Meditation for Releasing Emotions
We often find ourselves crushed by our emotions. Whether it's stress, anxiety, anger, or sadness, our emotions can easily trap us in a negative cycle, affecting our mental and physical health. That's where emotional release meditation comes in.
Meditation is a powerful tool to help us release our emotions and find inner peace. By focusing on our breath and being present at the moment, we can learn to observe our emotions without judgment, allowing them to pass through us and dissipate. Whether you're a professional or a new yogi, incorporating meditation for releasing emotions into your daily routine can be a life-changing experience.
Meditation requires long periods of concentration and deep breathing, and choosing a position that is comfortable for you is a must. In this article, we will be doing seated meditation, but before that. We will show you some positions you can do if you want more variations besides the seated position.
Savasana or Corpse Pose is one option you can do while doing meditation if you find prolonged sitting uncomfortable. We will show some variations as well for you to choose from.
1. Corpse Pose
Lie on your back on the floor with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart for an emotional release meditation. Place your arms at your sides or extend your arms overhead, relaxing your upper body. Close your eyes and take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, relaxing your entire body.
Corpse Pose
Exercise Variation 1:
Supported Corpse Pose
For this exercise, you can use a yoga block, pillow, rolled towel, or any other item that can support your lower back.
Lie on your back on the floor with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Position the yoga block or pillow under your low back area and place your arms at your sides or extend your arms overhead, relaxing your upper body.
Close your eyes and take several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth, relaxing your entire body.
Supported Corpse Pose
Exercise Variation 2:
Reclined Butterfly
For this exercise, you can use a yoga block, pillow, rolled towel, or any other item that can support your head and midback.
Lie on your back on the floor, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs. Place one yoga block to support your midback at its lowest setting and another yoga block to support your head at its highest setting. Place your hands on your inner thighs or relax your arms at your sides. Tighten your core, bring the soles of your feet together, and open your knees out to the sides. Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Reclined Butterfly
Corpse Pose is an effective method to relax and destress after a busy day. To help you get the most out of this calming pose, here are the two distinct variations that will help you feel comfortable and fully enjoy the benefits:
a. Supported Corpse Pose is an excellent option for a more nurturing experience. By providing gentle support, this pose allows for a deeper level of relaxation and helps relieve any strain or discomfort in the body.
b. Reclined Butterfly is a great variation for individuals who wish to improve hip mobility, find relief from lower back discomfort, or want to indulge in a soothing stretch.
Set yourself in a comfortably seated position, either on a floor or a chair, as we start our Seated Meditation with the following routines:
2. Pranayama Meditation ( 6 7 8 Breath Works)
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed for an emotional release meditation, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Place your hands on your knees, close your eyes or gaze at something unmoving in front of you. Soften your face and relax your shoulders, allowing your body and mind to settle in.
Bring awareness to your breathing as you take a deep belly breath through the nose for 6 counts, also hold your breath for 7 counts, and then exhale through the mouth for 8 counts. Repeat the practice, starting with 1 set of 5 repetitions. Relax and return to your normal breathing, noticing how you feel and your surroundings.
Pranayama Meditation ( 6 7 8 Breath Works)
3. Body Scan Meditation
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your bodyfor an emotional release meditation, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders and hips. Place your hands on your knees. Scan your body with a sense of neutrality. Bring awareness from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head, allowing the sensations as they are to make you more present in the moment.
Notice how you breathe once more, maintaining awareness of your body and remaining gentle with yourself. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for a second, then exhale through your mouth and hold your breath again for another second. Repeat the breathing practice, starting with 1 set of 5 repetitions. Relax and return to your normal breathing, noticing how you feel and your surroundings.
Body Scan Meditation
4. Emotional Landscape Meditation
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your body for an emotional release meditation, maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders and hips. Notice any emotion that feels present without labeling them as good or bad or right or wrong.
Acknowledge those feelings that cause emotions to rise recently. Turn your attention towards those emotions swirling inside you and bring awareness to how your body is. Allow all your sensations to be as they are, and be gentle with yourself as you acknowledge any discomfort feelings.
At this point, stay connected with your breath, then make an inner prompt or question for yourself about your emotions by asking, “What emotions am I feeling right now?”. While asking this question to yourself, notice how your mind and body shift without labeling them. The next question you need to ask is, “Which emotions am I trying to avoid right now?” and give attention to the emotions that seem hard for you. Also, follow with these questions, “Why am I trying to hide this emotion?”, “What does this emotion need from me?”, “What is preventing me from addressing this emotion?”. Let your body flow with the sensation, not allowing the space of distraction to prevent this emotion.
Bring awareness to your breathing. Inhale through your nose. Hold your breath for a second, then exhale through your mouth and hold your breath again for another second. Repeat the breathing practice, starting with 1 set of 5 repetitions. Relax and return to your normal breathing, noticing how you feel and your surroundings.
Emotional Landscape Meditation
5. Self-Compassion Meditation
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your body for an emotional release meditation, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders and hips. Bring awareness to your emotions by asking these questions to yourself, “What purpose is being hard on my self serving?”, “What would it take for me to be kinder to myself at this moment?” Then, give yourself permission to be in your present moment, to be kind to yourself, and to allow the emotions to be present.
At this moment, stay connected with your breath, then offer space for every emotion by remaining calm, gentle, aware, and open. Once you are more in tuned with your breath, you can better greet what comes your way.
Let your emotions be your visitors, and welcome them with pride. Also, make an inner dialogue with your emotions by saying, “Hi! Fear. Hi! Anger. I see you. It’s okay for you to be here. I will not distract myself away from you. I know that you’re not the thing beside me and you’re not above me.” Bring awareness to your breathing. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for a second, also exhale through your mouth and hold your breath again for another second. Repeat the breathing practice, then relax, and return to your normal breathing, noticing how you feel and your surroundings.
Self-Compassion Meditation
6. Meditation Reflection
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your body, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders and hips. Soften your face and relax your shoulders. Start your reflection with these prompts. “What would it sound like if I spoke to myself the way it would to the child in me?”.
Return to the emotions you have named, noticing the tension and sensations present in the body. Soften your toes, relax your knees, and allow the hips to feel heavy. Soften your belly all the way to your heart, relaxing your shoulders.
Bring awareness to your breathing. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for a second, then exhale through your mouth and hold your breath again for another second. Repeat the breathing practice, starting with 1 set of 5 repetitions. Relax and return to your normal breathing and notice how you feel.
Meditation Reflection
7. Breaths
Begin in an upright sitting position on the floor with your legs crossed in front of your body. While maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, and hips. Bring one hand over your chest and your other hand on your belly.
Close your eyes, bow your head down, and say these affirmations, “I’m letting go. I release every single thing that is not serving me good anymore. I release old beliefs and let go of strings from things, from people who no longer serve me good. And I receive every single thing that I deserve. I receive abundance. I receive kindness, forgiveness and love.” Allow these affirmations to guide you throughout your day. Relax and return to the starting position.
Breaths
Meditation offers a transformative path toward releasing emotions and finding inner peace. It is a powerful tool that allows us to break free from the grip of negative emotions that often overwhelm us.
Focusing on our breath and being present at the moment provides a sanctuary where we can truly connect with ourselves and our emotions. Through this gentle observation, we create space for our emotions to arise, be acknowledged, and ultimately dissipate. In this sacred space, we find solace and learn to navigate the turbulent waves of stress, anxiety, anger, and sadness.
Embrace the power of meditation to release your emotions and create space for inner peace to flourish. You deserve this gift of self-care and transformation. Trust in the process and may your meditation practice guide you toward a life filled with joy, serenity, and emotional freedom.
