Adam . .:
Can anyone explain how to really pay attention to strong emotion without pushing it down? Is it also possible that it only seems like I am pushing it down? Is there really such a thing as "pushing down" emotional energy and is there a problem with it?
That's pretty much what I'm doing now:
Basically how it looks is when your mind gets caught up on a like or especially dislikes it feels like a thought form of a self, plus the related emotions. Then a disassociative self (often developed in meditation) appears to "let go" of those thoughts but then creates new thoughts to cling to about the thoughts that were let go of and then letting go of this by just not adding to it leaves you in a river of sensation where it should be easier to make different choices than you normally would make. The first "self" is more intense because of a longer time to develop those habits and the second "self" comes from beginner meditation practice. Just let the bubbles burst on their own.
You don't like the awkwardness of the encounter and you're trying to fix it in your mind. You need to accept that this stuff is there anytime you dislike something and the habit is for it to come up. Stop trying to do anything about it just stop adding to it. The trick is to gently pay attention to what is already vibrating in your senses. Is the hum of the computer in your ear registering this awkwardness? No. How does your vision FEEL like? How does your skin FEEL like? Again do this as gently as possible without asking the question in your mind. Just adjust your attention to the vibrations of experience and include thoughts as more vibrations. How do thoughts feel as opposed to their content? I think Daniel hit the nail on the head with treating thoughts as sensations. The brain lets go of thoughts (including powerfully emotional thoughts) on it's own when you don't add more thoughts about why you don't like something. When "you" let the thoughts run out of their own steam then what's vibrating in experience?
It's like a boiling pot these emotions. Just turn off the burner and let the bubbles slowdown and stop on their own. If this practice becomes successful don't add more bubbles mentally talking about liking the result in the same attachment manner.

That would be another thoughtform (volitional formation) that you can create into another habit that will analyze your meditation success or failure. The instructions are to be done and not ruminated over. Also I'm noting without labels now and including any intentions to meditate or intentions of any kind. All the stuff that your consciousness can KNOW is not a self and that includes a lot of things. Next your consciousness needs objects to be conscious of so it's also impermanent like those objects. When you do this practice with lots of continuity your head should feel cooler and you'll feel more coreless than when you're caught up in likes or dislikes. Experiences will seem just like more experiences (including those unpleasant thoughts). Unpleasant thoughts are just more sensations.
Try it now. What do your fingers feel like when typing? What are you seeing, hearing, thinking, etc? When the mind comes back to more thoughts about likes or dislikes what does it feel like? I sometimes ask obvious questions after a bout of anger passes away: "I'm I okay?" Seeing emotions as being phenomena that can habitually arise gives it less power over you because you accept it's there and don't add clinging thoughts after them. If you do the mind pot starts boiling more intensely. I also notice that the mind likes to go back to what feels like a self (dwelling on likes and dislikes with a self image) and you can notice a feeling tone demarcation line that you've gone back. When it feels more comfortable and ironically more stressful it's time to check in to sensation. Try doing this when typing your posts or reading other posts. You have to let go of both the self-preoccupied self over likes and dislikes and then let go of the analyzer who likes or dislikes the meditation results.
It's like the ego can't benefit or hate the meditation for it to work properly and relieve stress.
I hope his is helpful because it's helped me a lot.