JOT Week 2 - Take In The Good

[Gareth]

I've stickied it. Do you think I should unsticky week 1?

I'm off to take in the good and stare at my two little boys sleeping...............

[FeeHutch]

Thanks Gareth.

[Lynn4MK]

Oh, I like the idea of the gratitude journal! I'm going to try that. I started out yesterday pretty well, but work wore me down and at the end of the day I found myself thinking more about what didn't get done than what did. Need more practice.

[MaggieMckernon]

I had a spectacular and revelatory start to this topic. I read the chapter diligently, but very familiar with the material in terms of thoughts, and so was not expecting overmuch.
However unlike past times when I have dwelt on the positive by thinking this time I allowed my body to take in the experience, 'like syrup soaking in' and this effect was very different than merely thinking about good things.
As the week has gone on I have enjoyed experimenting, taking in the good through the breath, or cupping my hands to heart to pour in goodness,also imagining good experience spreading as if butter melting on my skin, and letting the syrup diffuse through all of my body or diffuse through the breath and so on.
I have also had problems like others remembering to notice the good, and using an alarm hasn't helped. I am going to try today putting out little bowls round the house, as if they were rain catchers, and I hope they will serve as reminders to collect good experiences ready for pouring!http://www.everyday-mindfulness.org/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=3&t=3767#

[Metaphysical Me]

However unlike past times when I have dwelt on the positive by thinking this time I allowed my body to take in the experience, 'like syrup soaking in' and this effect was very different than merely thinking about good things.

Beautiful!

[Vicky67]

I am loving this week. My experience is: the 'neutral' (started with a typo there & wrote 'neural' ) act of noticing itself is transformational. And, of course, it's not neutral; the very act of noticing, of holding an experience in spacious awareness, of steadying the focus, etc, is already changing the nature of how I experience and relate to the world. It has already, in a few months, increased the incidences of positive experiences and reduced the power of the negative experiences. Taking the 'noticing' a step further, savouring those experiences that manifest a positive tone, letting them seep into me like syrup or a mug of hot cocoa so that I can relish them as a body experience is very powerful. And, for me, they're the simplest things: a drop of dew suspended precariously from a leaf, my dog exploring scents, the rain in my face, the winter sun on my skin, my kids giggling... You get the picture

I shall be interested to experience the impact it has on my mind/body connection with practise.

For me, inviting in the good has some parallels with doing a Loving Kindness meditation (in terms of summoning/inviting a body feeling and bringing it to bear on an experience in the moment as opposed to a mental image of a person). It's part of tipping the scales back to some sort of dynamic equilibrium, some sort of healthy balance; finding more peace, contentment and equanimity in my life. My mindfulness practise so far has made me, I think, more receptive to noticing and inviting in the good.

[MaggieMckernon]

Sounds like we have had a good time with this, the only down side possibly is meditation leaves me having a fancy for ginger syrup puddings!

[FeeHutch]

I was filling in my cue sheet last night and finally 'got it' so to speak.
This week, the one thing is to look for the good. I realised when I do that mindfully, the ideas listed on the cue sheet follow naturally. It is a relief rather than thinking I had to remember each thing!

I am also enjoying sitting for a while before bed reflecting on the day and using the sheet. I am finding it a very positive experience and a lovely peaceful way to end each day.

[Metaphysical Me]

I don't really have all that much to contribute this week. I did this week's exercise far more "neutrally" and was faaaar happier with that!

As I was already familar with this "taking in the good" method of R. Hanson's, nothing very new came up for me, but it was nice to have a week of practising it repeatedly.

I especially enjoyed reading all your posts, seeing as I didn't read any of the content of this week's chapter. So reading your comments made me feel in touch with the JOT project more.

I definitely feel at peace now, with "my" method for approaching this year of JOT weekly exercises. And now I'm already looking forward to Week 3.

[Steve]

I've had some success in noticing postive things, but I think I need more practice in order to notice enough to counterbalance my negativity bias - it is so easy to fall back into a negative rut if events/people press the same buttons that put you there in the first place.

Savouring and absorbing a positive exerience is not something I have found easy if I'm not in a particuarly upbeat mood or brooding over something. I like the descriptions others have given on their experience with this and aim to carry on practicing this.

The coming week is on compassion for ourselves. This seems to be a slight variation on the theme so I can try to feel compassion for myself whilst continuing to work on enhancing the positive features of life.

Hope others have had a good week.

Steve