In yoga, we have both a physical body and an energy body—also known as our “emotional body.”

Within this emotional body, we can somewhat accidentally hold onto pain incurred throughout our lives. Just as when we bruise our leg, we can also bruise our emotional body. If we don’t allow the pain to move through us, those bruises can accumulate and create heaviness, anxiety and lethargy. We all get wounded in life, and some wounds are more serious than others. But no matter how big the wound, they all need to be healed, so that we can lead light-hearted, happy lives.

Luckily, just like our physical bodies, our emotional bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves—but it’s up to us to assist that process through meditation.

Below is one easy meditation you can do every day to heal deep-seated pain:

Take a comfortable meditation seat. With your eyes closed, begin to focus on your breath. Feel it moving within your body and slowly allow yourself to relax. As you relax your physical body and mind, allow your attention to travel to the energy field that resides within your physical body. Can you feel the prana pulsating within? Can you feel the emotional body and the tenor of it in this moment?

Explore any emotion you’re having in this moment. This leads you into the space of your emotional body. Whether you’re feeling incredibly intense emotions in this moment or relatively mild emotions, simply feel into them and give them your undivided attention and total acceptance. Allow the emotions to pulsate through you.

Now examine one particular emotion, and see if you can pinpoint where it’s living in your body. Is it a dull ache within your heart, or perhaps a lump in your throat? Maybe it seems to be moving throughout your entire body. Simply notice where the emotion is currently living.

If you can’t feel any emotion at all—if you’re feeling emotionally frozen in some way—that’s okay too. Just notice and allow that feeling of numbness to be there. See if the feeling is trying to “tell you” something. Is there a message within these emotions or lack of them? Be present when that comes up.

By the simple act of connecting to this emotional body, we’re well on our way to emotional healing.

Now we’re going to delve a little deeper…

Elongate your inhalations and exhalations, and use them to travel deeper into your meditation. Allow your consciousness to travel back to your childhood. Let the images of your life, from when you were really little to where you are now to play like a film, with the scenes moving along the landscape of your mind. Feel the emotions that accompany this film. Pay attention to what comes up as you do this exercise.

If some of the emotions are difficult, just be there for them. Breathe into them. Can you see that these emotions are here for a reason? Is there something they’re telling you? Be really present and stay with these emotions. Again, see where they reside within your physical body.

Now move your breath to the location of these feelings, creating a loving space for them. Continue to breathe into them with the power of your intention to balance the space where these emotions live. Now bring your awareness to your heart center and repeat the following mantra: “My heart is healing itself.”

“My heart is healing itself.”

Continue to breathe and repeat the mantra in your mind’s eye. Imagine that all these emotions are healing themselves through the power of your heart’s intention.

When you’re ready, open your eyes. Place your hands at your heart center in Namaste and bow to your heart. Thank yourself for taking the time to bring awareness and love to your emotional body.

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Author: Meera Watts

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina

Photo: Flickr/Craig Sunter