In this 5-day challenge, I’ll highlight how you can use mindfulness to elevate your mental and emotional well-being.
Developing these three skills in a balanced way brings many benefits and it’s an extremely effective way to be happier.
In “See, Hear, Feel”, the core technique of Shinzen Young’s Unified Mindfulness system, we break down our experience into these three categories: See, Hear, and Feel.
See includes any visual experience, either physical or mental.
Hear includes sounds we can hear or mental talk.
Feel includes body sensations that are either physical or emotional in nature, and includes smell and taste.
For example you might See a mental picture of a slice of pizza.
You might Hear the thought: “I should get pizza for dinner tonight!” and then you might Feel your stomach rumbling.
You might See swirling patterns of lights, you might Hear a bird singing outside your window, and you might Feel a tingling in your arm.
I’ve seen that this practice has made things clear that were either subtle or completely unconscious before, allowing me to work with them. For example, I started to notice that when I would use social media, I’d feel bad. This helped me understand that I didn’t want to be doing this so much and I made changes that made me less anxious and happier.
From my mindfulness training, I’ve become able to feel emotions fully when they arise, which releases their energy and their hold over my behavior, preventing them from becoming recurring patterns or making me do something I regret.
Bringing mindfulness to eating has helped me reduce overeating. I can experience hunger with equanimity, without the urgent need to get rid of it. When I do overeat, I notice with clarity the uncomfortable sensations of being too full, and then overeating is less appealing next time. When I eat mindfully, I notice the joy I get from making good decisions. I enjoy being satisfied but not overstuffed. Noticing this reward reinforces these healthy behaviors.
In the practice today, we’ll do a five minute session of See, Hear, Feel.
Regular practice in this technique will strengthen your skills of concentration, clarity, and equanimity, so they will become available throughout your life, even when you’re not actively practicing.