Mi'sen

Most of the time, practicing with a little anger can be good fun. I've learnt however, that when it gets very intense the smart thing is to completely stop, sit down, and practice. Because if you act it out or repress it, the cost can be high.

expanding on what I said yesterday, here's a small thread from @euvieivanova which I appreciate, and mirrors a lot of how I've been taught to practice with emotions:https://twitter.com/euvieivanova/status/1043087043004383233 …

I'm a bit of a dullard and I don't pretend to be awake by any measure, but if you accept the inevitable limitations of any contemplative practice, keep a sensible, cynical head on, and apply yourself diligently, this stuff can work surprisingly well.

This is how I practiced to get over a valium addiction and cut through the steel chords pulling me towards suicide. I'm not suggesting they'll work for everyone that way, but they sure did help me (and those around me).

fantastic thread & thanks so much for sharing your experience. You've articulated what i've felt super well. The more difficult it is, the more I should remove everything else from life to just sit with it.

Well, I'm glad you found it useful and/or enjoyable. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'remove everything else from life'. I should have been more precise in my communication, perhaps. In principle, one doesn't need to remove/add anything, but practically it can be helpful.

I think it's important to make that distinction, because I personally find that treating any emotion as something fundamentally open and workable, a very powerful frame. The problem is solidifying our experience, such that 'anger' (e.g.) is a big problem that we need to remove.