This practice is designed to increase positive emotion and deepen resilience by cultivating curiosity and experiencing pleasure. This can be done at any time in any place.
In the first step we ‘prime our mind’ to seek out some positive experience. In doing so we are activating the exploratory part of our minds, the ‘seeking rewards’ system in the brain. We find something that evokes a pleasurable response within us. Engage the senses and find something that you are drawn towards: the sound of music, the smell of coffee, the touch of something soft or smooth.
Then engage with that sensation and experience it deeply by allowing your attention to rest on this experience for 10,20, or 30 seconds. As you do so notice any shift or change within your body and mind. Remain curious and alert and notice what emotional tone is present: Ease, joy, relaxation? Let that feeling sink into you and receive its nourishment.
As you let this experience sink more deeply into you imagine it becoming a part of you – you have just created a ‘resource experience’ that you can call on in the future to support, soothe, or strengthen you as you need. This experience can act as an antidote for stress, fear, anger, or sadness by creating the antidote of ease, pleasure, relaxation and curiosity.