Anger is a good thing... when we know how to be the master, and not the servant, of this powerful energy.
How can we be in mastery of our anger so that we use this strong energy in the most creative way possible for positive outcomes?
Awareness is the solution. Awareness gives us choice.
How do we become more aware? Through a meditation practice.
The most powerful and effective technique I know for transforming anger into creativity, and giving us choice, is the "Gibberish Expressive Meditation."
Gibberish was first practiced hundreds of years ago by a Sufi mystic named Jabbar. (The word "gibberish" derives from his name.) Jabbar would teach his disciples to speak in gibberish (the language children speak before they learn the language of their native country). Many became enlightened.
Speaking gibberish (step one) enables us to reconnect quickly and easily with the body, and with our emotions. We are taken (temporarily!) out of the logical mind, and are then able to give free expression to our bottled-up emotions. Sitting in silence (step two) allows us to listen to our inner intelligence -- and creative ideas arise.
Often, anger comes upon us suddenly and we've yelled at someone before we know it. A practice of the Gibberish technique helps release the backlog of stored emotions so that we become more emptied out, relaxed and calm. An inner spaciousness is created that allows our inner intelligence and creativity to arise, quickly and easily. Then the next time someone is annoying (which they probably will be!), we can respond with less emotional charge, greater clarity, and maybe some humor.
Anger creates emotional turmoil, which clouds our ability for creative communication. By dumping out this inner clutter in the context of a meditation technique, we free ourselves from the emotional charge of past conditionings and are then able to respond to a situation with present-moment awareness.
Benefits of the Gibberish expressive meditation are:
- Releasing emotional turmoil from body and mind, which is good for our well-being
Most people do one of two things with their anger. Either they repress it, women, for example, are taught it is not ladylike to get angry (I certainly was!). As a result we become afraid of anger, our own or someone else's, and become paralyzed with fear rather than being able to respond to a situation. We become victims. Alternatively, we dump our anger on someone else, which is more of a masculine characteristic. We become bullies. Victims and bullies are trapped by their own unconscious. Victims internalize their anger and bullies externalize it.
How to Free Ourselves?
If we are a victim and have become paralyzed with fear, the Gibberish meditation can help us get in touch with our anger and we can learn to defend and stand up for ourselves and create boundaries. Bullies can learn to re-direct their anger into a safe context. Both then learn how anger transforms into creativity and choice. Both become empowered, freed from an unconscious habit.
We can learn to become so rooted in ourselves that we live in our center where our inner intelligence lies. This is a place where we are so anchored to peace and calm that nothing can disturb us. We can then respond to situations rather than react from unconscious habit. The ocean has millions of waves that become agitated by the wind, but deep down the ocean is still, no wind, no hurricane can disturb it. We are like the ocean. If we live on the surface, agitated by every disturbance, we live in a constant turmoil. But we can learn how to move down to our own still depths where no one can disturb us.
Our question then becomes: How can we move from the periphery to the center, from the surface to the depths? How can we become more rooted in ourselves? Through an expressive meditation technique. It will take you from anxiety to serenity, from chaos to peace, from anger to compassion.
Don't fight, don't condemn, use the hot fire of anger and transform it into the joy of creativity. This is how you gain mastery of yourself, rather than being a victim or a bully. Accept, watch the lightning, and dark thunder clouds of your inner sky and the clear blue sky will again appear.
Here is the Gibberish Expressive Meditation Technique
Benefits: You gain instant relief from turbulent emotions and from the chattering mind. You become more calm, relaxed, and creative.
Step One: Gibberish (30 seconds)
Close your eyes. Start speaking in gibberish, any nonsense sounds. Don't worry about what you sound like. Make any sounds that arise; don't speak in a language or use words that you know. Allow yourself to express whatever needs to be expressed within you. Just go totally mad. This is therapeutic madness.
Step Two: Sit in Silence and Watch with Nonjudgment and Compassion for Yourself (30 seconds)
You can practice this technique for as long or as short a time as you wish. Just make sure to spend an equal amount of time on each step.
I look forward to your comments.
There is more information on the Gibberish and other expressive meditations in my book Laughter, Tears, Silence: Expressive Meditations To Calm Your Mind and Open Your Heart
And here is a link to my Guided Meditation CDs
For more by Pragito Dove, click here.
For more on emotional wellness, click here.