A note from Sean
We usually react to all three. With unpleasant, we try to get rid of it, fix it, or distract ourselves. With pleasant, we hold on and want more. With neutral, we get bored and look for something shinier.
Try this today. Three times today, stop and ask of whatever you feel in your body: pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral? Say the word silently and add no story. Then notice what you want to do next, and wait one breath before you do it.
Keep going: A Meditation on Feeling Tones, with Sean Fargo and Pleasant vs Unpleasant – Guided Script.
This suits anyone who wants to catch a reaction earlier. If the unpleasant is strong, such as pain or a heavy emotion, go gently. Stop when you need to.
Here’s a Sample of the “Feeling Tones – Pleasant, Unpleasant, Neutral” Guided Meditation Script:
Tuning in to Feeling TonesWhenever an experience comes into your awareness, you can look at it more deeply by acknowledging its feeling tone. Feeling tones are not emotions.A feeling tone describes what you’re experiencing as pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.A feeling tone can be attached to anything you perceive through the senses, including a thought.By noticing the feeling tone, you continue to deepen your insight into the nature of your experience. Settle into a comfortable sitting posture.
As you allow the eyes to close, focus on the sensations of the body breathing. Concentrate on the breath for the first few minutes, dropping into a state of grounded mindfulness. Include the whole body in your awareness. Spend a few minutes just noticing what arises in the body. Don’t judge anything as good or bad; just pay attention to the actual experience of feeling in the body. Once you are present with the bodily sensations, expand your awareness to include feeling tones. Acknowledge the feeling in the body, and consider whether the experience is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
