Mindful Design · Everyday Mindfulness
Lesson 4 · Name it, let it be
When a feeling rises, name it in one word and let it be there for one breath, or one sound, before you choose what to do.
Use it when an email annoys you, a comment stings, or a worry starts to build.
A moment first
Grounding
One sound, to begin
Not recorded yet.
Wherever you are… just as you are.
Eyes open is fine.
Without effort…
letting one sound find you.
Whatever is there — near or far.
If it's unpleasant… choosing another.
Resting your attention on it gently.
Following it the way you might follow a thread.
When attention drifts…
returning.
Just this sound.
Just this moment.
No effort.
No goal.
Present.
Grounding
Weight and warmth, to begin
Not recorded yet.
Wherever you are… just as you are.
Eyes open is fine.
Noticing the weight of your body…
where it meets the chair… the floor… the earth beneath you.
Feeling the warmth of your hands.
Moving, if you need to.
Just letting the body be
exactly as it is.
Held.
Here.
Present.
Grounding · 42 sec
Breath
The breath, already here
Finding a comfortable position.
Taking one slow breath in…
and a gentle exhale…
Returning to the natural rhythm of the breath…
already here.
As the breath moves…
just noticing it.
Rising…
and falling.
Nothing to change…
nothing to control.
And now…
just resting with the breath.
The practice
Name it, let it be
Not recorded yet.
Hi. It's Matthew again.
This one's for when a feeling rises. Irritation… worry… whatever it is.
It's called Name it, let it be.
Naming it… in one word. Just to yourself.
If there's no word… "something's here" is enough.
Letting it be there… for one breath… or one sound.
Not pushing it away. Not feeding it.
Eyes open is fine.
If it gets bigger instead of settling… looking around the room for a moment.
And then… choosing what to do next.
Once more, with fewer words.
Name it… let it be… choose.
And once on your own. I'm right here.
Next time a feeling rises… an email, a comment, a worry…
name it… let it be… then choose.
What to keep
If a feeling gets bigger instead of settling, that’s the time for The room around you.
Why this
Why: Name it, let it be
Not recorded yet.
A quick word on why.
You use this when a feeling rises and starts to run things. An email… a comment… a worry that builds.
It's two moves, not one. Noticing the feeling… and letting it be there for a moment.
Named, a feeling has an edge you can see. Allowed, it has room to settle.
Then you choose what to do… instead of the feeling choosing for you.
It won't make a feeling go away. It gives you a moment before you choose.
A quick question
An email annoys you and you start typing fast. What’s the practice here?
Just for practice. Nothing is saved.