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Mindfulness of Feelings
by Philip L. Jones
Mindfulness
of feeling continues the effort to broaden the field awareness. Feeling
refers to the tone of an experience: pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Feeling
is different from the emotions that refer to the range of moods or "mind
states" that
we experience: anger, aversion, desire or wanting, doubt, fear, joy, etc.
As we practice mindfulness of feeling we begin to see how our reactions
to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral experiences dominate our lives. This
awareness creates the possibility of responding to feeling with more flexibility
and appropriateness for each situation.
Practicing Mindfulness of Feelings
• Settle
into your sitting position with an erect but relaxed posture.
• Take
several deep breaths. Then allow your breath to flow in its normal, ever
changing manner.
• With
a quality of spacious awareness, rest your attention in the touch sensation
of the breath flowing in and flowing out either at the tip/rims of your
nostrils or in your chest or abdomen, wherever the sensations are most
predominant.
• Use
the breath as your primary object of meditation.
• If
a sensation or experience in the body is strong enough to pull your attention
away from the breath, allow your awareness to rest in that sensation.
• Note
whether the experience is pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
• Spend
some time being aware of these qualities in your experiences and your reactions
to them.
• As
you meditate on the feeling quality of an experience, notice whether it
is something that lasts or whether it comes into awareness, is present
for a while and then disappears.
• When
you become lost in thought and you notice it, appreciate that moment of
noticing, of waking up and being mindful. Then gently return your attention
to the breath and continue to follow it.
• If
you ever feel confused about what you are experiencing or what you should
do, simply return your attention to the breath.
• Continue
this practice until your meditation period is over.
• During
the day, take a few moments to be mindful of the
feeling tone of your breath and body sensations. This is a good way of helpingyourself
to settle down into the present moment and to bring your meditation practice
into your everyday life.
