So,
This is taking in the good meditation.
This is a longer version of the meditation that you can find in this Inside Timer course called Dealing with Emotional Pain that you can find as soon as you search for my name.
And this is a practice that actually teaches us to really take in the good.
Meaning seeing all the beautiful moments that we might be surrounded by and have especially during stressful moments,
Stressful times where everything might feel hectic.
And yes,
This takes practice because it's so easy to be swept by negative thoughts or negative emotions and I don't call them negative because they are bad.
I call them negative because they pull us down and take us away from the feeling of feeling grounded.
So,
Let's practice.
And I really enjoy this practice because it can be done as an imagery practice.
So,
We imagine something from the past or we can practice it as a mindfulness meditation focusing our attention on what's here in this moment.
Well,
You can choose whatever feels right for you in this moment.
I will guide you as best as I can with both options available for you.
So,
I invite you to let your eyes rest in a point somewhere in front of you or even closing the eyes if this feels comfortable.
And together the attention sometimes for me it works when I just take a few full breaths in and out.
Not rushing on the exhale.
And as best as you can letting the breath be the main focus of attention.
Maybe even sensing if this could be a soothing breath for you.
And just letting the breath take its natural form,
Natural rhythm.
Knowing that in this moment there is no need to control the breath.
No need to do anything at all.
Just be.
And that's enough.
And maybe the breath is not an anchor for you today or in this moment.
So,
I invite you to explore.
Explore the body for an anchor.
Meaning choosing a place in the body where you can sense that you can rest the mind there.
And it could be the sensations in the palms of your hand.
It could be the sensations of the breath going in and out in the belly.
Or maybe just the sensations of being upright if you do have this position.
Or the sensations of the bed or the surface you are lying on.
You see,
The actual sensation is not as important.
The invitation is just connecting with this anchor and staying with it as it could be the most important thing that you can connect in this moment.
I'm asking what is my anchor today?
And in a few breaths refocusing the attention on the entire body.
Maybe connecting with the posture.
Maybe there is a sense of pressure somewhere.
The sense of equilibrium if you are standing upright.
Touch.
Grounding ourselves in this present moment.
And from here I invite you to bring to mind a positive experience that you had today or in the past week.
This would mean using the imagery for this practice.
So,
No need to do search in more than seven days or searching for that perfect moment.
Just think if any experience that you might have labelled as pleasant come to mind.
And it could be anything from just drinking a very good cup of coffee or tea to feeling a real connection and love with somebody that you care.
A moment where you realize that wow this feels good.
Maybe for today it's difficult to connect with this kind of imagery.
And there is no problem with that.
Maybe just choosing a moment of pleasantness that's right here.
Searching for something that you might label as pleasant in this present moment.
Maybe the feeling of warmth in your body or of coolness if you live in a very hot area or it's a hot day.
Maybe just the sensations of relaxation.
So any of these two versions are a way of practicing taking in the good.
And the invitation is just to choose one that you can feel really connected with it and you can hold it easily in your attention.
Now diving in into the senses of the experience.
How does it feel?
Can you name the feeling?
Is it joy or happiness?
Comfort or love?
Peace?
And is that feeling somewhere in the body?
Maybe with a smile.
A feeling of touch anywhere.
A sense of warmth in the heart.
A tingling in the head.
Relaxation.
Noticing how the same word feeling is also for emotions,
Also for the body.
Exploring the full intentionality of the feelings both in the body,
Both as a labeling experience,
Emotional labeling.
And then expanding,
Enriching the experience with a sense of seeing.
Is it with the eyes closed that you can see any kind of forms or colors?
Anything coming and going?
No need to make anything happen,
Just exploring if something is there.
And adding to this experience with a sense of seeing,
Adding the sense of smell.
If there was a smell in the air in that pleasant moment that you might re-enact here or if this moment of pleasantness is in the present moment connecting with any The sense of smell is deeply connected with our emotional memory so we can use it to anchor ourselves and to take in the good.
During this exploration maybe the mind was swept away from the positive experience,
The connection with that pleasant experience.
And if this happens that's perfectly normal.
Maybe this is one of the first insights of this meditation that the mind is so easily attracted from practicing the good,
Taking in the good.
And it's so easily swept away into thoughts or other emotions or planning.
If that happens maybe for a moment noticing where the mind has gone and then choosing one more time to redirect the attention to the pleasant experience and reaching the experience with all the senses that we explored.
Connecting with the sense of touch,
The sense of smell,
The sense of seeing,
Maybe even of taste if that's available.
And in a few breaths I invite you to move the attention to the entire body sitting here.
Letting any sensations just come and go in the field of awareness.
Maybe even congratulating yourself that for the past minutes you've practiced enriching and bringing in a pleasant experience,
Connecting and in this way taking care of yourself.
Just absorbing this moment making it a part of us.
And in this way making it simple to access anytime.
And when you're ready opening the eyes if they were closed.
Even bringing some slight movements.
Noticing how the body feels when it moves.
This meditation is now complete.
