Tibetan medicine, a Meditation on Anger

To understand our anger, we have to take a closer look at our non-verbal feelings rather than believing our surface words and rational explanations for our feelings.

Our thoughts can affect our feelings and both can affect our health for the better or worse. Uplifting emotions include feelings of oneness, connection, love, safety, gratitude, and depleting emotions or feelings include anger, bitterness, worry, or hopelessness.

Our feelings are wordless and our verbal rational mind tries to put words and reasons to feelings that might originate in old intergenerational trauma from violent events or food scarcity. Instead we tend to look around us and think our immediate situation was causal for feelings that might have to do with wordless instincts embedded in epigenetic changes from our grandmothers' time of life, when she was pregnant with our mothers.

Anger might also be situational to the present and that might include nutritional needs being unmet, or sleep, or pent up feelings from lack of exercise and too much modern blue light and EMF and internet scrolling. To feel less angry we may need to consider what we are reacting too and whether it is internal (a need for magnesium) or external (a need for quiet in the work environment).

• This post follows the post: Compassion, Anger and Codependency, from the perspective of Tibetan Medicine. (peace-is-happy.org)

In Tibetan Medicine spending time in nature is encouraged and looking at the interconnectedness of our lives with others and with our surroundings.

• The following is an excerpt from the book: Tibetan Medicine and You - A Path to Wellbeing, Better Health, and Joy, by Miriam E. Cameron and Tenzin Namdul, 2020. (GoodReads) (Rowman.com)

Miriam Cameron is a registered nurse with a PhD in nursing and philosophy/bioethics who has been studying Tibetan Medicine since 1994. Tenzin Namdul is a doctor of Tibetan Medicine. The book is a collaborative work with a goal of bringing the benefits of Tibetan Medicine practices to Western medicine practitioners. (GoodReads) (Rowman.com)

Meditation on Anger, pages 224-225

Tibetan medicine teaches that thoughts impact health and happiness. Kind thoughts calm mind and body. They help you to think clearly and make good decisions.

In contrast, anger increases the heart rate and blood pressure and depresses the immune system. When you are angry, you breathe in a shallow, erratic manner. You get too hot, which affects your entire body. Your cells fail to let go of toxins and become properly oxygenated. Angry thoughts decrease your ability to see things clearly and choose wisely. Anger can kill you.

Meditating on anger will help you to develop mindfulness, awareness of the present moment. When mindful of your anger, you more easily will let it go, rather than express it, ruminate on it, and/or suppress it. Hidden anger comes out in depression, headaches, infections, inflammation, skin rashes, and other symptoms. By meditating on anger you figure out why you're angry. You can read it out and behave with compassion and wisdom.

• Sit comfortably in a straight back chair on a meditation cushion or on the floor or lie on a bed with your arms by your sides and your legs stretched out.

• Straighten your back and breathe deeply; close or lower your eyes and relax.

• Breathe in a circular manner, through your nostrils, from your abdomen, slowly, deeply evenly, with your in-breath the same length as your out-breath, and no break in between; keep breathing in this manner throughout the meditation.

• Think of a situation about which you are angry and fully feel your anger; determine where in your body are holding anger and why.

Try to understand your anger and what underlies this negativity.

• Do you feel abused? If so, how can you kindly set limits and protect yourself?

• Are you afraid of losing something you have or not getting what you want? If so, remember the folly of being attached to what is impermanent (see chapter 7).

• Did someone disrespect you and you defended your ego to save face? If so, keep in mind that you're empty of inherent existence, and your ego doesn't really exist, (see chapter seven). Breathe out your anger, fear, and all other negativity; feel purified in mind and body. Fill yourself with compassion towards yourself, everyone and everything.

When you're ready, fully open your eyes and keep breathing in a circular manner.

Bring into your everyday life the purity, peace, and compassion that you cultivated during the meditation. Make amends for treating yourself and others with anger. Kindly set appropriate limits to protect yourself from individuals who are angry. Anger is contagious. If you don't safeguard yourself, you are likely to become angry again.

Miriam E. Cameron and Tenzin Namdul, Tibetan Medicine and You, pp 224-225, 

We can imagine whatever serene vista that we want. Image: Wix AI generated

See this post for the introduction to the book and topic of Tibetan Medicine and You:  Compassion, Anger and Codependency, from the perspective of Tibetan Medicine. (peace-is-happy.org) on this site, or longer version on my newsletter site (deNutrients.Substack).

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.