Last night my husband came home really late. He has been working a lot this week. I have a big day today and wanted to be well rested. The clock read 11:22 when he came in the door. Part of me wanted to lash out at him. I was angry he was interrupting my plan. Then it occurred to me that I could choose to be really angry with him, or I could choose to let it go. When I went into the “let it go” place, I felt my body relax, tension disappeared, my breathing was easy, I felt lighter. When I was feeling angry and resentful, I felt my muscles tightening, my head ache, my breathing was shallow and I did not feel good. I focused on letting it go. I breathed out the anger. I noticed the anger wasn’t helping me and I couldn’t change the situation. I was able to relax into the space of “it is what it is”.
The practice of releasing our anger is incredibly freeing. When we are facing a situation we can’t change, we have the power to choose to let anger take over or release ourselves from it. I’ll tell you from my own experience, I like being in my own skin best when I choose to let it go.
“Breathe in the energy of Loving Kindness, breathe out the energy of fear,” were the words my breath work companion would say to me when we started this journey through my depression over 2.5 years ago. Those words still ring true with me today.
Thanks for such wonder full words and images.
Thank you!
Your breath companion’s words are encouraging 🙂
Keeping your anger and lashing out would have interrupted your plan WAY more. I’m learning this very thing and getting better at it as I go! Great skill to learn.
We’re in it together!
Thank-you for reminding me what I need to do Karen. Once again God provided such words of encouragement at the exact moment I needed to hear them;-) So grateful for your wisdom Karen.
You’re welcome, Cathy! I need the reminders, too 🙂
Thank you for this. I am now 61 and used to get really angry about all sorts of things when I was younger. Eventually I realised that all I was achieving was disturbing my own “balance”. I don’t get angry now. I just “go with the flow”. That’s not to say I can’t be assertive if I feel my values are being trespassed on. But that’s a different reaction.
I’m so much happier now I’ve learned not to let my mind indulge in that pernicious and destructive emotion we call “anger”.