My personal meditation practice took an interesting turn when I came across this book recently.  It talks about a modern interpretation of an ancient Tibetan practice called Chöd.
I’m pretty sure we have all had thoughts, feelings, or even physical pain that we just want to get rid of, and there are practices that focus on “clearing” them out – removing them.  There are examples I can think of in Christian prayer as well as many forms of healing work.
Chöd takes a different approach.  Instead of asking or seeking to be rid of these things, we should consider why they are there, what they want, and then give it to them.  The idea is then that, once satiated, they will abate and perhaps even transform into an energy that can be helpful and healing.
It’s a very specific and detailed practice, and I can’t claim that I’ve applied much rigor to my experiments, but I have found it helpful and effective.  Having said that, it’s a little bit of a trust fall to honor or almost befriend the thing that is causing you pain.  I was intrigued, though, by the serendipity of the fact that, having never heard anyone mention it before, I almost immediately learned that someone I know well is so interested in it that she is going to Tsultrim Allione’s center in Colorado for a Chöd retreat.
It reminds me of the Internal Family Systems approach, and similar approaches, to talk therapy.  My very, very simplistic interpretation being that the more you try to deny or get rid of something that is trying to get your attention, the more it will fight to survive.