Welcome to this practice,
Which I like to call Neutral Noticing.
You may have heard of positive noticing and negative noticing.
These are powerful ideas in psychology that boil down to a simple fact.
Human brains are very good at noticing problems and things that are wrong.
You might notice the piece of critical feedback you got this week,
But compliments go in one ear and out the other.
Or you might notice something you think is a flaw in your appearance.
Or you might notice an annoying sound or an ache or pain in your body.
Over time,
As we notice mistakes and flaws,
Our brains build pathways that become very skilled at finding negatives and not nearly as skilled at noticing positives.
Often,
Therapists and mindfulness teachers encourage us to focus on the positives instead,
To practice gratitude or look for what is going well.
For many people,
That works beautifully.
But for others,
Especially people who have experienced trauma,
It can feel frightening,
Frustrating,
Or simply impossible to spend time focusing on the good.
Fortunately,
There's another place we can start.
Instead of searching for something good,
We can begin by noticing what is simply okay.
If this sounds like something you'd like to try,
I invite you to settle in for a few minutes.
Find an okay position,
Maybe sitting,
Maybe lying down.
Take a moment to just move around and get a little more comfortable.
If it feels right,
You can close your eyes or leave them open.
It's up to you.
Now,
If it feels okay,
Take one deep breath in and let it out.
Now take one more,
Just one more in and out.
First,
Notice the feeling of your body being supported.
Maybe your lower back is resting on a cushion,
Or your sit bones are resting on the floor,
Or your body is seated in a chair.
Let gravity do some of the work for you.
Notice that your body doesn't have to work so hard right now.
It can simply release into what is holding it.
Now,
Gently look around your experience.
You can do this literally with your eyes open,
Taking in the space around you,
Or you can turn your attention inward to sensations in your body.
As we do this together,
You're not looking for something perfect,
Not something amazing,
Not even something good.
Just one thing that's okay.
Maybe the temperature of the room is okay.
Maybe the feeling of your feet on the ground is okay.
Maybe the sound of the room around you is okay.
Maybe the movement of your breath is okay.
Maybe the light coming through a window is okay.
All we are doing is noticing one thing that is not a problem right now.
When you find something that is okay,
Rest your attention there just for a moment.
You don't need to make it big.
You don't need to make it bigger.
You don't need to hold on to it.
You don't need to push past it towards something that's a problem.
For this moment,
Just notice that one small part of your experience is okay.
As you do this,
Your mind may wander.
It may scan the past or look to the future.
This is perfectly normal.
Your brain is doing something it does really well,
Looking for problems to solve.
When you notice that happening,
You might quietly thank your brain for trying to keep you safe.
Then gently return.
Return to the practice and see if you can find one more thing that's not a problem right now.
Maybe the next breath is okay.
Maybe the next emotion you notice is okay.
Maybe simply sitting here for one more moment is okay.
Just notice.
Even on the most difficult days,
There are often small pockets like this,
Pockets of okay.
Tiny places where your mind and body can rest for a moment and take a break from scanning for danger.
You don't have to feel good.
You don't have to feel calm.
You don't have to feel positive.
You don't have to feel anything.
Simply noticing one thing that's okay can be enough.
Now take one more deep breath with me.
Notice how your body feels in this moment.
When you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to the room.
You might wiggle your fingers or toes.
You might stretch your arms overhead.
Yawn if that's what your body wants.
And if your eyes were closed,
You can slowly open them whenever you're ready.
Thank you for taking this moment to pause with me and notice what's okay.
I hope you're able to take that small moment of okayness with you into whatever comes next.
