So welcome to tonight's meditation. And as you'll see from the front of the screen, this is Mike. And, of course, I'm with Dawn, who, who, who is, busy making sure everything works and supporting me, as she always done, which, which is lovely.

And what I thought we would look at today is, a, a meditation on labelling difficult emotions. And before we start the meditation, I just wanted to share with you some work. That I do an awful lot of at the moment, which is emotion spotting and naming as a strategy to, get us through, difficult times, and, as importantly, to make sure that we don't miss, the emotions of joy, pleasure, pride in self.

Warmth, love. The really important stuff of life really, because so much of that just passes us by if we're not mindful. So More recently, there's been this plethora of very high quality studies that have been looking at the importance of blending emotion spotting and naming into therapy.

Process and into the process of helping people live better, more full, meaningful lives. And neurologically speaking, with the advent of fMRI scanners, with the increased ability to explore, neurology really is we are absolutely realising that emotion. And precedes thought.

Now, if emotion precedes thought, we can also sort of get this, start to get an understanding that emotions can legitimately be seen as the sort of vehicle that . Carries a thought that brings thought to us, the vehicle that to some extent dictates what the thought is going to be, and the vehicle, this emotion that also gives the thought its charge, you know, so a a thought, without emotion is just words and pictures with no real charge to it. If we add the emotion in, yeah, I love you.

Without any emotion is bland and empty, but I love you with emotion. It's, it's full, isn't it? And, and, and we all know the difference between an a, a, a, a, a, a thought like that and .

An eventual statement like that. Similarly, if you imagine it for a moment, a fear thought, I'm going to make a fool of myself. And if that's charged with the emotion of dread and fear, then that carries so much more emotional charge.

So for an awful lot of people, the way we begin our day in the mornings is. Somewhat dictated by the emotion that we wake with. And one of the pieces of work I do with a lot of people is emotion spotting and naming.

So if you're one of those people that ever, ever, ever wakes up in the morning. And As you're brushing your teeth, you find yourself saying to yourself, you hear that thought quite loud in your mind. I'm too tired today to do this.

Today's gonna be dreadful. Oh gosh, I don't feel good. Why am I even bothering?

There's no point. All thoughts and all pretty much I would guess . Transported into your mind.

Alongside, preceded by the emotion of, sadness, the emotion of dread, the emotion of, The emotion of of defeat almost so. One of the really useful. Approaches that we can start to mindfully use is to become brilliant at emotion spotting.

And then emotion naming. And the third part of this is to then get a bit curious using our superpower of curiosity that you hear me. Talk about a lot, I think, so it's.

When we waken, we open our eyes in the morning as part of our mindful getting up strategy. We just stop and we say, OK. What's the emotion that my brain has sort of sent me upon waking?

We go and check out what emotion is there. Oh my gosh, I've awoken with a degree of fear and trepidation. OK.

That's interesting. So if I've awoken with fear and trepidation, then the likelihood is that the thoughts that my mind is going to start sending me very soon. Are going to be thoughts that are characterised by fear.

And trepidation So in a way, what we're doing guys, is we're future-proofing ourselves in a little way, and we're at, we're. Curiously exploring this emotion with a view to not being surprised when we open our eyes as we're drowsily cleaning our teeth in the morning and we see that thought just push its way in today is going to be dreadful. Now, instead of buying into that thought, if we're sort of expecting it because we've been spotting emotion and naming it, and we know that emotion is about this morning, we can meet it instead of with a almost as though the thought is 100% true.

We can see it as a product of the emotion. And then we can do something really splendid. And we can find that wonderful curiosity, and we can say, why is my brain wanting me to wake with sadness, trepidation, fear this morning?

What's this about? And we can perhaps find that the answer we can say, well, I'm tired. I've been working too hard, you know.

I didn't take time over the weekend to rest as I should have done. I partied too much, perhaps, and my brain is actually trying to slow me down, to cushion me, and one of the ways it does that is to send me feelings of fear, trepidation, and dread. Ah, so I know what my brain is, is, is up to here.

Now, the moment that we get that reward of an answer to our question, you know, why is my brain sending this, and we get the answer. Now what we've done then is we've triggered the reward part of the brain rather than dread and fear. So we've actually shifted the emotion towards reward.

And we can use that, and we can say to ourselves, so, OK, so what am I gonna do then this, I don't want to be have today, you know, tainted by dread and fear today. I may maybe I can find a different way to think about this. Now, before I do, maybe I find that emotion of hope.

Let's find a bit of hope. Now, what can I do to make today a better day? Now, emotion spotting and emotion naming.

We hold it lightly, and we get brilliant at it. So, if we're just about to see a new a client coming in, or we're just about to visit somebody about their pet or their animal, and we are on the way, and we notice a feeling of, a heavy feeling, and we check in with the emotion and the emotion that's showing up is a sort of, Is a is is is is a sort of heavy, . Doom-laden emotion.

Again, we can say, oh gosh, what's this about? Oh, it's because I'm visiting this person, and they are always difficult. OK, what's the thought that's gonna come?

They're gonna be horrible today. Now that's just a thought, maybe today they won't be. So emotion spotting and emotion naming can be absolutely fabulous.

And a way to hone this ability to become a really good emotion spotter and emotion namer is. It's in the beginning to really hone our ability to . To Label difficult emotion.

And I say this to you guys with a sort of codicil, which is, don't restrict your emotion spotting and naming to only difficult emotions. That's what we're gonna work with in this meditation. But it's a way of honing our ability to even spot an emotion, you know.

And, and what it does is it, it, it, it helps us not to get stuck in it. There is a sort of saying that, I remember a, a colleague of mine. Used to say about emotion and I must admit before I really got into this stuff, I used to wonder what he was, where he was going with this, but he used to say name it and you tame it.

Name it and you tame it because Naming or labelling difficult emotions helps us disentangle or unstick from them. So as we name it. And we spot it and we name it, we are sort of disentangling, and there's so much research now that shows when we label difficult emotions, the amygdala, that brain structure that registers pain and danger becomes less active and less likely to trigger a stress reaction in the body.

When we gently say to ourselves, do you know this is fear. This is sadness. This is dread, or, oh my word, the emotion of fear is just bubbling around today.

What's that about? We usually feel a degree of emotional freedom because we've developed a tiny bit of mastery as soon as we spot it and we name it. Essentially what we're doing is we're creating some space around the feeling.

So instead of being, and you've heard this phrase, lost in the emotion, we can recognise that we're having the emotion and therefore, Just because we recognised it, we now know that we've got a degree of choice about response. And again, it brings us back to that wonderful truth that between stimulus and response there's a space. And in that space lies our freedom and our growth.

So we go find that space. And we do even more than that as we as we emotion. Name, we develop a degree of mastery over some of the stuff that pushes us around and makes us uncomfortable.

So tonight's meditation is about 10 minutes long. And it's a really, really good one, so . And if you were, if you like it and you really enjoy it, then if you.

If you want to, you can go and find a whole range of meditation scripts based around labelling. Difficult emotions. I would really encourage you to find some that look at labelling, labelling pleasant or enhancing emotion as well, but tonight.

Let's see if we can just begin this journey together by honing our ability to label difficult emotions. So we'll start. And as always guys, if you wouldn't mind just.

Getting yourselves into a position where you're comfortable and you're warm. And you're unlikely to be disturbed. However, I am likely at some point Billy is cowering in the downstairs loo because.

People are letting off fireworks outside and he always runs into the downstairs, Lou and cowers until the fireworks stop, but we're unlikely to see him tonight because he's. And cowering in the downstairs loo. Surrounded by toys and things, but.

I can't promise he won't interrupt. So if we're all sitting comfortably, let's begin. So Very gently now.

Either close your eyes fully. But softly Or even just partially. And let's breathe together.

Just for a few moments. In order to allow our body. To start to relax, so let's take our attention.

So our breath And let's notice as we breathe in. And let go of the breath at our shoulders if we let them. Our chest.

A sternum Everything softens on the way out. And so the out breath allows us to soften. And on this next in breath, gentle breath in.

Let's allow our face. Our jawline, our neck to soften as we breathe out. As we breathe in this time, let's just take our attention to our shoulders.

And as we breathe out, let's just soften. And relax. And can we just now.

Bringing awareness to our bodies. By just noticing. Your posture.

Trying to feel that world of sensation. Occurring within your body at this very moment by Taking your attention to wherever your body makes contact with the chair or the ground. Just noticing those different points of contact, just finding.

What I sometimes think to as the world of sensation. Exploring The temperature in the room you're meditating in. Exploring Those different pressure points that we can get to.

Just bring an awareness to whatever's going on in our body. And now guys, could we just Place your hand On your heart And let's really begin to feel. Our breath as it moves.

In and out. And if it's easier. Just focus on the in breath for a while.

Or focus on the out breath. For a while you choose. I rather like the out breath, so we gently breathe in.

And focusing on that out breath. The sense of letting go. That's wonderful.

So we just focus on one breath for a moment. Focusing on that out breath. Just rest.

Let's do it again. Let's take another one. Gently breathing in.

And letting it go. That's wonderful. Just getting that real sense of being one.

With our body And our breath Just breathing. Now let's take our focus to the in breath particularly. Breathing in.

Let it go. Just noticing, wondering, curious as we breathe in, does our does our body look more noble on the in breath? Can we smile as we breathe in?

And as we let it go, do we start to look more relaxed, noble. So relaxed And just let our hand. Just slowly fall away to your lap.

Knowing that should you become distracted while we're doing this meditation. On emotion Should your mind become distracted or if it goes wandering, as minds do, it's what they're supposed to do. Gently Bring back to your breath as a sort of touch point.

Take your hand, place it back once more. And reconnect with the breath once more. And as we sit Meditating together.

I'd just like you to Bring your attention to whatever emotions. Might be there. Whatever emotions you may be.

Cultivating Pushing away Existing with And just shift your attention. From your breath and ask yourself. What am I feeling?

Right now. What emotions Am I feeling? Right here Right now.

And if you Sat down for this exercise without any strong emotions today. Maybe Your feeling contentment. Or perhaps You're experiencing a bit of curiosity.

What's Mike up to? What's he sharing with us this Sunday? Maybe there's another emotion inside.

May be longing or yearning for more of this peacefulness that you find on a Sunday. There may be sadness or joy. Or worry Worries pretty permissive.

And pervasive at the moment, isn't it? Perhaps even a sense of urgency. That's stuff you really feel you should be doing.

Maybe be loneliness. Maybe you're bursting with pride. Or feeling lost or.

Perhaps envy may be what you're finding like me today. It's actually there's a lot of emotion about. There's a lot of emotion.

Bubbling around at the moment. And what I want you to do now. Is to try to identify.

The strongest feeling. That you're having And just very gently give it a name. Quietly in the midst of your feelings.

And maybe using your body as an antenna. Perhaps only picking up faint signals. Faint signals that just Let yourself become aware.

Of the emotions that are bubbling and percolating in your own body. When you have an emotion. And you have a name for it.

You have a label for it. And then repeat that name. 3 times.

In a kind and gentle voice preceded by the word just. Just anger Or just worry. Just joy.

And we repeat that same word. Worry. Just worry.

Just worry. You find your Word, your label. And just quietly in your mind's eye.

Repeat it 3 times. And return Your breath. Place your hand once more.

Just that bad. On your heart. Just feel your breath.

And take a breath. And as you breathe out, go find the emotion again and name it and label it. Yeah, that's just anger today.

Just anger This is anger There's definitely anger there. And notice that sort of liberation of finding the emotion. And naming it.

And the skill of being able to leave it, find the in breath, breathe in. Just breathing out. Chas breathing and go and find that emotion again.

And smile as you recognise it. I know you. Ah, I found you.

Labelled you God. Just anger Just anger Just anger And it's almost the reward of finding and labelling and recognising that you're not in the thrall of this emotion without. Any monster, you found it.

If you ever feel overwhelmed by the emotion or you find it disturbing, then you stay with that breath. Just breathe until you feel that sense of disturbance. Or being overwhelmed just begin to subside.

And now we need to show yourself some loving kindness. So as we breathe. We feel each breath.

And we keep our hand over our heart. Feeling the warmth of the hand. And the loving kindness, the goodwill.

That's within you And maybe even has inspired you. To be meditating this evening. Undertaking this exercise.

And you're doing this because of your loving kindness towards yourself, your wish. To be happy and free from suffering. And just feeling.

That innate goodwill. As you breathe right through your heart. And when the emotion that we found arises or sweeps away your attention.

Label it Return to your breath. Name that emotion. Gain that mastery.

Liberate your mind. Just emotion But no longer Hidden emotion A motion that sneaks up and pulls the carpet out from under us. It's almost smiling at our subconscious and saying Do you know what, I think I'm on to you a little bit.

I think I'm there. I think I'm On the beginnings of a journey of mastery. And now Very gently.

Just begin to open your eyes if they've been closed. And perhaps recognise that for the rest of the evening or certainly tomorrow as you waken. Start your day.

Just no. You can always find refuge in your breath. And recognise that most emotion.

Can be made more workable. By simply spotting it. And then naming it.

Yeah, well done, guys, it's really good. It's a lovely emotion, that one. Emotion, meditation, that one, I really like it.

I think it's very useful and the better we get at spotting and naming emotion, the better we get at, managing mood. Getting through the day and liberating our minds. Thank you all so much for joining me.

This Sunday, and thank you all, cause I don't know if you're aware, but, I was the recipient of the Bartram Award from the webinar that's, . Last Thursday for work with the veterinary profession, so I was very humbled by that. And thank you.

To those of you who . Perhaps mentioned some of the work we've done together, so that was lovely. Have wonderful, happy.

Evenings. And get going. Ah, Katrina's just shared very interesting meditation.

I find it very difficult to recognise emotion. So this was a really odd feeling. Yeah.

Katrina, I think that, a little bit of reading around the, the, neurology and some of the new research, perhaps will give you the, the push in this direction, because, just spotting and naming emotions is being seen as Being recognised now as being such a powerfully, important thing that we can do for ourselves. So, I love your, your, your response there. So it was odd.

Now, odd tells me that there was curiosity going on in your mind. So that's what we want, that superpower of curiosity. So thank you all so much.

Thank you, Dawn, as always, and I will email in the week, Dawn. And Dawn's gonna send me some details because I hope to be running, we are going to be running a psychological pain management course through the webinar that, probably in February next year. So, I'm looking forward to that.

Good night, everybody.