Feeling Practice

Feeling Practice

We already explored some ideas about the importance of feeling. In sum, our main task in life is to show up. That is, to be present in the moment that we are by directing our awareness to whatever we are doing. By being present we can choose to pay attention to the activity in our internal world or to the activity in the world around us. Every day we keep switching back and forth between attending internally and externally. Think about any time you have a conversation with somebody. You listen to what they say and then you attend internally to generate a response. This usually happens very quickly. However, here we are assuming that there is no interference, for instance, there is not a loud truck driving by while you are listening to your friend. We are also assuming that there is no internal interference, like when our beliefs or preferences already predispose us to like or dislike, or to be for or against what our friend is saying. In previous episodes we have reflected on some of the internal interferences in our lives, like when we assume that we are the only ones who are improvising, or when we believe that life is a competition instead of a process of cooperation. Some other potential internal interferences include who we think we are and the ideas we have about our true nature. One more possible source of internal interference might be thinking that the most important moment of our lives is in the past or the future.

Let’s practice focusing our attention on the simple action of feeling. All we are going to do is to feel whatever is happening. Remember, like in all yoga practices, there is no need for strain, struggle, or self-judgment. We know we will get distracted, possibly many times. That is not a problem. Remember noticing that we got distracted indicates that we are conscious, even of our getting distracted.

The basic premise is to become familiar with our inner world by exploring how it feels. Let’s start by feeling the overall sensations in our body…Based on what you are feeling, find a position that will be conducive to stillness with steadiness and comfort. Give yourself permission to let go of other times and places so that you can be fully here… Notice if you need to make any adjustments so that you can feel more at ease… Take a moment to become familiar with the space that you are in and with the sounds and noises coming from outside, coming from the space that you are in and perhaps any sounds inside of you… Without moving much pay attention to the sensations in your toes..soles of your feet…tops of your feet…ankles…feel the sensations in your lower legs, from your ankles to your knees.. remember you do not have to describe or add comments, just feel…what are the specific sensations all around your knees? Notice that the sensations may feel like texture, weight, temperature, pressure, lightness or heaviness, and in many other ways… acknowledge that whatever you are feeling is valid, because you are feeling it… feel now the sensations from your knees to your thighs… and all the way to your hip joints…feeling…sensing…observing…feel the sensations all around your pelvic area…what are the sensations in your lower abdomen…feel your waist and your lower back…then pay attention to the sensations in your middle abdomen…and in your upper abdomen… feeling the sensations in the sides of your torso…and now feel what is happening in your lower back…middle back… sensations in the back of your rib cage, including the vertebra that your ribs attach to … feel the sides of your rib cage and also how your ribs attach to your breast bone. Feel the sensations outside your ribcage and notice if there may be a difference in how the inside of your rib cage feels…pay attention to the sensations around your armpits, your shoulder blades and your collarbones…remember, if at any point you get distracted all you do is return to feeling…now feel the sensations at the front of your shoulders, the sides of your shoulders…from there continue by being curious about the actual sensations taking place in your upper arms…notice the sensations around your elbows…feel your forearms…wrists…back of your hands…palms of your hands…fingers… feel if there is a difference between the sensations in your fingernails and the sensations in your finger pads…follow the sensations up your arms to the tops of your shoulders and from there spiral your attention around your neck …then feel your outer ears…the sides of your head…the back of your head…the top of your head…stay just with feeling…feel the sensations in your forehead… eyebrows…eyelids…nose…cheeks…jaw…chin…mouth…lips…take a few moments to notice the overall sensations you are feeling in your whole body…feel your whole body…just notice all the different kinds of sensations that are taking place… do not add comments or judgments, just feel…

Are there any places in your body drawing your attention? Perhaps there is a sense of soreness, discomfort, or pain? If so, try to fine tune your perception by being curious about the specific sensations that you are feeling in that place… Are these sensations identical from one second to the next? Or are they changing? Are there changes in location, intensity, or some other quality? How likely is it that what you are feeling is temporary? Is it possible that resting your attention on some area causes a change in the sensations themselves? What happens when you remain curious to find out how this emotion or sensation is unfolding? Is there a tendency to attach what you are feeling to your sense of I, me, and mine? If the sensation or emotion is temporary, does it make sense to define yourself in terms of something that will vanish soon? Might it be possible that the whole point of the sensation or emotion is to highlight your ability to be conscious of it and to experience it directly, even when it is not what you would prefer? If you notice resistance, what happens if instead of tensing up and resisting you choose to pause, soften, and feel? Does it help to remember that the sensations are happening just at this moment and that they will continue traveling through you if you choose to feel them instead of fighting them? Can this attitude contribute to our being fully present in our lives, unconditionally?

Now take a few moments to just be…not having to pay attention to anything in particular…allow yourself to be at ease. It may be possible that you might feel different that before starting this practice. Consider if this practice of feeling may be an interesting way to notice some tendencies in what you feel and in how you feel it. Perhaps, noticing these tendencies may offer you insights into your ways of perceiving and how they can contribute to enhance your presence and your participation in every moment.

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This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

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