Advice for Clearing Anger in the Body

[心神 ~]

When one gets angry, there are recommended techniques for accepting and allowing the emotion to exist and pass. Such as picturing the anger as a child needing an embrace from its parent, and offering the anger love and acceptance. Or by picturing the anger as a fierce tiger that needs stillness, silence, and observation to allow the anger to pass us by without harm.

 

Sometimes, residual energy remains in the body; increased heart rate, shaking palms, intense vibration. These can linger, albeit subdued, even after the mind has reached equanimity on the issue that triggered the anger response.

 

What are some recommended ways for clearing the anger physically?

 

[Taomeow]

I know it's a serious matter, but I can't resist offering my favorite movie scene dedicated to anger management:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEE7xzwogMc

[心神 ~]

That was gold. I'll go watch this movie at some point. I'm so glad it wasn't Anger Management with Adam Sandler, that movie infuriates me to no end. I'd point out the irony or something, but that movie is insufferable by design.

 

"Anger is a blocked wish." Absolutely.

 

What about when the wish is gone, but the body still holds the energy? When the mind and heart accept, but the body remembers?

Edited June 9 by 心神 ~

[markern]

The liver sound from the six healing sounds clears out anger very well IME

[心神 ~]

Thank you for the suggestion. I do Eight Silk Brocade from time to time in the morning, but was thinking about practicing Six Healing Sounds in the afternoon. I may try it this evening.

[Paradoxal]

From my experience, clearing anger is best done with a combination of exercises.

 

First, the feeling of anger itself needs to be sunk into the ground (it should go there naturally if you direct it, from my experience). Call it what you will, but this alone has helped me with some pretty intense rage. Anxiety is the opposite; it needs to be directed up and out. 

 

Second, practice simple gratitude meditation: recall the feeling of gratitude and try to bask in the glow of it. This will gradually tonify the leftover anger. 

 

If you've got longterm anger festering, I've found it best to intentionally transfer it into something else (salt, for example) and then dispose of whatever it was transferred into. 

 

[forestofclarity]

There are many ways to deal with anger, but the general one I'm more familiar with is to strip it of its story and feel it fully. Usually what keep anger going is engaging with it-- I can't believe he said that, who does she think she is, etc.

 

Instead of doing that, one may just feel it as it is, without trying to modify or change it. This allows it to fully express and dissolve, i.e. to be digested into the consuming fire of awareness.  

 

 

[Sanity Check]

Emotions can be observed, defined & rationalized to some degree.

 

Not unlike a process of math or basic science.

 

Making them easier to cope with.

 

 

[doc benway]

On 6/9/2025 at 8:04 AM, 心神 ~ said:

When one gets angry, there are recommended techniques for accepting and allowing the emotion to exist and pass. Such as picturing the anger as a child needing an embrace from its parent, and offering the anger love and acceptance. Or by picturing the anger as a fierce tiger that needs stillness, silence, and observation to allow the anger to pass us by without harm.

 

Sometimes, residual energy remains in the body; increased heart rate, shaking palms, intense vibration. These can linger, albeit subdued, even after the mind has reached equanimity on the issue that triggered the anger response.

 

What are some recommended ways for clearing the anger physically?

 

 

I practice a method from the Tibetan tradition called the Nine Breathings of Purification.

There are several variations, here is the one I use. People I've taught it to have had very positive results rather quickly.

 

The other method I find extremely useful, especially in real time, is described in this article. This practice is also derived from the Tibetan tradition and has many variations. It's referred to as the practice of Inner Refuge. In dzogchen parlance it is a way to connect to the Nature of Mind, which is a powerful source of healing and awakening. This can be practiced formally on the cushion or informally in day to day situations.

 

There are some other Tibetan techniques - tsa lung and trul khor, but they are too complicated for a brief instruction. 

 

Good luck!

 

[Nungali]

 

 

 (  - its COLD down here  ....  I live in a near coastal sub tropical rainforest ..... and it  snowed  30 km away !   )  

[Mark Foote]

On 6/9/2025 at 8:01 AM, Taomeow said:

 

I know it's a serious matter, but I can't resist offering my favorite movie scene dedicated to anger management:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEE7xzwogMc

 

 

 

I know it's serious, but one good clip deserves another ("it's good, it's good, it's good."):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQXuazYI_YU

 

 

Edited June 11 by Mark Foote

[Mark Foote]

On 6/9/2025 at 8:13 AM, 心神 ~ said:

 

What about when the wish is gone, but the body still holds the energy? When the mind and heart accept, but the body remembers?

 

 

 

I find there's no substitute for sitting with the anger, waiting for compassionate insight. The feeling is there physically in the body until my mind (and body) can work out what really happened, why somebody did what they did, such that I realize a compassionate release.

 

Can take days, but it's there when I sit until it's released.

 

 

[BigSkyDiamond]

On 6/9/2025 at 5:04 AM, 心神 ~ said:

 Or by picturing the anger as a fierce tiger that needs stillness, silence, and observation to allow the anger to pass us by without harm.

 

i like that.

also for when encountering someone else's anger too, and allowing it to pass by us without harm.  

giving it a wide berth.

 

Edited June 23 by BigSkyDiamond

[Annnon]

On 09/06/2025 at 9:04 AM, 心神 ~ said:

When one gets angry, there are recommended techniques for accepting and allowing the emotion to exist and pass. Such as picturing the anger as a child needing an embrace from its parent, and offering the anger love and acceptance. Or by picturing the anger as a fierce tiger that needs stillness, silence, and observation to allow the anger to pass us by without harm.

 

Sometimes, residual energy remains in the body; increased heart rate, shaking palms, intense vibration. These can linger, albeit subdued, even after the mind has reached equanimity on the issue that triggered the anger response.

 

What are some recommended ways for clearing the anger physically?

 

The best way to overcome anger is forgiveness. Forgive whoever hurt you, and do a lot of metta(loving-kindness meditation) towards that person.

[Cobie]

 

On 09/06/2025 at 2:04 PM, 心神 ~ said:

… anger …

 

I embrace my anger.  All emotions are there because I need them, they all have a function.  Anger is a very useful emotion, it makes me aware that boundaries have been transgressed and it gives me the energy to take action.  It naturally runs it’s course and disappears again once the problem has been dealt with.

 

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Cobie

[Cobie]

 

1 hour ago, Annnon said:

… forgiveness …

 

Forgiveness imo is only allowed after the perpetrator has: 

(1)  fully understood what was wrong about it

(2) never wants to do it again and has learned to control it

(3) genuinely feels sorry about it and very humbly asks me for my forgiveness.  

If these 3 conditions are not met, forgiveness is imo not allowed as that would be ‘enabling’.

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Cobie

[Sanity Check]

Anger trends towards being an irrational behavior.

 

A big part of stoicism is rationalizing the irrational nature of emotions like anger and wanting to distance oneself from them.

[Annnon]

6 hours ago, Cobie said:

 

 

Forgiveness imo is only allowed after the perpetrator has: 

(1)  fully understood what was wrong about it

(2) never wants to do it again and has learned to control it

(3) genuinely feels sorry about it and very humbly asks me for my forgiveness.  

If these 3 conditions are not met, forgiveness is imo not allowed as that would be ‘enabling’.

 

Forgiveness is not about who is right or who is wrong, it's just about healing yourself and letting go of this energy, so YOU can heal. People often keep these things "he did this to me" and end up with some sort of illness because of the somatization.

[Krenx]

The more sensitive and refined your energies become, you recognize how poisonous the flavour anger is. And realize how often we partake in that poison with or without a perpetrator.  

 

So from training and knowing the flavour of this poison. You can start to make better decisions, adopt better views to cool down such tendencies of ill will. Cooling it down at a more subtle and subtle level. 

 

Anger does not suddenly arise. It shows its signs and features, patterns very very early on. Small poisonous bubbles that gradually boil and explode when not attended to. 

 

Use energy to your advantage to sense these things within you 🙏. The energetic poison of anger is really sick, acidic, and painful on the joints. 

[Krenx]

The Buddha actually had only one direct advice to resolve hate. An that is frustratingly for most to practice "non hate". 

 

How that looks like in practice, is executing restraint in your actions and behavior. Anything that you KNOW you are doing out of anger/hate/ill will, you do not do. That is the deliberate practice of abandoning hate at the level of action. 

 

When you practice that, depending on the individual, the mind will tend to rebel, increase its pressure, throw mental tantrums, shout and scream in your head all the hate it can summon. It can be painful. 

 

But you work hard to restraint yourself. 

 

Eventually you start to see how the untamed mind betrays you, and how unusual hateful thoughts arises on its own. And how it HAS to because we have been agreeing to many of its unwholesome tendencies for so long, and validated it with action, both subtle and obvious. You realize you were responsible for its current state.

 

And this kind of restraint also allows deep rooted emotions to surface, and pressures you often cover up from habitually acting on it. And you start to be able to restraint pressures closer to the roots and tiny embers of anger. 

 

Work hard, and the wild angry mind cools down. 

 

 

[doc benway]

There is a beautiful film I highly recommend to anyone interested in the topic of forgiveness called Rubaru Roshni. It was directed by Svati Chakravarty Bhatkal and produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao. @Annnon's point about the real value and mechanism of forgiveness is a central theme in the film. It stimulated some very lively and meaningful discussion about the topic among my family members and may have even shifted some perspectives. 

[doc benway]

14 hours ago, Cobie said:

 

 

I embrace my anger.  All emotions are there because I need them, they all have a function.  Anger is a very useful emotion, it makes me aware that boundaries have been transgressed and it gives me the energy to take action.  It naturally runs it’s course and disappears again once the problem has been dealt with.

 

 

 

For sure, emotions play an important role in our lives and we deny, repress, suppress, ignore, and manipulate them at our peril. Unfortunately, there are often problems that cannot or will not be dealt with and are beyond our control in terms of finding a satisfactory resolution despite all efforts. The question then becomes what do I do with the anger (and other potentially negative and powerful emotions) in the face of ongoing, unresolvable circumstances? Sometimes we may feel like we have done all we can and can be at peace with that. My experience has been that this is not always enough and there can be lingering inner and outer conflict that often gets suppressed or repressed or acted out and leads to violence or illness - physical, mental, energetic, and spiritual.

 

One of the deeper teachings of my tradition is that the beginning practitioner sees their problems as being the responsibility of the outside world, The average practitioner takes partial responsibility, and the advanced practitioner take 100% responsibility for their conditions and response. In this context, authentic forgiveness represents the advanced practitioner's way of dealing internally with offense. It is not in any way a substitute for taking appropriate action, it is more related to how we relate to the associated emotion and perceived offense, regardless of outcome. I think this is a great topic for personal exploration.

[Krenx]

The attitude towards emotions is not to suppress it. Because it is impossible to suppress an arisen emotion. 

 

But you do not act on the account of emotions, in unwholesome manners. 

 

Emotions should not dictate what you do. It is wisdom that should be the condition for any action/non action. 

 

Because emotions cannot discern. It just arises due to conditions not in your control. Unstable, unreliable, a recipe for disaster.

 

Wisdom is discerning, and considers everything properly. 

 

Gradually improve. This is not something that happens overnight. 🙏

[Tommy]

There are certain emotion that people need to progress in this world. Anger is usually not one of them. Of course, there are exceptions. However, I was taught that one needs to spend much time is self observation. Watch how and when the anger arises. Then watch to see how the mind will then defend and encourage the anger with thoughts that one identifies with. When one finally sees this and can release its hold then the anger doesn't take control. Yes, one still feels the anger but it is much easier to be released. It is like .... not identifying with the emotion or thoughts that give the anger strength.

 

When I sit in practice, I do not have emotions. There is an observation of the self and mind. Anger comes when there is a strong identification with the situation. When someone cut me off in traffic, I feel violated by such actions. But when I let go of identifying with this thought or emotion. Everything returns to normal. I keep my self calm. So, in my daily routine, I try to keep my self here, now. Yeah, I know it doesn't always work. But, I am trying.

[Cobie]

 

13 hours ago, Annnon said:

… so YOU can heal …

 

6 hours ago, doc benway said:

… lingering inner and outer conflict …

… dealing internally with offense …

 

What can’t be changed, I let go of (I learned to be in control of my own mind). 
 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Cobie