Becoming more fully aware of how we classify situations as being ‘pleasant’ or ‘unpleasant,’ and seeing how our thoughts contribute to these interpretations does take some practice. It can also be tough to notice the effect of such situations on our bodily sensations, thoughts, and feelings. One way to practice this is by becoming aware of one pleasant event a day and, when you do so, stopping to pay attention to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that accompany it.
The event itself can be moments (such as seeing a blue jay outside on your window) or hours in length (such as enjoying a fine meal) but the practice is the same—tune in to the moment in question and record what you were experiencing. To help you do this, we have provided a calendar at the end of this session for home practice.
Bringing mindfulness to bear at these moments will allow you to experience the moment simply as it is, without adding further thoughts, for example, about wishing it would go on forever, or wondering why it doesn’t happen more often. Remember, the aim is not to increase the number of pleasant events in your life, but simply to become more aware of what may already be present.
Pleasant Events Calendar
Download the Pleasant Events calendar to complete as part of your practice.
