The power of ‘Noticing’ - on being present
I am currently on a 8-day leave from work since 17 June. (yay!) Today marks the 4th of my leave. I notice during the first few days, there was some anxiety, and tension, i had thoughts of wanting to maximise these 8 days, and the pressure to do and achieve many things. I also felt pressure to reply my emails at times, at which there are moments I succumb to it. I noticed I felt really stressed replying my emails last friday morning. I did the same this morning - replying to 2 emails - but with much greater lightness and joy in me.
It made me curious, i was doing the same thing, but my being was different.
I noticed my curiosity.
Hence this post is titled, the power of ‘noticing’.
Practice: What did you notice about yourself right now? Just say what comes out naturally for you.
Try this for a minute! “I notice…”
I notice….(physical sensation)
Eg. I notice tightness in my right shoulder; i notice my feet is feeling cold
I notice….(thought)
Eg. I notice that my mind is busy; i notice that i am still thinking about….
I notice….(feeling)
Eg. I notice that I am feeling worried/anxious/excited.
The Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering is Universal.
2. The origin of Suffering is Attachment.
3. The Cessation of Suffering is Attainable.
4. Path to the Cessation of Suffering is Detachment.
— The Buddha
Reflect: How was your experience? What did you discover?
This is one simple practice done during Circling sessions. I went for a few over the weekend and earlier this morning, and this is what i discovered about myself:
I notice there is a lightness in me, and i think it arises from the practice of detaching my thoughts, emotions, sensations from me.
aka the distinction that “I am not my thoughts/emotions/sensations”
In this process of detachment, I feel more alive in the present moment. Loving life’s paradoxes.
Having the safe space to just share what I am experiencing within me, and my experience of someone else creates this bond and connection which is so human!
By allowing myself to notice whatever comes up, even my own resistance, naming it instead of repressing it, it feels freeing.
It creates a space where things slow down, to notice and be curious about what you notice. What is it trying to tell me?
At first, it was difficult to notice sensations because I wasn’t practicing that. So if you found it difficult - be kind to yourself, you have only just started! In our modern society today, it’s very easy to desensitise ourselves without even knowing; it could be snacking to avoid feeling stress; or holding back to avoid fear; and that’s okay too because we are human. It is what it is. Humans are imperfect.
Misconceptions of ‘being present’
Being present often connotes the idea of being fully engaged 100% of the time. That could sound like an ideal situation, but we would also have experienced moments where we felt disengaged during meetings, struggling to be present because we may have worries at the back of our heads.
Here’s another paradox - Disconnection is needed for connection; and we can be connected in disconnection. Letting the other person know, “I notice I got distracted, could you repeat that?” ; “I notice I am feeling overwhelmed, I need some time.” By letting the other person know, there is some space to be made. And that creates connection!