The participant deliberately recalls a difficult situation and directs attention to the body sensations linked to it, applying the stance of acceptance — "letting it be". The practice trains an alternative to the habitual avoidance: instead of running from the unpleasant experience, the person learns to be with it without amplifying it.
Step-by-step guide
- Ground through the breath (2–3 min).
- Deliberately recall a difficult situation (not the hardest — of medium intensity).
- Notice: what is happening in the body when you recall it? Heaviness in the chest, tightness in the throat, tension in the shoulders?
- Direct attention to that very place in the body. Stay there.
- Mentally say to yourself: "Let it be. I allow this to be".
- If the intensity rises — return to the breath as an anchor, then back to the body.
- Close gently, with self-compassion.
When to use
- Formal practice on week 6
- When the client is stuck in a cycle of avoiding difficult experience
- As an entry into work with sharp emotions (anger, shame, anxiety)
Key phrases
We are not trying to remove this feeling. We are learning to be alongside it.
Tell yourself: let it be. I do not have to fix it right now.
What happens in the body when you stop fighting this?
Follow-up questions
What changed while you were letting it be?
How did you feel afterward, compared with when you tried to get rid of the feeling?
Which feeling turned out to be the hardest to "let be"?
Warnings
- ⚠️ Confusion of acceptance with capitulation ("to let it be = to agree with the bad situation"): explain — accepting experience is not the same as accepting the situation
- ⚠️ Flooding in trauma: do not use with clients in active PTSD without preparation
- ⚠️ Self-violence through "I must accept": acceptance is a gentle gesture, not self-coercion
Source: Segal, Williams, Teasdale (2013), Chapter 12 "Session Six: Thoughts Are Not Facts"
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.