Very good question. One cannot. This dilemma points us to a clearer understanding of what prayer and meditation are. Prayer and meditation are activities of our souls. Prayer and meditation occur in consciousness. It is only conscious awareness of our essential nature that transcends the mental/emotional state of anger. This occurs not by doing something, but by becoming aware of the essence we have become temporarily ignorant of through angry distraction.
Anger has a “meaning.” It is the emotional expression of a specific thought: not getting what we want. Meditation shifts our attention from “getting what we want” to an interest in truth. That shift of awareness makes it possible for us to become aware of what it is that we think we want or don’t want. Then, just like opening the curtain allows light into the room, awareness lets the light of truth in and the anger dissolves.
Meditation is the wholehearted attentiveness to the spiritual nature of our being(God), and prayer is awareness of our oneness with God(the true nature of our being.)
As Mr. Perez illustrated in his story, it is necessary to see the ignorance of the mental garbage that has clouded our clear seeing – in his case it was arrogance and pride, before he could turn his awareness to the truth of his being.
[...] Yes, but how does one stop being angry, when one is angry? [...]