Here is a practice to deal with your own little “daily crisis”, in other words those times when you feel hurt, offended, triggered or emotionally charged by a daily event or person.
It is the simple practice of accepting, holding and welcoming the emotional charge —it’s called The Welcoming Prayer.
Here are the steps:
First, notice the hurt or offense as it arises in your daily life. Focus on how this shows up in your body as a sensation. Where is it? What does it feel like? Is it moving around? Are you tensing parts of your body or breathing differently than usual? Is it a familiar sensation? Be fully present to this sensation rather than pushing it away. Paying attention to your body’s sensations keeps you from jumping into the mind and it’s continual stories and judgments.
After you can identify the emotional charge and feel it in your body, welcome it. Stop fighting it. Stop blaming the other or yourself. Welcome the grief. Welcome the anger. Welcome the fear. It’s difficult to do, but for some reason, when we name it, feel it, and welcome it, transformation can begin.
Don’t lose presence to the moment. Any kind of analysis will lead you back into attachment to your ego self. Move back and forth between these two steps for as long as you need or have time to.
Don’t try to make the uncomfortable feeling go away; just notice and welcome until the overwhelming quality of the feeling begins to subside.
Now hand all of this pain or discomfort over to Grace. Let it go. Ask for the grace of forgiveness for the person who hurt you, for the event that offended you, for the reality of suffering in your life.
We can’t promise the pain will leave easily or quickly. But letting go frees up a great amount of energy and is simply liberating. It leads you to your True Self.
Here is a prayer that speaks beautifully to this practice:
The Welcoming Prayer
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
I welcome everything that comes to me today
because I know it’s for my healing.
I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons,
situations, and conditions.
I let go of my desire for power and control.
I let go of my desire for affection, esteem,
approval and pleasure.
I let go of my desire for survival and security.
I let go of my desire to change any situation,
condition, person or myself.
I open to the love and presence of God and
God’s action within. Amen.
– Father Thomas Keating
