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Mindfulness of Feeling
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.
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 helping yourself to settle down into the present
moment and to bring your meditation practice into your everyday life.