Day 19: 30-Minute Focused Attention & Open Awareness

This Mindfulness Meditation Challenge is designed to help you build a meditation habit and incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. You can access this whole challenge through the playlist at the bottom of my profile on Insight Timer.

In this track, I am going to guide you through focused Attention & open awareness meditation. Focused attention improves concentration and task performance. And Open awareness enhances metacognitive awareness and insight. For best results, practice this meditation once a day for at least a week.

This meditation was recorded during one of the live events on Insight Timer. So, if you find this meditation helpful, you can support my work through a small donation.

Image Credit: By Leolo212 via Pixabay

Transcript

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to this mindfulness meditation challenge. So let's start the practice. So I invite you to sit, Stand or lie down in a comfortable posture, Okay? Any position that feels more relaxed, More comfortable, Okay? Make sure that whatever position you are in, It makes you feel alert and at the same time relaxed. So to ensure that you are alert, Straighten your spine. Our head is in line with the spine, Meaning if you are sitting, Then your head must be looking forward. The spine and your head is in alignment. Now relax your jaw, Loosen it, You don't need to hold on any tension in your mouth. Let go of the tension around your eyes, Relax your face, Release all the tension in the facial muscles, Place your hand on your knees or in your lap. So let them rest wherever it feels comfortable, Rolling your shoulders back so that your heart is open to receive. If you feel comfortable, You can either gently close your eyes or lower your gaze. Notice where is your focus right now, What you are aware of right now, Continue to stay with it. Now, Rest your attention on the surface beneath you, Feeling the pressure, Maybe the temperature. Let all of that weight rest on the surface, Feeling your body fully supported by mother earth. Now, Turn your attention inward and notice what does it feel like to be in this body? What does it feel like to exist in this moment? Now, Bring your attention to the intention for this practice. So, Reflect, Who do you want to dedicate this practice to? It can be for the benefit of yourself or a loved one or even all living beings on this earth. So, Who do you want your practice to benefit? And what benefit are you seeking? So, What would you like to take away from this practice? Once you have a clear intention in your mind, Let's drop this intention into the universe. Now, Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, Letting go of this intention. Take two more deep breaths like this. Now, Direct your attention to your breath in your nostrils, Where you feel the cold air move in and the warm air move out. Notice the air going in and out. It's natural for your mind to wander. So, Whenever you notice that your mind is no longer on the breath, Gently bring your attention back to the breath. Wonderful. Now, Release your focus on the breath and simply relax. Relax just like you have had a long day or how you feel after an invigorating workout. So, Just relax fully. Let your mind soften and free from the need to focus on anything. Just simply resting in the awareness itself. You might notice things coming up in your awareness like thoughts, Sounds, Emotions or sensations. So, Just label them. So, If you are thinking, Just say thought and then come back to just being. Just being seated in awareness. Just being aware of things coming in and going out of the awareness. Let your mind be as it is. Just exist. You are the vast sky. So, Just as the clouds float by without disturbing the sky, In this open awareness practice, Just observe your experience without getting caught up in any object. You don't need to concentrate on any specific object. Allow your awareness to just be open to whatever arises, Allowing the thoughts, Emotions, Sensations or sounds to arise and pass through your awareness. Just like clouds in the sky. Some of these clouds would just drift away and some will try to pull you in. So, Don't get hooked or don't chase after anything. Just simply observe. Things coming up in your awareness and just going away. Being aware of whatever is. Now, Bring your attention back to your breath. Letting go of the awareness of other things. Feeling the cold air enter our nostrils, Expanding our chest and abdomen. And the same air leaving our body. Continue to feel the breath moving in and out of your body. Now, Let's take a break again. So, Relax your mind and just be aware. You are the awareness observing everything that comes up. You don't get hooked or you don't get consumed by anything. You remain seated in your seat of consciousness. All the while noticing your mind. Noticing what has come up in your awareness. And once you note it with a label like a thought or sensation, Gently come back to this open state of awareness. It's okay if you get distracted by anything. Just come back to being, Being aware. When there is nothing occupying your awareness, Then you can just rest in the awareness. You don't need to focus on some object all the time. Now, Shift your awareness to your breath once again. Feel the steadiness of the breath as an anchor. While your awareness remains open to everything arising in the present moment. Notice how you can maintain focus attention on the breath while also being receptive to the ever-changing flow of your experience. Your main focus is on your breath, But at the same time you are open to what is happening around you. Subtly noticing what is coming up in your awareness as you intentionally focus on your breath. Wonderful. You did great. So now, As this practice comes to an end, Take a deep breath in. And out, Letting go of this practice. Now, To come out of the meditation, Connect back with your surroundings as I count back from five to one. So, Five. Thanking yourself for the time that you dedicated for the benefit of you and everyone. So, Say thank you. Thank you. Four. Notice the surface beneath you. Three. Notice the covering above you or the air touching your skin. Two. Hearing the sounds around you. One. Your eyes are beginning to open gently. Take your time to connect with the surroundings. You can share your experience. How are you feeling? Was it easy for you to switch from focusing on your breath to just being aware? Or was it difficult for you? And while you were being aware, Were you able to notice or observe what was coming up in your awareness? Or were you getting hooked by it and getting carried away for a while, Then remembering and then coming back to just being? So, How was your experience? And if you did like today's meditation, Then I would appreciate any donation. Yeah, I just support my work. And alternatively, You can also like follow me if you want to support me. You can follow me. You can check out my content. I have three courses on mindfulness. So, You can try the first course like Reflective Prompts for Deepening Mindfulness Journey. If you want to deepen your practice or if you want to understand the basics. Yeah, So you can go through that. And then I'm also releasing a mindfulness attitude series in the courses. So, I have released two courses, One on acceptance and one on non-striving. And one more is coming up. It is mainly about incorporating curiosity or beginner's mind and just making our daily life more vibrant. Yeah, And you guys can check out my content. And about this practice. So, Firstly, Let's talk, You know, How we can incorporate this particular practice into our life. I am so glad that you tuned in. Thank you so much. That's it for today's practice. Bye-bye. Namaste.

Reviews

Another amazing practice. Grateful for your gentle instruction. I always feel better, more grounded with your meditations. Many thanks. ☮️💖🙏🖖🕉🪷