Embracing the Tides of the Sea: Mindfulness of Feelings
- patrikharbusch
- 18. Apr. 2024
- 3 Min. Lesezeit
"In our world, which is so dominated by technology,
the future of humanity will depend on our ability to bring our core
ability back to the forefront, and that is feeling."
Dr. Leon Windscheid
The Power of Feelings
Our emotional states profoundly influence our daily lives, shaping everything from personal interactions to critical decisions. Justice William O. Douglas once remarked, "At the Supreme Court level where I work, 90 percent of our decisions are made on an emotional basis. The other 10 percent are used to rationalize what we feel." This statement underscores the central role that emotions play, not only in personal contexts, but in every part of society.
By practicing mindfulness of feelings, we explore how to access our feelings not by suppression or denial, but through unconditional acceptance. This doesn't mean capitulation, but rather recognizing our power to working with them and using emotions to support our mindfulness practice.
Like the gentle attention we bring to our breath and body during mindfulness, we can extend awareness to our emotions. Mindfulness doesn't eradicate emotions, but it allows us to develop a wise relationship with them. As Jon Kabat-Zinn famously said, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." Neuroscience supports this, showing how mindfulness training expands our "window of tolerance", increasing emotional balance and resilience.
Understanding Emotions
Emotions, according to psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, are guesses that our brains construct as billions of brain cells work together to interpret sensory input, past experiences, and physiological responses to create subjective feelings that guide our behavior. They are influenced by countless factors, from the weather to social interactions, most of which are unconscious.
From personal experience, I've seen how skipping meals or losing sleep can sour my mood and affect my interactions with loved ones. In addition, our pursuit of enjoyment, which meditation teacher Paul Debes calls the "programmed search for pleasurable experiences", drives much of our behavior.
Our cultural programming often teaches us to value only "positive" emotions and to suppress "negative" ones. But emotions are neither inherently good nor bad - it is our relationship with them that determines their impact. When we unconsciously live under their influence, emotions can dictate our well-being and actions, leading to a reactive existence.
Navigating the Emotional Waves
Practicing mindfulness with our emotions involves recognizing and naming them without attachment. This practice doesn't stop the feelings, but it does change how we relate to them. When we name an emotion, whether it's anger, joy, or sadness, it loses some of its intensity, allowing us to engage with it more objectively rather than being controlled by it.
One of the profound realizations of mindfulness practice is the fleeting nature of emotions. They often last only seconds, yet they can seem overwhelming if we're not mindful. By observing emotions without getting caught up in their narratives, we learn that they are like waves on the surface of the ocean of our awareness - constantly changing and passing.
Why Mindfulness of Feelings Matters
When emotions do arise, they're often expressed unfiltered, suppressed, or we're completely controlled by them. Mindfulness offers a way to experience the full range of our emotions without being overwhelmed or reactive.
By taking time to sit quietly and turn inward, we tap into the rich, nuanced emotional life within us. As we practice, it becomes clear that awareness is more expansive than any emotion. This realization empowers us to respond to our emotions not as dictates, but as signals, guides in the ongoing journey of self-awareness and growth.
