Multi-spatial awareness The purpose of this meditation is to activate spatial awareness,
The felt sense of space and of the different spaces within which different experiences arise.
As you experience life,
Awareness manifests different spaces which grant different experiences.
Yet you usually don't recognize this process,
You simply recognize the different contents of experience—thoughts,
Feelings,
Perceptions,
Memories,
Images,
Stories,
Commentary,
Projections,
Imaginings—without recognizing the spaces in which they arise,
Nor awareness itself within which and from which every experience arises,
And by which every experience is known.
You can be aware of a thought space,
A feeling space,
A sound space,
A space of activity,
A space of stillness.
There are infinite possible spaces.
In a relative sense,
You are an activity of being aware,
In and through different spaces and experiences.
You are also awareness itself,
Which is the spaceless space,
Or dimensionless origin,
Within which all these spaces and experiences arise.
Knowing this enables you to be conscious,
Flexible,
And intentional about the spaces and experiences you invest in.
Let's explore the freedom and fluidity of multispatial awareness together.
Let's begin by sitting comfortably upright,
With your hands resting cupped in your lap,
One resting in the other,
With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly.
Lightly close your eyes.
Become aware of an intention for your practice.
Why is this important to you?
Consider dedicating your practice to the well-being of all beings,
That they too might realize freedom as awareness.
Take a moment to check in inside,
To what seems like an inner space.
Notice how you feel right now.
If you could sum up your feelings in this moment,
How would you describe them?
Is there a space where this feeling or these feelings seem to reside?
Or do they permeate the whole space?
Notice any sensations in this inner space.
Are there any sensations or tensions present inside this apparent space of your body?
Notice any thoughts in your mind.
Is there a space where thoughts seem to emerge from and reside?
Or do they permeate the whole space?
Listen to any sounds that are present.
Is there anywhere that these sounds seem to reside?
Or do they permeate the whole space?
Now,
Let's explore your raw sensory experience of space itself.
Let's start by becoming aware of the space at the back of your head.
Feel what it's like to sense space in and from the back of your head.
Now,
Drop awareness down into your heart.
Sense into and from the space of your heart.
Allow your heart to become a center of awareness.
See if you can feel an openness in your heart,
Opening forward and behind you.
Feel from your heart outward into the space all around.
Now,
Drop awareness down into your feet.
Sense the contact of your feet on the ground,
And feel the connection with the earth through the soles of your feet.
Press your feet down into the ground to awaken sensory awareness of the space in your feet and the space of the ground.
Soften and relax your feet,
And allow the space in your feet to merge with the space of the ground.
Now,
Bring awareness to your hands.
Relax,
Soften,
And open your hands.
Feel the soft openness in your hands.
Feel the space inside your cupped hands.
Feel the open space here.
Is there any boundary to this open space?
Now,
Feel the uprightness of your spine.
Feel as if your spine is drawn gently upright,
As if the top of your head is suspended on a string from above.
Feel the space of your spine.
Notice the awakened clarity that rises up through the space of your spine when you feel your spine drawn upright.
Feel the energy flowing from your perineum up through the core of your body,
Up through your spine to the top of your head.
Notice what it feels like to be oriented from the space in the core of your body.
Now,
Let go and rest with open attention,
Noticing any sensations that are present in the space inside your skin.
Notice any sensations that emerge in this apparent space of your body,
As if they are waves in an ocean of awareness,
Arising,
Lingering,
And dissolving.
Now,
Feel the entire space inside your skin.
Feel the apparent boundary of your skin.
Sense the hairs on your skin.
What if the hairs on your skin are like antennae that sense space?
Now,
Feel as if you are breathing in and out through your skin.
As you breathe in,
It's as if the air comes in through your pores to fill up your whole body,
And as you breathe out,
You breathe out through your pores into the space around you.
It's as if your skin is a permeable breathing membrane.
Now,
Feel the air on your skin and the air all around you.
Feel as if your skin dissolves,
So the space inside and the space all around are one space.
Sense this open,
Clear space.
Is there any boundary to this space?
Now,
Sense the space behind you.
Can you feel the space behind you?
If someone were to come up behind you,
You would be able to sense this.
So now,
Feel the empty space behind you,
Like the feeling you have when you enter an empty room.
Sense this space behind you.
Pour your attention into the space behind you.
Now,
Feel the space to your left.
Feel the space to your right.
Pour attention into this space.
Feel the space in front of you.
Feel the space in front of you.
Feel the space in front of you.
Feel the space in front of you.
Pour attention down into this space.
You can feel these different spaces,
Right?
Notice how when you pour attention into a space,
It seems to have more energy,
More substance to it.
Something happens when you feel into a particular direction,
A particular space that makes it come alive,
Like you are feeling the energy of that space.
Attention is energy.
When you focus attention into any space,
It seems to arise and come alive.
Now,
Come back to feeling the central core of your body,
From your perineum up to the top of your head,
With your heart in the center.
From this central core,
Centered in your heart,
Feel outward into the whole space around you,
In all directions.
Feel out to the edges of this space,
Perhaps to the walls of the room if you're inside.
Now,
Feel the space beyond your walls,
And beyond that.
Are there any boundaries to the space you can feel?
Now,
Are you aware of the felt sense of space?
Yes,
You are aware of space.
You can feel it.
Your spatial sense is activated.
You know this felt sense of space.
Now,
See if it's possible to be aware of being aware of space.
Sense this whole space,
This boundless space,
As arising within awareness.
Awareness in the guise of space.
Prior to space is awareness itself,
Dimensionless.
Rest as awareness,
That within which the sense of space arises.
Be aware of being aware,
Knowing.
Rest as awareness,
Timeless,
Dimensionless.
Now,
Feel the space in the central core of your body,
Centered in your heart,
Within the vast open space all around.
Be aware of vast open space,
Centered in your heart,
Arising within awareness.
Record this felt sense of vast open space,
Centered in your heart,
Arising within awareness.
Sense the space inside your skin,
Together with the space all around,
As one space arising within awareness.
Awareness manifests what seems like different spaces,
Which grant different experiences,
While awareness itself remains dimensionless and free.
Slowly,
Very slowly,
Begin to open your eyes,
And feel the space inside your skin,
Together with the space all around you,
As one space of awareness.
One space arising within awareness.
Feel the space at the top of your head.
Feel the space of your hands in your lap.
Feel the space of your feet on the ground.
Your spatial sense is now activated.
You are awareness itself,
The dimensionless origin of the spaces within which all experiences arise,
Within which all beings appear,
And within which everything is connected.
What would it be like to move through life as this felt sense of awareness?
Spacious and deep.
Take a moment to write down anything you'd like to remember from this meditative experience,
Including any insights and inspirations.
