Hi,
Welcome back to Insight Timer.
I'm Stephen,
And I'll be your guide for this meditation.
Today's practice is an invitation to explore different types of attention.
Every moment is a chance to notice where our attention goes.
In this particular practice,
I invite you to see if you can pay attention to two things at the same time,
To notice the quality of your attention in this practice.
And notice the word practice.
I believe there's a reason that we use practice with meditation,
Recognizing that it's not perfect.
Every practice creates a little bit more space for practice.
Every noticing,
Every awareness is an invitation,
An opportunity to extend,
To further,
To perhaps challenge our concept of what it means to practice.
So today we're going to practice paying attention.
First,
As you settle into this practice,
This space,
Notice your attention.
Notice your presence.
Notice your breath.
Notice what you notice.
And as you're noticing,
Pay attention to whether your observations are more inward or outward focus.
Are you noticing things on the surface of your skin and beyond?
Are you noticing?
Internal shifts underneath your skin.
Where do you notice tension in your environment?
Where do you notice tension within you?
What evokes the quality of calmness within you?
And what around you emanates calmness.
As you explore and scan.
The inner and outer world.
See if you can.
.
.
Gently,
With intention.
Shift between inner and outer.
Between noticing your breath,
Feeling your lungs.
And your breath and the wind connecting outside of your body.
As you notice your breath,
Notice your mind.
If your eyes are open.
Notice where they wander.
If your eyes are closed.
Notice where your attention goes.
Can you balance an awareness?
Both what is within you.
And what is beyond.
What do you notice within you?
That is perhaps reflected.
In your environment.
And what do you notice?
In your environment.
That is perhaps reflected within your way of being.
If you make a decision to make any intentional shift,
Perhaps just sit up or stand up a little bit taller.
How does that shift your experience?
Of the world around you.
If you decide to lengthen your exhale.
What do you notice happens in your body?
And outside.
What happens to your gaze when you relax your jaw?
And what do you see differently?
When your gaze changes.
You see,
It's very much a practice.
To notice our attention.
To practice noticing.
To be.
Both the observer and the object of observation.
I celebrate you for taking these minutes of your day.
Practice with me.
To notice your attention,
To balance the inner and the outer.
And I hope you'll come back and practice with me again soon.
