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Welcome to part 2 in our 3-part Vicious Flower series. Last week, I described the Vicious Flower metaphor, a tool you can use to mindfully explore your negative habitual reactions to difficult situations and emotions. 
Today, I’m going to share a couple of examples of the Vicious Flower exercise, because when I learned this tool, examples were helpful. Next week, I’ll show you how to pluck the petals on your Vicious Flower and transform it into a Virtuous Flower.
I haven’t provided a Vicious Flower template, because the number of petals you end up drawing on the flower is unique to both you and the situation you’re illustrating. I prefer to just grab a pencil and blank sheet of paper to draw mine. The examples I created for this episode were drawn using Microsoft Paint, so you could also use your favourite drawing application. And speaking of the examples, you can see them on this episode’s blog page or video, both of which are available at mindful15.com/example - but I’ll do my best to accurately describe them for podcast listeners.
The purpose of the drawing is to help you uncover and therefore become more mindful of your problematic reactions to anything of interest to you. The center circle is drawn first and labeled with the thing you want to investigate, anything to which you typically react negatively. It could be a general emotion such as boredom, or an emotion evoked in a specific situation such as anxiety when you’re called on to speak in meetings. It could be an event such as retirement or getting a root canal. This is your personal exploration, so the center circle can be anything you want it to be.
I will, however, offer a word of caution. If you suffer from clinical anxiety, clinical depression or some other mental illness, please use the Vicious Flower under the supervision of a mental health care practitioner who can help you cope with negative emotions and reactions that may arise as you’re drawing the flower.
For my first example, I’m going to draw a flower representing my fear of conflict. Whenever there’s even a hint of a potential conflict with another person, I react in unhelpful ways. So my central circle is called Fear of Conflict. By the way, you can use a short label like this, or you can add more detail if that’s helpful to you.

Next, draw petals on your flower, one for each way in which you typically react to the situation. Label them. Again, your labels can be concise or detailed. Use as few or as many petals as you need to. 
I have four petals. 

Avoid potential conflict, even if the potential is infinitesimal. 
Avoid the person.
Manipulate others (typically my husband) into dealing with the person or situation.
Ruminate on the situation.

You can add petals for positive reactions, too. Next week, I’ll explain how to draw a Virtuous Flower full of petals representing helpful reactions, but if you already react in some positive ways, there’s no reason you can’t add those petals to the Vicious Flower. You might like to draw the petal or label the petal using a different colour so the positive reactions stand out.
I’ll add one to my flower as an example: Use the Ha Breath to calm agitation. (By the way, if you’d like to learn the Ha Breath, go to mindful15.com/ha.) Now, I have five petals.
Now, on the outside of each petal, note the consequences of your reactions in as little or as much detail as you like. Presumably, most are negative consequences, because of course, you’re drawing the flower to help you become aware of unhelpful reactions. If, however, there are positive consequences,