When clients come into my office, they describe many types of problems.  Yet, whatever their situation, they almost always complain that they feel stuck in feelings of anger, sadness, fear or hurt.  In order to help my clients, I teach them something called The Sensation Meditation (SM).  This meditation guides people to focus on their negative feelings in a specific manner. By helping people fully feel their emotions without distraction, this meditation helps people move through “stuck” feelings into a place of healing. When people finish using this simple three minute technique, they frequently report that their negative feelings have vanished, and that their body feels relaxed, peaceful, and at ease.

The first step in doing the Sensation Meditation is to find a comfortable chair or couch, and proceed to take a couple of slow, deep breaths.  Then, scan your body and notice the most uncomfortable feeling or sensation you feel.  Focus on this area of your body, and feel exactly whatever is there.  For example, if you’re annoyed you might notice a tightness in your chest and a warm feeling in your throat.  If you’re worried, you may notice a tension in your forehead muscles and shoulder blades.  Ultimately, our emotions are experienced in our body as specific sensations such as warmth or coolness, tightness or relaxation, sharp or blunt, etc.  As you notice uncomfortable sensations in your body, try to be aware of the resistance you have to experience these uncomfortable feelings.  Instead of avoiding or pushing away the discomfort you feel, simply allow the sensations to be there.  Give yourself full permission to feel whatever is going on in the present moment. Continue reading →