How are you feeling right now?

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.

- Buddha

On my first Level 2 Counselling course session my tutor introduced ‘check in’ to us. It was an easy enough concept. You go around the room and each person gives an honest emotion or a feeling in a word or sentence to describe how they are feeling in that very moment. It is harder than it sounds when you have never done it before. Normally you might be ready with a tale about your traffic filled journey in. Or you had to fight with the kids to get them out the door. But that is the past, and in this exercise, irrelevant. It is truly the art of being mindful. Nothing from the past. Nothing from the future. Just how you are feeling emotionally in the present.

The other slightly unnatural part to ‘check in’ is there are no questions asked, or reactions given. If someone says they are feeling angry, or emotional, or anxious at ‘check in’ you hear it, and then you move on to the next person. It allows the person presenting their emotion, to express themselves in a safe space. Safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to justify themselves, or elaborate. They can just be.

It is a powerful feeling when you can be completely honest and not have to explain yourself.

It is something I do often now. Especially if I have a strong experience, negative or positive. I sit, I pause and ask myself how I am feeling right now. Not how I feel about what happened, But in that exact moment, when I dig deep, how am I truly feeling. It is a cathartic exercise, as it really forces you to connect to yourself. To really hear yourself. I think we should all be doing this a little more. Hearing how we are feeling, and allowing others to feel and not have to explain.

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