Welcome to day 17.
Today's guided meditation is to accentuate the positive.
Dr.
Rick Hansen,
The esteemed psychologist and mindfulness teacher,
Points out that the brain has a negativity bias.
The mind naturally clings to unpleasant experiences in order to brace and protect you from danger.
By actively seeking out moments of joy,
You encourage the brain to shift that bias.
As the saying goes,
What you put your attention on grows.
If you look for pleasant experiences,
You will find them.
In this exercise,
You will work to bring intentional mindfulness to the positive moments of your day.
To begin,
Finding a comfortable seated position,
Allowing the eyes to close,
Taking several slow long deep breaths.
Let the shoulders soften,
The body settle.
And depending on where you are in your day,
If you're ending,
Please reflect back on today.
And if we're finding ourselves sitting together in the early morning,
Think about yesterday.
If we start our day with the intention of finding good things,
If we allow ourselves to become a hunter,
Looking out for something that brings us happiness,
We will begin to find more and more.
So as you reflect on your day,
Notice anything that made you happy.
Maybe it was making it through the green light,
Calling a friend.
As you bring yourself into this moment fully,
Take it in.
Just notice your mental state.
Try to identify what the experience is in the mind.
Calmness,
Relaxation,
Contentment,
Satisfaction,
And so on.
Next,
Bring your awareness to the body.
Focus on the chest,
Abdomen,
And shoulders.
Notice any feelings of ease in the body,
Openness,
Or relief from tension.
As you breathe,
Make space to feel the happiness all over.
Without clinging to the feeling,
Try to stay in tune with the experience.
Let the feelings fade naturally and notice when they have left.
Allow yourself to remain open during your day to other joys you may experience.
Remember they do not have to be grand moments of elation.
You can use the subtle moments of contentment and ease.
The more we practice being mindful of positive moments,
The more we will begin to see them everywhere around us.
From the color of the sun to the warmth of a shower,
Even just in the joy of breathing,
Of being present in our bodies,
Our minds.
I thank you for sitting with me today.
I look forward to our time together tomorrow.
Rest easy my friends.
Wishing you a most wonderful day.
