Attuning¶

Attuning is the first stage of the attune-resolve-review process.

To attune, we bring attention to immediate thoughts and sensations. We can have open awareness, observing whatever shows up, or we might use prompts such as a list of topics in our lives or the list of CL commitments.

Attuning goes beyond passively experiencing thoughts and sensations coming and going. We can engage intentionally, treating thoughts and sensations as signals, like symptoms, that inform us about issues that need our attention. This framing makes it easier to appreciate whatever we notice rather than resist it. When pain shows up, we need not push away the pain itself. The experience may not be pleasant, but pain can notify us about an underlying injury or illness that needs attention.

Terms related to attuning: notice, observe, focus, attend

Attuning to intuitions¶

As we attune, new thoughts and sensations will automatically arise in response to whatever we notice. These intuitions do not come from deliberate consideration but from the ways that the current experience connects with unconscious patterns set up by our instincts, inclinations, and past experiences.

Attuning and curiosity¶

Beyond immediate intuitive reactions, we can also investigate and contemplate our experiences. We might consciously consider what messages and insights each situation offers.

Attuning and resolving, transition and overlap¶

In the strictest sense, the decision to extend attuning time is itself a resolution. How much attuning we can do before moving on to other resolution actions depends on factors such as the degree of urgency we feel in a situation.

Attuning to context¶

CL emphasizes noticing how our focus always exists within a context. Things look very different from different emotional states, framed by different stories, expressed or interpreted in different styles, and so on. Instead of just fixating on the concerns that initially get our attention, we can shift to exploring the contexts. We can then go back to the original focus with more holistic awareness.