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  Mindfulness of Feelings  
 

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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.

 
  © 2002 Philip L. Jones  
     
 
 

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© 2007, Philip L. Jones