A note from Sean
I steer away from good and bad, right and wrong, when we talk about what we feel. Pleasant isn’t necessarily good, and unpleasant isn’t necessarily bad. Mindfulness is opening to everything and being with it. We can also notice whether we automatically judge a pleasant feeling as good.
Try this today. Set a timer for three minutes. Starting at your feet, notice one sensation at a time and label it pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, as the worksheet does: “tight knee, unpleasant,” “rise and fall of the chest, pleasant.” Don’t linger. Afterward, write how often you said neutral, and whether the label came with the sensation or after it.
This suits anyone ready to watch how the mind labels experience. If you live with pain or have a history of trauma, begin in a part of the body that feels neutral or safe. If anything becomes too much, go gently. Stop when you need to.
