Quotes Meaning

"Quite simply, if you’re feeling anxious, angry, a sense of shame, whatever it is, breathe in and agree to touch or feel it. Breathing out, offer space and care to whatever’s there. If there’s blocking to touching it, emphasize the in-breath and stay embodied."

- Tara Brach

American psychologist and meditation instructor Tara Brach is well-known for her mindfulness exercises and caring approach to mental health. Her lessons frequently center on accepting our emotions as they come up without passing judgment, which enables us to deal with challenging emotions more adeptly.

Using breathing techniques and mindful awareness to embrace and comprehend our emotional states is one of the main ideas in Tara's work. Think of your emotions as visitors who knock on your door without warning; occasionally they bring gifts that make you happy or content, but other times they may bring heavier burdens like anger or anxiety. Tara recommends that we extend a warm and welcoming invitation to them rather than attempting to ignore or push them away.

When challenging emotions come up, we give ourselves permission to recognize and accept them instead of fighting them by taking deep breaths. By opening a window in your mind, this breathing technique allows fresh air to flow around any heavy clouds of negativity that may be lingering there. While each exhale represents letting go of any tension or resistance you may have towards those emotions, each inhalation is an invitation to embrace whatever emotion is present at that precise moment.

We are encouraged by Tara's approach to approach our emotional experiences with the same consideration and care that we would offer a friend who is experiencing hardship. Breathing mindfully helps create an inner environment where difficult feelings can be understood and processed more healthily, much like a good friend listens to your problems without passing judgment.

This method is especially effective because it changes our relationship with our inner world from one of avoidance or struggle to one of acceptance and compassion. It's about developing the ability to tolerate discomfort rather than avoiding it, which over time can result in increased mental clarity and emotional resilience.

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