Basic Mindfulness Skills 83or a bad feeling. Notice whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. Just keep your attention on the feeling until
you have a sense of it. [Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
Now look for words to describe the emotion. For example, is it elation, contentment, or excitement?
Or is it sadness, anxiety, shame, or loss? Whatever it is, keep watching and describing the emotion in
your mind. Notice any change in the feeling and describe what’s different. If any distractions or thoughts
come to mind, do your best to let them go without getting stuck on them. Notice if your feeling is inten-
sifying or diminishing, and describe what that’s like. [Pause here for one minute if you are recording
the instructions.]
Keep observing your emotion and letting go of distractions. Keep looking for words to describe the
slightest change in the quality or intensity of your feeling. If other emotions begin to weave in, continue to
describe them. If your emotion changes into an altogether new emotion, just keep observing it and finding
the words to describe it. [Pause here for one minute if you are recording the instructions.]
Thoughts, physical sensations, and other distractions will try to grab your attention. Notice them,
let them go, and return your focus to your emotion. Stay with it. Continue observing it. Keep going until
you’ve observed your emotion change or diminish.
CONCLuSION
You’ve now learned some basic mindfulness skills. Hopefully, you have a better understanding
of how your mind works and why these skills are important to learn. You should continue using
them on a daily basis. In the next chapter, you will build on these skills and learn more advanced
mindfulness skills.