Emotions come and they go. Some, like happiness or joy, we like and want them to stick around. Others, like say anger, fear or sadness, not so much.

With these negative emotions, we tend to push them down or away. Why face them when you can avoid them, right?

Only the thing is that what we resist, persists.

Meaning that those emotions you pushed away? They’re still there.

The best way to work through them? Is to face them head on.

Easier said than done. I know.

As someone who has a long history of anxiety, I know that sitting with this feeling is definitely not easy to do.

When anxiety shows up in my body it is always accompanied by a nervous and upset stomach and racing thoughts that often spiral out of control. I have felt nauseous and sick in more places than I care to admit. I think most of us can relate to that mad dash to the bathroom because we’re about to 🤢

What gets me through these moments? Staying open to what’s here and returning to the breath.

It’s actually pretty amazing how the breath can help us through so many different experiences.

Laying out the welcome mat doesn’t mean that we have to like what comes up. We don’t even have to agree with it – we just need to be open to meeting them. Sometimes thoughts come up and I am like “where did you come from?” I still welcome them in. Even these moments teach us something about ourselves when we take the time to greet them as they are.

The Welcome Mat meditation teaches us how to be open to what arises. This way we can work with what is present… even when what is here is unpleasant.

Keeping our hearts and minds open, with an attitude of kindness, gives us the chance to respond skillfully to life.

It allows us to welcome everything that is here, right now, in this moment. The good and the bad.

When we really sit with what is, when we acknowledge all that is her and now, we start to be able to lean into the joy that is present throughout our day.

Putting Out The Welcome Mat

Ready to try it our for yourself?

Click here to download The Welcome Mat meditation

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The more we sit with what’s here, the more we learn how to make ourselves a priority. We learn how to value and to take care of ourselves, our emotions and our thoughts.

I invite you to download this meditation and to see what happens when you put out your welcome mat. Notice what arises, moment to moment. Sit with it and welcome it in.

Until next time, take care and be well.