Welcome.
In this practice,
We'll explore what are known in Buddhist psychology as feeling tones.
The immediate sense begin in response to any experience,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
These tones are often subtle,
But they guide much of our behavior,
Pulling us toward comfort,
Pushing us away from discomfort,
Or leaving us drifting in boredom or inattention.
Today,
We'll practice recognizing these tones as they arise without being pulled into reactivity.
We'll observe how the body responds to each,
How it perhaps opens or contracts,
Or it simply rests.
We'll observe feelings coming and going,
Like clouds in a windy sky,
Using conscious breathing as our anchor.
So,
Let's begin by arriving in the body in the breath,
Grounded,
Open,
Curious.
Sit comfortably,
Allowing your spine to be upright,
But not rigid or stiff.
Let your hands rest gently and close your eyes if it feels safe to do so.
We'll begin with a few gentle breaths,
Inhaling slowly through the nose,
Exhaling softly through the mouth.
Feel the body arriving into stillness.
With each breath,
Allowing yourself to settle into presence,
Meeting each moment with clarity and compassion.
And now,
Shifting your awareness to the sensations in the body,
You may notice the pressure of sitting.
Perhaps you notice warmth.
Perhaps you notice tingling or tension.
As sensations arise into your conscious,
Begin to gently label them,
Based on how they feel.
Simple label of pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral.
There's no need to change the sensation,
Only to recognize it.
Recognize how it feels.
If a pleasant feeling arises,
Note it with interest.
If an unpleasant feeling arises,
Perhaps meet it with softness.
If the feeling is neutral,
Perhaps we can simply observe it.
Observe its quiet presence.
Now let's bring this practice into a clearer focus now.
I'd like to invite you to recall a recent experience that was pleasant.
Perhaps it was a kind word,
Spoken,
A beautiful view,
Witnessed,
Or a moment of ease.
Bring it to mind lightly,
Without getting lost in the story.
And as we bring this to mind,
Perhaps we can notice what happens in your body as you remember it.
Do you notice warmth?
Do you notice a sense of expansion?
Do you notice a lift in your posture?
Just observing.
There's no need to hold onto it.
Just feel it.
Now let that image fade into the background.
And perhaps we can bring to mind an unpleasant experience.
Something mildly frustrating,
Uncomfortable,
Or stressful.
Not something that's going to be overwhelming.
And as you recall it,
What shifts in the body?
Do you notice perhaps tension?
Maybe there's a sense of contraction.
Maybe our breath begins to shallow.
Just gently stay with whatever arises without judgment.
And now let that go.
Allow it to fade into the background.
And now recall a neutral moment.
Something mundane,
Ordinary,
A walk across the room,
Brushing your teeth,
Combing your hair.
What's the tone of that experience?
How does the body feel when things are neither pleasant nor unpleasant?
And just observe the tone of that experience.
The stillness.
Perhaps the absence of a pull or a push.
Each of these tones,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral,
It's part of every moment.
And with awareness,
We can begin to see how they shape our reactions.
Often without us even realizing it.
But as we cultivate awareness,
This awareness gives us choice.
And we begin to notice how the mind responds to these tones.
Perhaps we can notice there's a grasping when something feels pleasant.
Perhaps there's a resistance when it feels unpleasant.
Perhaps there's a sense of disinterest when the feelings are neutral.
See if you can't stay right at the edge where you're aware of the tone and you're aware of your reaction to it.
As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us,
We breathe in and smile to the feeling.
We breathe out and let it go.
You are not the reaction.
You are the awareness noticing the reaction.
Now feel the breath again.
Feel the body still here.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Stable.
And bring a gentle appreciation to this practice.
And when you're ready,
If you close your eyes,
You can slowly open them.
