Work with mind-states

We can think of emotions or “mind-states” like inner weather that affects our experience. The world feels very different when we are angry or at ease. We can learn to calm the alarm system, feel mind-states in the body, and let them rest in awareness.

Calming the Alarm
Instructions

Jaya Ashmore

What helps lower the alarm system?

When we feel safe enough, we can rest. What is rest? A mysterious spring of energy, healing, learning and creativity that happens with enough trust and less alarm. Rest brings us alive. We don't need to seek 100% safety, because when we feel safe enough, we are in touch with life in a fulfilling way. What can help us rediscover safe enough?

~ Feel your feet for a while, maybe 5 or 6 breaths. Yes, even if it sounds ridiculous, and why would it help?! But just feeling the shape, the skin, the weight, between the toes, the textures of clothing, air, and ground. Touch your feet with your hands, if you like.

~ After a while, you may find a deeper out-breath happens, or you can invite a longer out-breath. Two or three long out-breaths, as if you are breathing out down into your legs. Can you feel your legs? Legs and feet? Just feeling whatever you can feel in the lower body for a while as you let your out-breath go down into your legs.

Read the full text here.

Calling Emotions by Name Meditation

(Jaya Ashmore, 2022, 30 minutes, Insight Timer)

In this guided meditation, Jaya gives instructions on how to be with difficult emotions when they come up.

Working with Mind-states Instructions

Jaya Ashmore

In this short text Jaya gives some suggestions for working with mind-states, moods and emotions.

Below the Thoughts, Feelings and Emotions Meditation

00:00 / 10:00

(Gemma Polo Pujol, 2020, 10 minutes)

Five Signs of Breakthrough Instructions

Jaya Ashmore

In this short text, Jaya explains how uncomfortable mind-states can come up, often just before a shift towards greater insight.

"Vedana" Dharma Talk Extract

00:00 / 10:10

(Jaya Ashmore, 2010, 10 minutes)

Vedana is the way we personally take in our experience – the way sights, sounds, sensations or thoughts are immediately filtered as pleasant, unpleasant, or neither. Jaya explores this further in this 10 minute extract from a dharma talk.