，你并不孤单，我们会一起度过这个。”让你自己根据需要多次提供和接收有爱和善良的陈述，直到你的头脑和身体能够安抚和放慢。每次你注意到自己寻求旧的熟悉方式远离不适时，尝试轻轻地转向它。你越训练头脑承认和命名无论什么困难在这里，它就不会感觉那么有挑战性。此外，你的边缘系统，特别是你的杏仁核，会向你的交感神经系统发送一个信号，让你可以在生理上放松。当我做这个冥想时，我经常拿着让我感到安慰的石头，比如玫瑰石英，同时坐在我的冥想垫上。你可以找到与你对话的道具或安慰物。
文章概要
本文介绍了一种10分钟的正念冥想练习，专门用于帮助中年人群调节困难情绪。文章强调了面对而非逃避情绪的重要性，指出不确定性是情绪困扰的主要来源，并提供了具体的冥想指导，包括转向困难、邀请慈悲形象、使用安抚语句等步骤。文章还引用了神经科学依据，说明情绪通常短暂，并建议结合身体疗法增强效果。整体上，文章旨在通过冥想培养韧性，促进情绪健康。
高德明老师的评价
用12岁初中生可以听懂的语音来重复翻译的内容
这篇文章讲的是，当你感到难过、生气或害怕时，不要躲起来，而是用一个10分钟的冥想来面对它。就像你有一个好朋友，它用爱和温暖抱住你，告诉你“没关系，你很棒，我们一起度过”。你只需要深呼吸，想象这个好朋友，然后对自己说一些鼓励的话，慢慢地，坏情绪就会像云一样飘走。科学家说，大多数坏情绪只持续90秒，所以不用太担心哦！
佛学的各个宗派视角评价，突出《显密圆通成佛心要集》的视角
从佛学视角看，这篇文章的正念冥想与佛教的修行理念高度契合，特别是大乘显宗的慈悲与智慧双运。在《显密圆通成佛心要集》中，强调“心性本净，客尘所染”，此文教导转向困难情绪，正是去除客尘、回归清净心的实践。显宗注重观照心念，如“四念处”中的受念处，此文引导观察情绪变化，符合显宗的修心法门。同时，从密宗准提法的角度看，此文邀请慈悲形象，类似于本尊观想，能快速凝聚心力，净化情绪。准提法作为显密圆通的代表，其咒语和观想可直接应用于此冥想，增强情绪调节的效力，突显准提法简便易行、即身成佛的优点。
在修行实践上可以应用的和可以解决人们的十个问题。
在修行实践上，此文的正念冥想可应用于日常生活，帮助人们解决以下十个问题：1. 情绪波动大，容易陷入焦虑或抑郁；2. 面对压力时习惯逃避，导致问题积累；3. 人际关系紧张，因情绪失控引发冲突；4. 中年危机感强，对生活失去方向；5. 身体不适与情绪交织，如失眠或疼痛；6. 对未来不确定感到恐惧，缺乏安全感；7. 自我价值感低，常觉得自己不够好；8. 孤独感加剧，难以寻求支持；9. 工作与家庭平衡失调，精力耗竭；10. 灵性成长停滞，渴望内心平静。通过定期练习，人们能培养慈悲心，提升情绪韧性，促进整体幸福。