CRYING DURING MEDITATION?
If you have cried during your meditation it can often be really overwhelming and confusing. Isn’t meditation supposed to relax you? I decided to look into it and I found many interesting insights that will open your mind to what your tears during meditation actually mean.
Crying During Meditation? Tears are the manifestation of unresolved emotions that are suppressed in our subconscious. When you meditate your thoughts are silenced, allowing your feelings to surface and trigger strong emotional responses that can manifests in shedding tears.
When you experience crying during meditation, many questions will flood your mind. What are the effects of crying during meditation on your mental and physical state? Will it make things worse? Is it normal to cry in meditation? Are there any benefits? This quick article will help you understand the reasons why!
CRYING DURING MEDITATION
First of all, you should know that crying during meditation is quite normal, a situation experienced by many people, both new and experienced at meditating. If you think about it, during meditation your mind becomes less focused on conscious thoughts and things happening around you and, because of that, you can access the deeper layers of accumulated emotional toxicity (ama in Sanskrit). As you reach a state of inner peace and silence, those old emotions that you once tried to neglect or lock into your subconscious resurface and trigger an absolutely normal emotional response, i.e. your crying.
Remember when you received very upsetting or great news? If you were at work, where emotional out bursts aren’t appropriate, you probably hid your real feelings until you saw a trusted friend, who’s simple “How are you?” probably made you release those emotions, likely with tears. It’s happened to everyone. It’s an absolutely normal, human response.
Well, that is what happens (more or less) when you cry during meditation. The emotions you trapped in your subconscious can finally be set free, and you simply cannot control the way they express themselves.
The crying we can experience during meditation can be related to past negative emotions that finally find a way to be processed, or to a raw emotion of the current moment, which can be positive or negative. Whatever emotions you’re experiencing though, it is important that you accept them, because the crying they cause is your body and mind’s way to detox and purify. Keep meditating, allow your emotions to be, without judgment, recognize them as part of yourself and, if you need support, talk to your meditation coach, who could help you in the process of emotional healing.
How you feel after crying during meditation depends on the emotional baggage that triggered your tears. You might simply acknowledge the crying and the emotions that caused it, accept them and then go on with your meditation and your day. In other cases, you might find that you keep feeling quite emotional and teary for the rest of the day (it’s like Pandora’s box, once it’s open you can’t go back), and that is ok too. If that happens to you, maybe you could try to write a journal about the emotions that are coming up, which can be a cathartic experience as well.
One thing I want to reiterate: crying during meditation is normal, there’s nothing to worry about. We are humans, not machines, and emotions are just part of what we are.
10 REASONS YOU MAY CRY DURING MEDITATION
As I mentioned before, there are essentially two main reasons why you might cry during meditations: past negative emotions resurfacing from your subconscious, or positive or negative raw emotions of the present moment.
Positive Triggers
1. You feel a sudden wave of peace and happiness, that can’t be stopped and brings tears to your eyes;
2. You perceive the Divine presence, and you get filled with gratitude and overwhelm for their protection and support.
3. You get in touch with your core inner being, which is always present and made of pure Love, and that fills you with a profound sense of joy.
4. You achieve a state of Self-Compassion, that allows you to perceive and accept your emotional needs, rather than ignoring them.
5. You gain awareness of an important Truth, like being really loved by people around you or feeling deeply grateful for something you have, which obviously triggers strong emotions.
Negative Triggers
6. You become aware of negative past actions or memories, that make you feel guilty and therefore lead to crying.
7. You feel not as pure as you’d like, a common trigger given by all the positive energy surrounding you during meditation, which can sometimes highlight your faults.
8. You become aware of hidden, suppressed emotions that, despite not being totally clear to you, can trigger uncomfortable feelings.
9. You release feelings that you no longer need, therefore cleansing of all suppressed emotions that have no reason to be anymore.
10. You understand an unpleasant truth, like not being truly happy with yourself or with someone around you.
Whatever the triggers might be, keep in mind that each moment in meditation is perfect, because your body, mind and spirit take exactly what they need. There is no right or wrong in what you can feel during a meditation session, everything simply is as it is, and becoming aware of this is exactly one of the main goals of meditation itself.
THE EFFECTS OF CRYING DURING MEDITATION
With everything we’ve said, you might still wonder whether crying during meditation is a healthy and healing experience. The short answer is YES!
As I mentioned before, each meditation experience is healing, as your body, mind and spirit undergo exactly what they need in that moment and purify from the feelings and emotions that you no longer need. Indeed, crying during meditation is a cathartic experience that provides psychological relief through an open expression of strong emotions. It’s so powerful because, as I previously stated, your conscious being is suspended and all your “forgotten feelings” can resurface without finding any obstacles on their path, therefore causing a powerful outburst of emotions that, sometimes, can be hard to block at the end of your meditation session.
But even if it’s a bit hard to pull yourself back together, who doesn’t feel happier and somehow stronger after a good cry? I am sure that getting rid of an emotional baggage that weighs on your mind and body (often right there, at the mouth of your stomach…) is an undeniable relief everyone has experienced.
Many studies have highlighted the benefits that crying can have both on your mind and on your physical body. Biochemist and tear expert William Frey, PhD., found that emotional tears, the ones released during meditation, contain stress hormones and other toxins we accumulate with stress. Not only, but other studies have found that crying stimulates the production of endorphins (our natural painkiller) and oxytocin that, according to psychiatrist Dion Metzger, M.D., eventually boost your mood. So basically, after crying during meditation, or in any other occasion, you get rid of stress hormones and feel a sense of relief.
Other researchers from Yale University believe that crying is good to restore emotional balance, whereas other studies highlight the fact that tears can kill bacteria and help cleanse the eyes, therefore helping you see more clearly.
CRYING DURING HEART CHAKRA MEDITATION
One of the specific meditation practices where crying is a quite common outcome is the heart chakra meditation. This specific meditation helps re-balance your heart chakra, also called Anahata, when it is blocked or weak, which is often due to low self-esteem, emotional stress or even health issues.
During heart chakra meditation you firstly need to relax your whole body through a body scan and then let your heart speak all the positive affirmations you have in your mind. You must feel every single word, be immersed in them and, finally, imagine waves of love energy radiate from your heart to reach everyone you know (your children and your partner, but also your ex and your annoying neighbor). Right then, when your heart chakra starts to open, you may experience crying, apparently with no good reason.
Crying during heart chakra meditation is a strong sign of your Anahata starting to purify. You might feel like the floodgates of your heart chakra have collapsed and, because of that, you could burst into tears. Thanks to that overflow of emotions, however, you will connect to your true self, you will accept all of your emotions and you will cleanse your heart and your whole being.
Let’s be honest, opening your heart chakra can be emotionally painful, no one likes feeling vulnerable and facing an emotional waterfall of feelings we don’t like. But remember what I said previously in this article: accept everything the way it is, be aware of those sensations, let them be and then let them go. You will feel better and your Anahata, which relates to love, compassion and joy for life, will be balanced again, allowing you to be a better, happier version of yourself.
Crying during meditation, it’s very common for it to happen. But if you find that you are crying every session, or you feel like you need to discuss these feelings further, it is important you consult your meditation teacher.
RELATED QUESTIONS
What happens to your body during Meditation?
During meditation, your cortisol levels lower, your brain produces theta and alpha waves (like when you are deeply asleep) and your body totally relaxes. While focusing on your breathing, your heart rate decreases, which in the long run, can also decrease your blood pressure and with that, the risk of heart conditions.
Is it normal to yawn during meditation?
Yawning during meditation, especially at the start, is a normal release of the tension we hold in our bodies at all time, but it has no detrimental effects on your practice. Alternatively, it can reveal the need for more oxygen, which you can fix by adjusting your posture and taking deep breaths.
Is it normal to feel lightheaded after meditation?
There are many sensations and feelings you may experience during meditation. Feeling lightheaded after your practice can be a normal consequence of our body’s deep relaxation and lower blood pressure, or it can be a sign of wrong breathing technique (generally too fast) or incorrect posture. Alternatively, it can happen when you reach higher energy frequencies.