Discover the Power of Noticing: How Mindful Meditation Can Shift Your Day

I have a love-hate relationship with meditation and mindfulness practices. On a rational level, I understand the benefits. On an emotional level, I know I feel good when I do this regularly, but on a practical level, I struggle to stick with it. I seem to get on and off the wagon many times. Sustaining the practice is difficult for me.

Last week, I started meditating again and I learned something wonderful I wanted to share with you...

But before I do this, I'd love to hear from you if you have a regular meditation or mindfulness practice?

If you do, what helps you stick with it?

Today's meditation was focused on paying attention to all sensations and thoughts that come up and just noticing if they are pleasant or unpleasant.

Noticing without judgement about whether you like it or not and without trying to get rid of the unpleasant sensations or hold onto the pleasant ones. Just noticing.

As I did this I noticed some itching, some tense muscles but I didn’t try to do anything with it. I just let it be and that in itself was extremely comforting. I did the same with any thoughts that popped into my head, labelling it - pleasant or unpleasant - and then letting it go.

And then I understood, the noticing without trying to change it (or trying to hold on) is what gives us pause before reacting. It allows us a break to notice, be with and then choose our response.

How fabulous it would be if we could do this as we go through life experiences?

If we give ourselves a pause to notice, it could save us from the automated or kneejerk response we might regret later?

For example, when someone says something hurtful we can say to ourselves, that was unpleasant and notice what happens in our body (pleasant or unpleasant), notice the thoughts (pleasant or unpleasant), notice the emotions (pleasant or unpleasant) and let it be for a while… without responding straight away.

I enjoyed the idea of just noticing and naming thoughts, emotions, sensations - pleasant or unpleasant - without necessarily doing anything about it in that moment.

We can always choose our response later.

It reminds me of the Victor Frankl quote, one of my favourites:

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.

Want to give it a try?

1. Put on a timer for 2-5 minutes (however long you think you can manage).
2. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing for 3 breaths
3. Notice sensations, thoughts, feelings and just label them - pleasant or unpleasant.

That’s it. How was that for you?

A practice such as this helps build our resilience when something unpleasant happens and we don't want to react out of our default but rather give ourselves time to process and then choose our response.

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