Mind is often described as being like Teflon for good experiences,
In that they quickly move away,
Move off,
And Velcro for bad experiences.
That's a tendency that's innate in our evolutionary history.
But its impact is that sometimes we can be left with a feeling of a greater presence,
Perhaps,
Of bad experiences or feelings that things aren't quite as they should be.
And in that process,
We lose the daily delights that we all experience.
So in this practice,
I'm going to guide us through 10 areas of appreciation.
And recognizing that you may not identify something in every category that works for you,
And if that's the case,
Just feel free to rest perhaps with the last one.
But really asking you to bring to mind experiences from the last week that are worthy of savoring,
Of really leaning into to ensure that what was previously Teflon becomes more Velcro,
Becomes more sticky.
Research shows that the more that we focus our attention on the good and the things that have gone well for us,
The more likely we are to look ahead with optimism and appreciation for our lives,
Our lives that are so precious.
So just inviting you now to take a position that feels steady and comfortable for you.
Really checking in to ensure a position that for you represents dignity,
Openness,
And groundedness.
Perhaps demonstrating the courage to be with your experience exactly as it is right now in this moment,
Whatever sort of week you've had.
Just tuning into sensations in the body,
Maybe just noticing your posture,
Perhaps making any final adjustments if that feels helpful.
Maybe dropping the chin slightly to extend the neck.
Just resting in the experience of your body and your mind in exactly this moment.
And perhaps just gently asking yourself the question,
What sort of week have I had?
How's it been?
What experiences should I savour?
But also identifying perhaps things that have been difficult,
Maybe things that haven't gone quite as you hoped they would.
Maybe noticing the stories and the thoughts and emotions that these memories bring with them.
Maybe even observing how an event could trigger a thought or a mood.
Just noticing anything that comes up for you,
But approaching it with a gentle,
Open curiosity.
Perhaps like an impartial observer.
And when you're ready now,
Just inviting you to select an anchor somewhere in the body that feels steady and grounding,
Somewhere where you feel you could rest your attention.
So options for this could be the feet,
The seat,
The hands,
Perhaps the breath.
And not feeling in any way limited to those options.
Just identifying somewhere where you think you could rest your attention for the duration of this practice.
Somewhere that you can come back to at any time to rebalance and to refocus your attention.
When you're ready now,
Just holding both of your hands out in front of you and taking the thumb of one hand in the palm of the other hand.
Just gently wrapping the fingers around the thumb.
And as you do that,
Just asking you to bring your attention to the sense of taste.
Inviting you to recollect a taste experience that you've enjoyed this week.
Perhaps it was a particularly fine cup of tea or coffee,
Or perhaps a meal or a snack that you enjoyed.
Just bringing it to mind,
And as you do so,
Maybe just gently squeezing.
Squeezing the thumb in the palm of the other hand.
Making what's a thought or a memory a little bit more of a fact by just gently squeezing the thumb as you recall this experience of pleasantness through taste.
Just sitting with any emotions or thoughts that that brings up.
Knowing it's okay to like it,
To enjoy it.
Now when you're ready now,
Letting go of the thumb and moving to the next finger along.
Again,
Just gently clasping it in the palm of the hand.
And inviting you this time to bring a sound to mind.
It could be a favourite piece of music,
Perhaps a bird song.
Maybe a natural sound like the sound of the wind in the trees.
Just any sound that you've enjoyed in the past week.
Maybe a sound that's captured your attention.
And again,
Gently squeezing the finger.
Making this memory more of a fact,
Making it more sticky.
And just resting in whatever that brings up for you.
And when you're ready now,
Maybe on an out breath,
Letting go of that finger and moving to the next one.
This time inviting you to bring something visual to mind.
So it could be something in your home,
Maybe something you've enjoyed on social media.
Perhaps a beautiful image you've seen on the TV or whilst you've been out in nature.
It could be the appreciation of a magnificent piece of architecture,
A building.
Again,
Just bringing it to mind.
Gently squeezing the finger,
Making it a fact.
Knowing it's okay to like it.
It's okay to enjoy it.
As you let go of that finger now and move to the next one.
And this time bringing to mind the sense of touch.
So it could be the feeling of fresh air against your skin from an open window.
Perhaps the coolness of rain.
Maybe the warmth of a shower.
Or perhaps the feel of the fur of a beloved pet.
Again,
Just gently squeezing the finger.
Just resting your attention in your memory of this experience.
Knowing if the mind wanders,
Just gently bring it back to this hand holding this finger.
Recalling a situation involving touch.
That's been pleasant and enjoyable in the last week.
As you let go of that finger now and move to the little finger of whichever hand you've chosen.
And this time inviting you to focus your attention on a memory of a smell.
Perhaps the freshness of a new morning.
Maybe the fragrance of a flower.
The smell of fresh washing perhaps.
Maybe the smell of herbs and spices when preparing a meal.
Or perhaps something as simple as a favourite shampoo or a shower gel.
Just fully experiencing that sense.
The feeling that that smell provides.
Just resting your attention in it as you gently squeeze the little finger.
And now perhaps on an out breath just letting go the little finger and swapping the hands over.
So you take the thumb of the other hand in the palm of the other hand.
And just holding the thumb gently but firmly.
And asking you now to bring to mind something that's made your life easier in the last week.
So maybe the dishwasher doing all the washing up for you.
Maybe your bike or your car that's safely got you to work and back every day.
Maybe the kettle that's kept working and providing you with hot drinks and delicious tea.
It doesn't have to be anything big.
But perhaps something that we take for granted when it works okay.
And we really notice when it's not working okay.
Just a feeling of appreciation for something that's made your life easier.
Again just gently squeezing the thumb.
Making it sticky.
Giving yourself permission to enjoy that feeling fully.
As we let go of the thumb now and move to the first finger of the hand.
And now we bring to mind something that perhaps has just gone well for us this week.
Or perhaps if it's not gone entirely well.
Perhaps it's just gone a little bit better than we expected it would.
Noticing any feelings this brings up.
Feelings of striving and judgment and comparing.
As much as you're able to maybe just letting those go.
Just focusing on what's gone well.
Or just a little bit better than we thought it might.
Letting go of that finger now and moving to the next one.
And inviting you now to bring to mind a moment that's at least close to peace that you've experienced in the last week.
So it could be that clearness of mind that you sometimes get when you first wake up.
Maybe quiet moments on a commute.
Or maybe that feeling of stillness at home before perhaps others arrived.
Just fully experiencing that feeling of peace.
Maybe noticing the body sensations that come with it.
Recognizing that not all moments are like that.
But some can be close to peace.
Maybe feeling any sensations that arise with it alongside the breath.
As you let go of that finger now and move to the next finger.
Where the invitation is to focus on a moment of kindness in this week.
So a time when someone's been kind to you.
However small that might be.
Might be when somebody held a door for you.
Perhaps made you a hot drink.
Maybe a time when someone's been thoughtful towards you in ways you wouldn't imagine.
Perhaps the person who gave up their seat on the train for you.
It could be a really small and simple thing.
Gently squeezing the finger as you remember it.
Making it sticky.
Just knowing it's okay to like it.
And out breath now.
Moving to the final finger.
The little finger.
And inviting you here to recognize and appreciate your own efforts.
Maybe something you did this week that reflects your values.
Perhaps showed courage.
Simply involved you taking good care of yourself.
Even if nobody else noticed.
Taking the time to listen to this practice would be a good example.
Again just gently squeezing the finger.
Noticing what comes up.
Feeling appreciation for your own efforts to take care of yourself and your welfare.
And when you're ready now just invite you to return your hands to the lap.
Just for a few moments.
Just resting.
In the after effects of that practice.
Just noticing how it feels in the body.
To have geared the mind towards positive experiences that have happened this week.
This is in no way denying that some parts of the week maybe won't have been pleasant.
May have been difficult.
But just recognizing that this this practice just gives good experiences a bit of a better chance of remaining in your awareness.
Knowing that life is full of ups and downs.
Sometimes the ups just need a little bit of a boost.
So for the last few moments of this practice just moving your attention to a steadying anchor in the body.
Maybe the one you selected at the beginning of the practice or perhaps selecting a new one.
Just taking a couple of deep breaths if that feels helpful to you.
And inviting you now to just see if it's possible to take this expanded feeling of appreciation with you into the next moments of your day.
