The following talk is given by Tara Brock, meditation teacher, psychologist and author.

So again welcome here, tonight as mentioned opening it to any questions you might have about

your practice or the teachings that you've been hearing.

Let's try to keep the questions succinct and will enjoy hearing from each other.

What I thought I'd do is begin with one question that came in through online and I just

get us going and then invite we'll go from there.

And this person says, is there benefit from firmly telling yourself to move on from a thought

that triggers strong emotion during meditation?

Or does this hinder the practice of nurturing a heart that's ready for anything?

And so just to say that there's definitely times we know that a charged thought is going

to lead to possession.

We just know, we know the story, we know that it's going to get into something to do with

blaming or something we're planning for that we're afraid of and we just know we're going

to be off and running.

And it can be useful to, at those times, to redirect the mind, especially if it gets

you really activated, redirect the mind somewhere that you know is a place that can help you

settle.

And it may be that that place is, that it's a phrase of meta that you repeat to yourself

saying, you know, it's okay, sweetheart or max, except myself just as I am or it may

be, you know, may all beings be happy.

And whatever the phrase is that for you helps you to find some more ease or well-being

and it may be that you engage in a kind of breathing that relaxes you.

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