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# 4 Joyful Contentment & Dryness

## Understanding Softening

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYcyo6KHHVU>" %}

## Practice Visual

<img src="/files/EiufZzp1Lh9WmgYc9pA0" alt="" class="gitbook-drawing">

## Guided Practice

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/I_-gUfwlv-0>" %}

## Core Instructions

<table><thead><tr><th width="141"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>What</strong></td><td>Enjoying Contentment by releasing the effort underlying discontentment and gradually enchanting your mind with it</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Benefits</strong></td><td><ul><li>Contentment</li><li>Enjoying Now</li><li>Mental Calm</li><li><p>Recognizing Mental Restlessness &#x26; Discontentment</p><ul><li>e.g., Discontentment, Frustration, Anxiety, Anger</li></ul></li><li>Recognizing 'Effort' within Mind </li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Progress</strong></td><td><ul><li>Sensory Clarity to necessary &#x26; excessive effort underlying Discontentment &#x26; Contentment</li><li>Ability to release excessive effort</li><li>Ability to enjoy the release of effort</li><li>Ability to enjoy contentment</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Instructions</strong></td><td><p></p><p><strong>Weakening Discontentment</strong></p><p></p><ol><li>Notice or Activate Discontentment</li><li>Notice Tension in the area behind the eyes</li><li>Notice Effort underlying</li><li>Recognize Disadvantage </li><li>Release the effort underlying tension &#x26; discontentment</li><li><p>Notice Discontentment Weakening &#x26; Contentment Strengthening</p><ol><li>e.g., Activity weakening, pausing or drop completely</li></ol></li><li>Recognize Advantage</li><li>Enjoy </li><li>Until it fades &#x26; repeat</li></ol><p></p><p><strong>Strengthening Contentment</strong></p><p></p><ol><li>Notice or Activate Contentment</li><li>Notice Softness in the area behind the eyes</li><li>Notice Effortlessness</li><li>Recognize Advantage</li><li>Softening into it</li><li>Enjoy</li><li>Until it Fades &#x26; Repeat </li></ol></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Consider</strong></td><td><p></p><p><strong>Subtleties</strong></p><ul><li>Discontentment &#x26; Contentment may require patience to develop one's sensitivity towards clearly perceiving them</li><li>Discontentment manifests as unpleasantness, a desire to control, wanting reality to be a certain way, pushing the unpleasant away, pulling the pleasant towards you</li><li>Contentment manifests as pleasure, allowing experience to be however it wants to be</li></ul><p></p><p><strong>Necessary &#x26; Excessive Effort</strong></p><ul><li>Excessive effort is based on non-equanimity i.e., resistance towards your present sensory experience</li><li><p>Necessary effort varies depending on the situation and is based on equanimity</p><ul><li>e.g., thinking about what your next steps are, curious about the pleasure of relief</li></ul></li></ul><p></p><p><strong>Enjoy :)</strong></p><ul><li>Maintaing Contentment and noticing its effortlessness, softness, gently smiling into it will gradually support the enjoyment of contentment</li><li>Pointing your mind towards the benefit of releasing of effort via enjoying the experience</li></ul><p></p></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Daily Life</strong></td><td><ul><li>Check in throughout the day about any discontentment and their excessive underlying effort</li><li>Release the effort, enjoying the relief</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Acknowledgement</strong></td><td><a href="https://midlmeditation.com/">MIDL</a></td></tr></tbody></table>