Yes

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is say yes. Not yes that it's good or yes that you like it. Just yes that it's happening. In this open awareness practice, every time your attention jumps to a sound, a thought, or a sensation, you acknowledge it with a quiet yes. It sounds simple. But this small acknowledgement can open up the space to act more skillfully. Recorded live with the Healthy Minds Program.

Transcript

Hi, Everyone. But in some ways, We're all in this together. In challenging situations. Are an easy time to forget about our own well-being. We all respond differently. Some of us fill our days up with busy work. Others tense up and get reactive. But in one way or another, We're trying to process this. This provides us a really great opportunity to explore. So for the next 10 minutes or so, We're going to do an open awareness practice and see if we can open up a little bit to whatever we're experiencing in the moment. It's really kind of marvelous the power of simply opening up and being aware, This trainable skill of awareness, One of the four key pillars of well-being. It's very powerful. Often we feel like we need to do something about it. All the challenges we face, But sometimes just becoming aware of them is enough. And I would add maybe one other element to that, Which is saying yes to our experience, Accepting our experience, Acknowledging our experience. And accepting doesn't mean rolling over and being a pushover. In tough situations, We need to rise. We need to change our circumstances. If we're facing injustice, We need to do something about it. So that's not what I'm saying, But what I'm saying is by simply acknowledging and accepting that what is happening is really happening. We can find a space to act more skillfully and respond. More authentically to. Challenging situations. So we're going to do a little 10-minute practice here. I hope it feels right. And as always, If you have your own practice that you've got a lot of momentum with, Feel free to do that instead and just enjoy this space of virtual community. And if you're new to this and you're just here to check it out, Feel free to just relax and listen to the guidance as opposed to follow it, Just to get a sense of what's going on. And for the rest of us, We'll guide a practice, An open awareness practice, And we'll try to say yes to whatever we're experiencing over the next 10 minutes. So with that, Let's get to it. Maybe I'll have a sip of tea first. Do it with my little cat mug. Okay, So. Take your seat, Your posture, Whether it's on a chair, A bench, Or a cushion, Or if you need to lie down, That's okay. Just make sure you stay awake. Don't be too comfortable. The way I like to think about this is you want to be upright and relaxed, And there's almost a sense of readiness. You might think of a goalie in soccer or football, Sorry, A goalie in soccer or hockey, Or a receiver in football, Or a catcher in baseball, Or a martial artist. There's this stance that you take of readiness, That you know something's coming, The ball's coming, Or whatever it might be. In this case, We know that something's going to come in the next time and some experience is going to happen. And so find a posture that feels relaxed yet ready, Sort of a cat-like readiness. And if it feels right for you, You can close your eyes. And maybe just start by taking a few slow, Deep breaths. Just noticing your connection with the ground. Pulling your breath up through the body. And really savoring that release of the exhale. Just before we get started. Take a moment to really remember why you're doing this. Why are you here? Why did you choose to spend these 15 minutes? Doing this particular practice. What's your own personal motivation here? Might be. To find some balance, To deal with a pressing situation. Whatever it is. Let that motivation really inspire you and guide you. To fully dive in to this practice for the next 10 minutes. And if you're up for it, You can also include an email. A wider motivation? How might others around you benefit? From you doing this practice? How might the world benefit from you doing this practice? Just take a few moments to just soak in, Kind of like you're in a tub, Soak in that motivation, That inspiration. Sometimes it feels like in these practices we have to. Gradually sink into them. So I'm going to invite you in a moment to just immediately Come online. Be fully aware of everything that's happening. Starting right. You might notice sounds. Or light in the external environment. Maybe coming through your eyelids or maybe your eyes are open. You might notice body sensations, Tingling, Discomfort. You might notice contact with your clothes or with the ground, Pressure. You also might notice thoughts. Often we think of thoughts as distractions, But not for this practice. For this practice, They're just another part of your experience in this moment. Just noticing it all. Bringing awareness to whatever's happening here and now. And if it's helpful. Whenever you notice a new experience when your attention jumps to a sound or a thought. Or a body sensation. Just say yes. Right in that moment, Just acknowledge, Yes. Yes, There's a sound. Yes, There's pain in my leg. Yes. There's some light changing on the back of my eyelids. Just noting every experience you notice with the word yes. If you notice a sense of boredom. Just say yes to that. Yes, I'm bored. Notice yourself getting drowsy, Maybe you're. . . Neck is drooping. Just say yes to that, Yes. I'm drowsy. And if your mind gets caught up in thought, You sort of wander off into a. . . Mental world. Thinking about work or what you have planned for the day or what happened yesterday. Again, Just say yes to that, Just acknowledge. Oh, I'm thinking. Okay. That's what's here now. Nothing to do about it. Nothing to fix. Just notice and be aware and acknowledge of whatever's happening. In this moment, Right now. By saying yes to your experience. I'm not necessarily saying that it's enjoyable. Or pleasurable or good, You know. What you're saying yes to is just that it's happening. That's why it can be really helpful to immediately acknowledge the experience as soon as you notice it. So there's almost a kind of. Anatomy to this kind of noting practice. You hear a sound. Pulls your attention. And then you say, Yes, There's a sound. And then in the space right after that acknowledgement. You really kind of hone in and clarify what that sound sounds like. And the same thing repeats every time your attention gets pulled. Okay, And for this last minute or two here. I want you to just bring a little bit of reflection into the practice. And sort of zoom out on. What you've been facing these days, What's going on in your life. And don't immediately dive to the most challenging thing, But just whatever's been going on. And see if you can find something. That you need to say yes to. Is there anything you're experiencing these days? Any kind of frustration or anger or even positive things like enjoyment. That you are tightening up around that could maybe benefit from a little bit of this kind of acknowledgement. So let's just take the last minute or two to reflect on what is it in your life these days that might be worth saying yes to? Okay, Great. So whenever you're ready, You can transition out of the practice at your own pace. Take your time. You can take a deep breath or stretch if you'd like.