Choiceless Awareness

In choiceless awareness, we can easily start to see the interactions of different aspects of our experience. In other words, we see the cause-and-effect chain of experience rolling on. It's a very relaxed practice because we’re not directing our attention anywhere in particular, and a relaxed and contented mind also supports continuity of mindfulness. It doesn’t matter what object we’re seeing, what matters is that we’re mindfully aware. Awareness itself becomes the focus moment by moment.

Transcript

Welcome to your choiceless awareness practice.

With choiceless awareness,

When we completely release paying attention to a single class or category of object,

Whether that's the breath or body or sound,

We enter then into this realm of choiceless awareness.

This type of practice allows the attention just to go wherever it is drawn.

So that means that we may be feeling the breath for a time and then perhaps feeling another body sensation,

Then noticing if there's a mood perhaps detected in the mind as we watch a thought develop.

We might then return to the body and so on and so forth.

This shifting of attention between objects,

It may happen quickly at first,

Or else you might settle for a time on certain objects or aspects of your experience for longer periods,

As the mind perhaps relaxes or finds a little more ease.

In choiceless mode,

We easily start to see the interactions of different aspects of our experience.

For example,

We might have a sense experience,

Maybe a pain in the body that might be then followed by the mind's reaction to it.

That hurts,

Is there something wrong with me?

Followed by noting the body gripping in tension under the influence of these challenging thoughts.

Maybe followed by another surge of pain or sensation related to the tension and so on and so forth.

In other words,

We really start to see that cause and effect chain reaction of experience rolling on.

So with choiceless awareness,

It doesn't matter what object we're seeing or sensing or experiencing.

What matters most is that we are mindfully aware,

Moment by moment.

So as you're already now beginning to spend this time in a comfortable yet attentive posture,

Preferably sitting up with back supported if that is possible for you.

If not,

Perhaps just lying down on the floor or your bed.

And as you find your shape,

Finding that space where the head can be balanced over the shoulders,

The arms and the hands just resting in a comfortable position.

And as with most of these practices,

This is a time to really switch from a normal mode of doing,

Moving,

Reacting into one of simply being.

Just to be attempted to what is happening within your own awareness right here and right now.

And as you sit just beginning there to notice the sensations of your breath.

Just noticing how the abdomen moves on each in breath and each out breath.

The movement of air through the nostrils,

Perhaps a slight movement of the chest and the shoulders.

Just bringing your full awareness to the cycle of your breath and wherever it is most vivid.

Whether that's right down into the abdomen,

Into your chest or your shoulders.

Or perhaps it's the movement of air through the nostrils.

Really noticing the entirety of the breath.

From the movement of the air as it comes in,

As it fills the lungs,

As it extends the abdomen slightly.

Also the movement of air returning back out.

Perhaps even becoming aware of that pause,

The stopping point in between the in and the out breath.

And the out breath and the in breath.

It's all one movement even though the changing of direction as you allow yourself to be now fully here.

Seeing what perhaps degree you can become aware of the entire cycle.

Recognising that each part of the cycle is different from the other.

And this time through may be different than the last time through and each one absolutely unique in its own way if you just pay attention.

Maybe you'll notice that the attention from time to time starts to shift away from that breath.

The mind may be wandering into fantasies or memories,

Thoughts of the day,

Worries that you might have or things that you may need to do.

Without giving yourself a hard time when you notice that's happened.

You're seeing if you can gently yet firmly bring that attention back to this sensations of breathing in the body.

The actual physical sensations of breath as they move through the body.

Aware of where the mind goes and then gently again returning back shifting your awareness to sensations of breath.

Maybe there's a tendency to want to control the breathing like we so often want to do or wish to do in these lives of ours.

Instead seeing if you can just let the quality of the attention be light and easy.

One more that's centered around simply observing and noticing just as if you were on a float on a gently undulating sea.

Up with one wave and down with the next.

Don't control the duration of the wave or the depth between the waves.

Just riding the waves and gently coming back to sensations of breathing.

Now beginning to expand that awareness as you might notice now that there's also sounds.

In addition to the sounds that come from my voice.

Maybe the sounds of traffic or movement or maybe there's something else going on.

And just noticing how the attention has now moved from the breath to that of the perception of sound.

Not forgetting it but just noting that sound is also here.

Also part of the experience.

Just staying with it long enough to notice the quality of the sound.

The vibration,

The tone,

Its volume or its intensity.

Being aware of the mind and its ability to label sound.

Whether it's as traffic,

As voices,

As music or my voice.

Coming closer to the sound as it hits your eardrums.

The quality or the pitch or the rhythm or the intensity.

Seeing if you can separate the actual reception of sound from the labels that we place upon them.

And if you have been paying attention to sound or noticing that you've gotten cut off into just noticing the perception of sound only.

Seeing can you bring the attention right back to your breath.

Let the breath be the anchor of awareness so that each time your awareness goes somewhere else.

Just gently coming back to your breath without judgment or any upset.

And then gently,

Slowly,

Mindfully beginning to expand that attention a little wider into sound.

And as that attention or expansion starts to broaden,

Beginning to notice how maybe there's a real tendency to also have an opinion about things.

Or if other thoughts perhaps are present about maybe liking the way things are going right now or not liking it.

Maybe you're finding it really uncomfortable and that too can be an object of awareness.

Just noting how we have that opinion on things often.

We like this,

We don't like that.

That's my liking mind,

It's liking this.

That's my critical mind that would rather have things be different other than they are and that too can be noticed.

Just building the capacity to notice liking or disliking.

But not to have to do anything about it and how freeing is that.

Noting perhaps what other thoughts are present is that awareness continues to expand from breath to sound to thought.

Now beginning to expand that attention outwards just a little more.

As you notice what's happening,

Bringing your awareness now to the physical sensations of the body.

Perhaps that might begin with your breath,

Wherever it is most vivid or most alive for you.

As you ride the entire cycle,

One cycle after another.

And then broadening again that attention outwards as you notice the entirety of the body and all the sensations that are present here.

Whether that's achiness,

Discomfort,

Maybe tension.

And as you notice the sensations that are happening for you,

There are several things that can be done with sensation.

And if it's one perhaps that can be remedied by mindfully shifting or changing your posture a little bit,

Then allow yourself to shift.

But in doing that,

First becoming aware of the sensation.

Noticing precisely where the tension or achiness might be and once you're present of where that is,

Developing an intention to move.

Just moving mindfully with that full intent to make that motion.

The second way and neither one is better than the other is as long as full awareness is brought to both or all parts is just to notice that sensation.

Get a little more curious as to what you find.

Noticing it in its fullness.

Being curious about the extent of it or how your experience of it is in the moment.

The actual physical sensations of throbbing or tightness.

Pulling or tingling.

And just perhaps asking yourself,

Is it possible to stay with just a moment longer?

A moment longer with a sensation experienced at just a sensation.

Without those labels of discomfort or tension or achiness,

Just noticing where it is.

Just noticing your experience of it and staying with it without having to react to it just for the moment.

How big is it?

How long is it?

What quality does it have?

Does it change over time?

And noticing also the quality of thought.

The tone of the words that you hear.

Is it liking this,

Disliking that?

Perception or sensation?

Or hearing of sound or feelings of peace or sadness,

Frustration or anticipation?

Just noticing these raw thought forms.

And then again bringing your awareness to sensations of the movement of your breath.

Being curious about breath.

And as you begin to include all of these elements of the experience,

Seeing if it's possible to have that friendly or kind attitude towards whatever it is that's coming into your awareness.

Even if the mind goes off on a fantasy or thought or judgement or worry,

A sensation or a sound.

Just in a friendly way,

Noticing that this is happening.

And then again coming back to your breath.

Recognizing that the full cycle of your awareness is important to this experience.

Including the movement of breath,

Sound,

Thought,

Sensation.

As you continue to show up and be with what's here.

However that is.

And if that flicker of attention does happen,

That moment when you realize it is somewhere else.

Somewhere other than the breath.

Is it possible to have that attitude of celebration,

Of noticing,

Of congratulating,

Of recognition?

This is a moment of awareness.

And remaining here now.

Expanding that field of awareness,

Allowing it to drift wherever the attention is drawn.

And remembering that not needing to hold the attention on that single object of awareness,

Whether it's breath or sound or thought,

Sensation even.

That the awareness is the focus of attention itself.

So just resting here.

Pausing,

Relaxing,

Opening into the entirety of the experience just as it is.

Just as you are.

With our judgment moment by moment here.

Thank you.

And as this practice now edges towards an end.

Recognizing that you've spent this time intentionally aware of your moment to moment experience.

Time spent nourishing,

Strengthening your ability to be with whatever it is that comes your way.

Building the capacity for opening the senses to the vividness,

To the aliveness of the present moment of exactly what's here.

Expanding your skills to be curious,

Available about whatever presents itself with our judgment.

Just resting here remaining now in this space.

Until you can no longer hear the sound of my bell.

As you're ready beginning to find some gentle movement in the body.

Finding a stretch if it feels good.

A deeper breath.

And as you're ready beginning to open up your eyes.