3 Mindfulness Practices to Use When Dealing With Deep Sadness
When thinking of meditation, you often focus on happiness and clearing the mind. How can one focus on being happy when there is sadness in the heart?
It can be difficult to deal with deep sadness healthily, even with mindfulness practices. I often find that when I feel sad, I blame myself for not being mindful enough or for even allowing the sadness to get to me. Sadness is an emotion that we have for a reason and I'll be covering three mindfulness practices that can help when deep sadness approaches.
Journal Meditation
When dealing with deep sadness, there can sometimes be a sense of stagnancy. We may want to curl up in a blanket and let the days pass us by. We may ignore the source of this deep sadness to avoid further pain.
In this meditation, you will need a quiet space to sit with these thoughts.
Before you begin to journal, sit quietly, keep your back straight, and return to your breath. The first thing you want to write down is the awareness of how your body is feeling. Is your stomach clenched? Does your chest feel like it aches?
Once you get this out, then describe what exactly is making you feel this way.
Why do I ask that you describe the physical attributes of this pain? This is so that you can address what the sadness is doing to the body. We can stay stuck in our minds and forget to even come home to the body. We keep our thoughts from floating away and anchor ourselves to our bodies. This form of mindfulness is heightened with journaling for you can quiet your thoughts and focus on the experience of being alive.
After you have described what has made you feel this sadness, remind yourself "I have passed through many storms. Every storm has to pass, there is no storm that will stay here forever".
You want to end this journal entry with something that will make you feel content and happy. There are beautiful traits and characteristics you possess as a person that you should dwell on. Dwell on something that makes you feel light.
Once you've finished this exercise, then return to your breath again.
Be sure to secure a journal that reflects your personal experience on this earth.
Related Article: How to Remain Calm in the Middle of Chaos
Mindful Movement Meditation
Often when we think about meditation, we think about sitting still. There are many meditations that involve mindful movement like Tai chi, an ancient Chinese practice in which a person performs a series of controlled slow movements and guided breath. This form of meditation, like all forms of meditation, takes discipline in the mind and in the heart.
Mindful movements can be a physical representation of removing the sadness from the body.
For this exercise, you would want to wear comfortable and moveable clothes. You want to focus on your breath and the movement of your body. For one movement, you can slowly act out removing the overwhelming feeling from you. You can do this by slowly bringing your hands to your heart. Imagine the sadness flooding your hands. It is leaving your chest and your body feels lighter while your hands feel heavier. Slowly move your hands away from your body as if removing the sadness from your heart. As you move your hands and arms, focus on your breath. How amazing your body is cooperating with your brain as it signals your nerves to move the muscles of your arms. Keep your hands together like a cupping form, then release the sadness from your hands.
There are many tai chi positions that master instructors have available to help maximize the benefit of this exercise. There are many videos and practices that you can learn about here.
Take Away Trail
Emotions are part of the human experience and sometimes we deal with emotions such as sadness that may take us away from the things we enjoy. When dealing with deep sadness or any other emotion, you must always remember there is a way to ameliorate this feeling. The storm will always pass, even when it doesn't seem like it in the moment. Remember if you are dealing with sadness that is reoccurring or negatively impacts your daily life or health, please seek professional help.
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