In Part 1, we explored how mindfulness helps us pause between impulse and action, creating space to respond, rather than react. In this post, we’ll look more closely at how turning our attention toward the body can deepen that pause and bring us back into presence when the mind starts to spin.

It’s important to be clear: it isn’t that feeling is “better” than thinking. Thought is essential and powerful. The key is that we do more effective thinking when it is not being hijacked by an unseen emotion. If a feeling goes unnoticed, it can quietly fuel our thoughts, colouring them in ways we may not realise – often intensifying worry, catastrophizing, or rumination.

Many people think emotions happen in the head – because that’s where our thoughts live, and where we notice the chatter most loudly. But feelings and emotions are felt in the body. They often arise somewhere along what you might call the body’s central column – the throat, chest, solar plexus, or stomach.

If we don’t notice the initial feeling as it appears, it can easily go underground. Then the mind takes over, spinning a web of thoughts coloured by that unseen emotion. Before long, we’re caught in a stream of stories, interpretations, and catastrophising – while the body quietly tightens, braces, or prepares for action.

The simple act of bringing attention back to the body can interrupt this cycle. Instead of following the thoughts, we can pause and ask, “What am I feeling right now – and where do I feel it?”

Let your attention settle somewhere in the central column and notice what’s there. You might sense a tightness in the chest, a heaviness in the stomach, a lump in the throat. Or perhaps something less defined – a density, a wetness, a colour, a vibration, a billowing.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t name it precisely. What matters is turning toward it, rather than away. You might gently describe the sensations to yourself: “There is warmth… there is pressure… there is fluttering.”

This small shift in language, saying: “There is…” instead of “I feel…” helps us see that the feeling is not who we are. It’s a temporary, bodily phenomenon moving through us, waiting to be noticed and allowed.

When we rest our attention in this way, we step out of the swirl of thought and into the direct simplicity of sensation. The body becomes an anchor for presence, something real and immediate that can’t be argued with.

If you find yourself already caught on the thought train, halfway to catastrophe – it’s never too late to step off. Just drop your awareness down into the body and ask, “What is the feeling fuelling this thought storm?”

Safety and Working with Big Feelings

Some feelings can feel too big or overwhelming to sit with directly. If we have experienced trauma, our natural defence may have been to stay out of the body and numb ourselves to sensation – overriding that defence all at once can sometimes feel too much. If a sensation in the body makes you overly tense, upset or anxious, it’s important to take care:

• Start by resting your attention somewhere neutral, like your feet, until you feel a bit more grounded.
• Then slowly bring awareness back to just the edge of the feeling – a small part of it – and rest there. You can move between the feeling and the feet as needed, taking refuge in the neutral sensation whenever the intensity rises.
• Another helpful approach is to imagine your physical boundary expanding beyond your body. Expand your awareness as far as you need; the edges of your body, the whole room or even the whole town, until the feeling becomes a smaller, manageable phenomenon located somewhere in the centre of your vast space, not abandoned, but held safely.

These techniques allow you to meet emotions safely, respecting both your experience and your limits, while still cultivating the capacity to notice, name, and relate differently to what arises.

Over time, this practice builds a new kind of intimacy with your feelings and it allows you to think more clearly, act more skillfully and step out of the spirals of thought that often follow unnoticed emotion.

Guided Mindfulness Practice: Dropping Into the Body

Time: 5–10 minutes

1. Find a comfortable position.
   Sit or lie somewhere you feel supported. Allow your body to settle, feet on the floor, hands resting comfortably, spine upright but relaxed.
2. Bring attention to your feet.
   Begin by noticing where your body makes contact with the ground or chair. Feel the weight, the support, the connection. Take a few slow breaths here. This is your neutral anchor, a safe base to return to if feelings become strong.
3. Scan your body along the central column.
   Slowly bring awareness up from the feet toward your central column – the area along the midline of your body: the stomach, solar plexus, chest, throat. Notice any sensations, tightness, warmth, fluttering, or vibration.
4. Locate the feeling.
   Ask yourself: “What is the feeling fueling this thought or tension?”
   Rest your attention gently in the area where you notice it most and bring in some curiosity. You might sense an emotion like anxiety, sadness, or anger – or just notice qualities: hardness, denseness, wetness, or even a colour.
5. Describe the sensation.
   Internally, use neutral language: “There is tightness,” “There is pressure,” “There is warmth.” Notice the difference between “There is…” and “I feel…” This helps you recognize the feeling as a passing phenomenon, not as who you are. You can perhaps notice what happens to the sensations as you take your breath into them – for example do they intensify, shift up or down, dissolve?
6. Move with care.
   If the feeling feels intense, stay with just the edge of it. You can shift your attention back to your feet as a refuge, then return again when ready. You might also imagine your awareness expanding beyond the boundaries of the physical body, giving the feeling space, until it feels smaller and more manageable.
7. Rest and integrate.
   Spend a few moments just noticing the sensations in the body without needing to change or fix anything. Breathe gently. When you feel ready, expand awareness to the whole body and the room around you.
8. Return to the present.
   Wiggle your fingers and toes, stretch if it feels good, and open your eyes. Take a moment to notice any shift in your thoughts, your body, or your sense of presence.

Tip: You can use this practice anytime – when you notice thoughts spiraling, tension rising, or emotions building. Even a minute of dropping into the body can create a pause and give you choice over how to respond.

If this approach resonates with you, and you’d like to explore mindfulness and working with emotions in a safe, supported way, you’re very welcome to reach out. As a therapist, I work with clients to help them develop these skills, build awareness of their bodily experience, and find more ease and choice in daily life. You can find my contact details and information about my practice elsewhere on this site.