Watch this when
Meditation for Working with Difficulities | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
You don't have to stare your pain down. Rest somewhere safe, and just give it a sidelong glance.
Who it's for
Being told to 'sit with' pain can feel overwhelming, so this practice builds in a safe anchor first: a part of the body that feels pleasant, safe, at ease or at least neutral.
Feelings it meets
What it is
A roughly seven-minute guided meditation from UCLA Mindful (UCLA Health's Mindful Awareness Research Center), whose recorded guided meditations are credited to its director Diana Winston and offered with transcripts in many languages. As its title indicates, it guides listeners in working mindfully with difficulties.
Where to find it
YouTube, UCLA Health channel (free). Audio and transcript PDF on UCLA Mindful's free guided meditations page (uclahealth.org/uclamindful).
Before you start
Heads up: Focuses on pain; hard in acute distress.
Age: Ages 12+
Sit still my heart, do not raise your dust. Let the world find its way to you.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 190
