Day 15: 15 Mindful Hugs
Today someone told me that I give really good hugs. This was somewhat surprising to me since I still don't consider myself much of a hugger. I hadn't actually thought about the quality of my hugs other than applying the 3 breath principle. I don't add the back pat, the side-to-side sway, the creepy back rub, or the unnecessary bear-hug squeeze. I give regular hugs that happen to last a little longer. By the way, it takes a long damn time to breathe three breaths.
My focus during the hugs has strictly been on the 3 breaths and noticing the physical sensations of relaxation (slowed heart rate, muscular relaxation) during each hug. While focusing on the physical and mental aspects of hugging, I have completely been ignoring the emotional component of hugging. Now I hear the voice of my meditation teacher saying, "Isn't that interesting?"
Some of the hug recipients have expressed an emotional response of feeling warm and fuzzy, but it has not been my experience. This hugging meditation is again presenting me with another teachable moment. For the second half of this experiment, I will continue focusing on the physical sensations and mental focus on the breath, and I will be open to noticing if any emotions begin to arise.
No comments:
Post a Comment