Emotional Container

During times of stress, teachers often play a special role in holding on to the emotions of their students. In many ways, teachers are containers for their students’ needs and feelings. Sometimes disturbing images or feelings arise during the school day, and teachers can feel like we are carrying too much. Teachers need a place to safely put our own feelings and the feelings of others. If we practice containment exercises, we can switch our focus to the present moment, regulate our emotions and behavior, and better respond to the needs of those around us.

1. Take a deep belly breath in and slowly let it out.
2. Close your eyes and imagine a strong container. You can imagine that the container is in the room with you or in a faraway place. The container is strong enough to hold anything you want it to - images, memories, emotions, anything you would like.
3. Think about what the container looks like. What size and color is the container? Of which material is it made? What makes the container so secure and strong?
4. Now imagine placing all of your unwanted or uncomfortable thoughts and feelings into the container. Notice how the thoughts move into the container. Do they flow easily? Do you need to drop them into the container? Do they move fast or slow?
5. Close the container securely. Know that you can choose to open the container at any point to access the thoughts and feelings, but they will stay inside the container unless you call upon them.
6. Imagine where you would like to leave the container. Would you like to leave it in the room you are in or place it somewhere else?
7. Know that the container is always there for you. Any time you have a thought you would like to place in the container, you can imagine sending it there.

• Was it easy or hard to focus during this practice? Why or why not? How could you create conditions that make it easier to completely focus on the present moment?
• How did the practice make you feel? Accept whatever that feeling may be, positive or negative.