Feeling the pain that lies inside the difficult emotion of anger opens up the experience.
I think anger is feared and judged in many cultures, and it is natural for many of us to have internalized those reactions.
For me, anger is tied to awareness of loss. It brings up fear of loss and fear of being unaccepted and alone. I sometimes think I should be able to handle things without anger or that anger is a waste of time and energy.
I appreciate the reminder in this guided meditation that anger and other states of suffering arise in life whether we want them to or not and are not inherently wrong. Anger and pain are natural.
I notice that anger arises when my expectations are not met; when I lose a part of a narrative with which I identify. In this light, anger is part of fearing the fracturing of identity or a reaction to the feeling that the story of identity I reach for is shifting and open, not solid and safe.
I see how others who are angry may misdirect the expression of their pain towards me, as I also do at times.
Seeing anger as a sign of pain and sending awareness and compassion in response seems like such a simple idea but is a powerful way to reframe our experiences in a softer light.
