Although we all want to feel a sense of wellbeing, this is not always our everyday experience. Some of the time we experience stress, anxiety, frustration and limitation; often borne out of the reactive habit patterns that no longer serve us.
An important part of mindfulness is to protect and cultivate our wellbeing so that we can respond skilfully to what arises with awareness, openness, and kindness. Protective awareness means noticing and acknowledging anything that does not support our wellbeing in the present moment, then setting a clear intention to stop and change direction. For instance, we may be driving along peacefully when the car driver behind sounds their horn in annoyance for some reason. We immediately become stressed and annoyed. We may feel like we may have done something wrong and experience the impulse to react in some way. Our body tightens and we entertain thoughts of what we would like to say to the driver. We feel unsettled as we drive on and after a while realize that the car behind us has long gone. These micro-assaults on our wellbeing and our reactive impulses can happen every day, often without being fully noticed.
Like the wise security guard or gatekeeper who protects the entrance of an important building, we can allow entry to what is useful, positive, expanding, and nurtures our wellbeing and turn away what is not-useful, negative, limiting, and depletes our wellbeing. When we notice that our attention is entertaining a negative automatic thought that does not serve us, we can acknowledge what’s happening and withdraw our attention from it. Not fully engaging with unhelpful content is called wise avoidance. The easiest way to do this is to switch our attention to our body, breath, and senses, away from the pull of the mind.
So, what are we looking out for and protecting against? The answer is anything that does not support our wellbeing, emotional stability, peace, and calm, which includes:
- Automatic rumination and negative thoughts, like worry, or low self-worth
- Negative feelings, emotions, and moods, like anxiety and feeling unworthy that may be triggered by these thoughts
- Automatic impulses and reactivity, like getting frustrated or annoyed
- Unhelpful habit patterns that no longer serve us or others
So how can we do all of this while operating in the world? Life is complicated and there are conflicts and difficulties? We are not always as aware of what is going on as we would like to be. The truth is that transforming the way we relate to our experience takes time, effort, insight, and intention.
Protective awareness is about:
- Awareness – noticing what is going on for us in the flowing moment, by simply observing and bearing witness to our experience.
- Discernment – noticing and knowing the difference between what supports and what depletes our wellbeing – acting as the wise gatekeeper.
- Curiosity – investigating with openness, wanting to learn and know more, and being inquisitive.
Science tells us that the human brain and mind are one of the most complex systems in the known universe. It’s interesting that our mind feeds us what we pay attention to. Like the algorithm on YouTube, our mind serves us what we seem to like and habitually return to. In the case of negative automatic thoughts, moods, and habit patterns, this is not useful for nurturing and sustaining our wellbeing. With protective awareness, we can start to loosen these previously unseen mechanisms. We can know that we are not our thoughts and that we are not our emotions, as they come and go and do not define who we are. Although they may be about us, we no longer need to identify with them as if, “this is how I am.” With protective awareness, we can transform our wellbeing and improve our resilience by becoming less vulnerable to identifying with unhealthy habit patterns.
Suggested weekly practice
- Remember to notice your state of wellbeing during the day. Ask, “What’s going on for me know” and “What does this moment need?”
- Watch out for harmful reactive habit patterns or moods which degrade your wellbeing during the day.
- Be like the wise gatekeeper and allow entry to what is useful, positive, expanding, and nurtures your wellbeing and turn away what is not-useful, negative, limiting and depletes your wellbeing.
Guidance
Find somewhere undisturbed and sit in a comfortable, dignified and upright posture, where you can remain alert and aware. There are two guided practices for this session. You can close your eyes, or lower your gaze while the meditations play.
- Play the first settling practice, then read through the session content, which you can print off if that helps.
- Then play the second practice to explore and experience protective awareness.
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