Four Reasons Anger Should be a Part of Your Mindfulness Practice

When it’s OK to channel the “angry Black woman” within

Injustice doesn’t deserve our civility; it deserves our wrath. image credit: Shutterstock

1. Anger is not inherently bad.  

Emotions are our messengers. All of them. Emotions keep us safe, and experience life fully. They're only dangerous when out of balance. In fact, any of our emotions in excess become harmful. Fear tells us when there's a potential danger or threat that needs attention. Sadness shows us we've experienced loss, and we need to process or seek support. Anger tells us when a boundary has been crossed that we might need to address. 

Overwriting our body’s signals without probing them for what truths they

hold is dangerous. Black women, in particular, have been taught in so many oppressive spaces we don't have the right to anger. We have been shown expressing anger is disrespectful at best and dangerous at worse. Many of our ancestors couldn’t express anger because it put their lives in danger. This response has permeated “traditional” Black parenting practices by responding to for "talking back" or not "straightening up your face." Under systems of patriarchy, women were beaten and called unladylike for expressing anger. 

2. Bottling up anger can make us sick.  

Studies show suppressing emotions can lead to chronic stress, anxiety and

depression. It can suppress your immune system and create issues like high blood pressure, heart disease and even digestive problems. Anger

isn’t something to be bottled up because it doesn't feel good. That’s the

emotional equivalent of avoiding a workout because you don't want to be

sore in the morning. The discomfort you avoid now can have grave

consequences later.  

3. When we suppress anger oppressors win. 

We have to ask ourselves: Who does it benefit that we suppress our anger? How have we been taught to center the comfort of the oppressor and use those as guide rails to determine how angry we’re allowed to get?  

What’s the purpose of anger, if we only show it toward ourselves or express it within the bounds of what’s deemed acceptable by patriarchal, racist and classist systems? Oppression teaches us the powerful deserve the most

mealy mouth whispers of anger when their behavior is often the most deserving of our full-throated rage. Injustice doesn’t deserve civility. It deserves wrath. 

4. Think of the children!  

Our children are watching us.  They are watching to learn what deserves our outrage and our anger and what experiences deserve polite dismissal. We owe it to our children to model there is a time and a place for anger and the oppressors do not get to determine when or how we express it.