Befriending Anger with Meditation and Guided Imagery

Anybody can become angry -- that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way -- that is not within everybody's power and is not easy.
--Aristotle

Anger has been getting a bad rap for centuries. Medieval Christianity decreed anger as one of the seven deadly sins. Buddha teaches that anger side-tracks enlightenment and is rooted in illusion. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna regards anger as a sign of ignorance that leads to perpetual bondage. And the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, a source of Judaic law, advises, "Anger is a very evil trait and it should be avoided at all costs. You should train yourself not be become angry even if you have a good reason to be angry." Even current medical research conducted through the American Heart Association lists its negative health consequences, including anger as a trigger for heart attacks.

And yet anger is built into our DNA to help us survive. It can invigorate, motivate and set boundaries to protect. It defends space for our voice and point of view. Many important social changes were called into action through the energy of anger, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Civil Rights and women's suffragette movements. And perhaps because the messages about anger are so polarized, so are our ways of dealing with it. We either tend to avoid, ignore and become passive with anger, or inflame it and lash out. So what is a healthy relationship with anger, and how can we employ it in daily life? (MORE)

Source: Huffington Post