Calming the Waves of Emotion

Calming the Waves of Emotion

by Genevieve Gerard

Learning to calm the pervading turmoil of emotions is another benefit of learning to meditate. Much like the chattering mind, the emotions impact our lives constantly throughout the day. The turbulence created by our emotions can make us unable to truly evaluate what is transpiring in our lives. We find ourselves behaving reactively without thought because something someone has said or done triggers our emotions. By calming the emotions even for only the brief period of meditation we begin to gain perspective and control in our lives.

The respite of meditation gives us a time where we can be free of the force of our emotions and begin to see how they impact and influence our lives. As one enters the meditative state the dual process of quieting the mind’s chatter and calming the roiling emotions begins. As the quiet emerges, the Self experiences freedom from the constant chatter of the mind and the impact of the emotions. This creates a sense of peace, a sensation of centering, and allows us to touch the awareness of life with another part of ourselves in control.

Once we experience this we can imagine what our life would be like if the Higher Self, the Soul, which we can contact in moments of meditation, were to gain control over the chattering mind and swirling emotions all the time. In moments of meditation we can ask ourselves from the perspective of the Higher Self to explore decisions we are making to see what is influencing our decisions. Often we discover that fear (the most powerful and damaging of all emotions) or a series of “shoulds” and “oughts” (the most pervasive negative judgments of the chattering mind) are the major influence in determining how we live our lives. As we explore our potential to live our lives free from these pervasive influences we can see new possibilities and we begin to develop new perspectives.

Here we begin to realize how much of what creates unhappiness and distress in our lives is a result of our own undisciplined thoughts and feelings running amok in our consciousness. Through the simple choice to enter into a meditative state we can receive a respite from the constant barrage of judgmental thoughts and pervasive fears. We can for the time in meditation become aware of the possibility of life operating from a centered peaceful place that focuses on the now. We can begin to understand the benefits that await us as we take control of our life from the perspective of the Higher Self.

Although at first this seems to be a Herculean task, each time you make the decision to meditate, each time you allow your Higher Self to bring the mind and the emotions to a calm quiet, you are demonstrating your personal will in choosing where you want your life to focus. The more regularly you meditate the easier it becomes and the more familiar the Higher Self becomes as a part of who you truly are.

Copyright © 2009 and 2011 by Genevieve Gerard. All rights reserved.