S T I L L

S - Soften into the feeling. 

Sometimes you’ll want to do anything to stop having the feeling.

This is a normal, natural response – but the painful feelings you experience are often the first sign that your body is healing.

Imagine what happens when you cut or hurt yourself – your body immediately feels pain, quickly followed by a healing and hurting response, such as inflammation. None of this feels good to you, but you know your body is healing itself.

In the same way, your feelings hurt.

This may be an uncomfortable place to be – but if you wait in a still way, you might notice a gentle shifting.

T – Try to find a space for that feeling. 

Imagine you are creating a space for the feeling as you stay with it.

Imagine a clearing in a forest, or a space in the garden, or a vast, blue expanse of still, calm water.

Imagine cupping your two hands together and allowing that feeling to rest inside them.

As you find a space for your feeling, you are allowing the feeling to stay within you.

I – Investigate that feeling. 

Pay attention to your feeling.

Investigate it gently. You can be curious about it. You can tune into the message your body is sending you.

Here are some questions to help you investigate:

·       Does your feeling have a colour?

·       Where in your body does your feeling live?

·       Does your feeling move around a lot, or is it stuck in one place?

As you practice observing your feelings, you may notice that your body is changing and shifting.

Listen attentively.

Your body’s sensations are your way of understanding and working with feelings.

Paying attention to those sensations may be strange to start with, but your body knows what you need.

You may hear messages like these:

·       Maybe you’ve eaten something that doesn’t agree with you? 

·       Maybe you’ve pushed through a stressful day without a break? 

·       Maybe you haven’t taken time to be with your family? 

·       Maybe you feel you need some time alone?

L - Let feelings and sensations be. 

Watch them bubble, swirl, sink, whoosh or crawl. 

Keep watching.

Notice how you feel when the feeling or sensation moves.

Some feelings are fleeting – especially those that feel happy or warm and soft.

Other feelings are more demanding and exacerbate aches and pains.

See if you can be in tune with what is happening feeling-wise.

Be Still.