Open Awareness - 24 Minute Version

This meditation guides you to attend to and rest AS the open space of Awareness itself within which all experiences come and go. As you allow any thoughts, feelings, sensations, or other sensory experiences to arise and dissolve in vast spaciousness, you discover profound inner freedom and clarity.

Transcript

The purpose of this practice is to attend to and rest as the open space of awareness itself, Allowing any thoughts, Feelings, Sensations, Or other sensory experiences to come and go in this space. The practice is to not focus on or follow anything that arises. For example, You might notice a sound, But do not tune into it and follow it, Simply notice it and allow it to come and go, While you attend to the background space of awareness itself. If you notice a thought, See if you can let go of following that thought, See if you can not get involved in a chain of thought, And if you do get caught up in a train of thinking, When you notice that, Let it go and return to attending to the open space of awareness, Allowing anything that arises in this space to float through it like a wispy cloud in the open, Clear, Blue sky. You don't need to stop, Push away, Or resist anything that arises, Just don't focus on it or follow it. Attend to the open space of awareness, Within which all experiences come and go. The benefits of this practice include inner freedom, Openness, And clarity. To begin, Sit comfortably upright with the soles of your feet flat on the ground. Cup your hands in your lap, With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly, Lightly close your eyes. Allow yourself to settle in your seat, And be present in your body. Feel the open space of your whole body, And notice any sensations in this space. See if you can just be open and spacious, Allowing any sensations to come and go through the open space of your body. You might notice thoughts or feelings flowing through this space. Allow whatever arises in this space to come and go, Without focusing on or following these contents of experience. Instead you are attending to the space itself, Within which these contents come and go. You might notice sounds arising in this space. Notice any sounds, Like any other content of experience, And allow them to come and go, Without focusing on them or following them, As you attend to the space itself, Within which they arise. If you notice a sound arising, Notice that it is neither inside nor outside, It simply arises in this space of awareness, Which has no inside and no outside. There is just sound arising and fading in this open space of awareness. You're aware of sounds, But you're attending to the open space of awareness, Within which they arise. Anything can come and go in this space, The space of awareness has no preference. Awareness itself doesn't push anything away or cling on to anything. It is simply open, Allowing, Unwavering, Clear, And spacious. Now, With your eyes closed, Direct your gaze very slowly downward, While maintaining attention to the space. Maintain the felt sense of spaciousness as you very slowly begin to open your eyes, Not fully open, But slightly open, Softly gazing downward, Without focusing on anything. Maintain a soft gaze while still feeling the open space, Without inside or outside, One open space of awareness. The same eyes open as eyes closed. There's light, Visual information, But still you're not focusing on that. You may notice it, But you are attending to the open space of awareness, Within which there is visual input. Again, You're not focusing on anything. You're attending to, Feeling, The space of awareness. Very slowly begin to raise your gaze, Keeping it soft and unfocused, Until you are gazing straight ahead. You are still not focusing on any objects you see. You may notice visual information, But you are attending to the space within which this input arises. Become aware of the periphery of your visual field. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, And all the way around, Behind you. Feel this space in the periphery and all around. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, And all the way around, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, And all the way around, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, And all the way around, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, And all the way around, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind you. Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind Feel the space in the periphery of your visual field, Out to the left and to the right, Behind Allow this space of awareness, Which is normally in the background, To flow through the foreground. So there is only this space of awareness, Spaciousness, Awareness itself, Permeating the whole field. So there's only this. Sensory input fades to the background. You're attending to the space of awareness itself. Feel out to the edges of this space. Are there any edges? No edges. Awareness is boundless. Is there a beginning or end to this openness of awareness? No. It's timeless. It's boundless. Beyond time. Prior to space and time, As that within which space and time arise. Let go and rest as boundless awareness. Clear. Transparent. Changeless. You might notice sounds in this openness. Sounds have no inside, No outside. They simply arise in openness. Awareness is undisturbed by any sound. Or by anything that arises. All is welcome. Nothing sticks. Now, Notice the open space of your body, Arising in this openness of awareness. It might be hard to differentiate between your body and the space. There's an aliveness, A presence in the space of your body. But it's not so solid as it may have felt before. There's not a solid sense of inside versus outside. Now, Staying still. With your eyes still. And maintaining a felt sense of open spaciousness. Very slowly begin to open your eyes. Sense the same open space of awareness. The same eyes open or closed. Feel the space inside and all around. As one space. Within which the contents of experience come and go. Bring this openness of awareness with you, Wherever you go. Well done.