Date: 06/08/2024 06/09/2024
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
How to Stay Steady Amid Emotional Waves
Emotional fluctuations are natural. The key is not suppressing or escaping them, but learning to remain calm and clear while emotions rise and fall—cultivating an inner stability that cannot be shaken.
1.Why Do Emotions Feel Overwhelming?
1.Emotions arise suddenly
They hit like waves—sometimes small, sometimes huge—catching us unprepared.
2.Emotions hijack thinking
When emotions intensify, clarity and judgment are easily clouded.
3.Emotions amplify suffering
A simple thought can turn into a major disturbance if charged with emotion.
The pain comes not from emotions themselves, but from being carried away by them.
2.The Core of Stability: Witness Emotions, Don’t Become Them
1.Do not react immediately
Avoid speaking or acting impulsively.
Give yourself a moment of space.
2.Put awareness in front
Gently say internally:
“I am feeling anger (sadness, anxiety).”
Not “I am anger,” but “anger is arising.”
Naming the emotion instantly softens its grip.
3.Emotions are not you
They are temporary phenomena—
you are the sky, not the clouds.
3.The Four-Step Method to Stabilize Emotions
Step 1: Stop
Pause all impulsive action or speech.
Not reacting is the first act of wisdom.
Step 2: Breathe
Take three deep, natural breaths.
Inhale to notice tension,
exhale to soften it.
Breath is the fastest emotional stabilizer.
Step 3: Observe
Gently observe the emotion:
Where is it in the body?
What does it feel like?
Is it rising or fading?
Observation weakens its power.
Step 4: Allow
Allow the emotion to be present.
The more you accept it, the sooner it settles.
This is the essence of emotional stability.
4.Long-Term Practices for Emotional Stability
1.Daily mindful breathing
Steady breath = steady mind.
2.Keep the body relaxed
Tension fuels emotional turbulence.
3.Cultivate kindness and self-acceptance
Softness calms the heart.
4.Meditate regularly
A stable mind is less affected by emotional waves.
5.Changes After Learning to Stay Steady
1.Emotions arise smaller and fade faster
2.Old reactive patterns lose their power
3.Relationships become smoother
4.Decisions become clearer
5.Inner freedom increases
You stop fearing emotions because you know how to meet them.
Conclusion
Emotions Are Waves, the Heart Is the Ocean.
The goal is not to fight emotions but to remain vast.
Waves cannot harm the ocean;likewise, emotions cannot harm a stable heart.
When you can stay steady amid emotional waves,you can stay steady in all of life.
