Challenges and solutions to basic awareness This explanation is to help you get a more focused,
Sustained and enhanced attention in your basic awareness practice.
It's designed to give you some suggestions on how to let go of distractions and agitation,
And deal with lethargy and dullness in your basic awareness practice.
One of the main challenges in the basic awareness practice is distraction and agitation.
The mind is agitated because it is distracted by objects.
Here are some techniques for letting go of the distractions and agitation.
At the start of the practice,
Try to become aware of any disturbing attitudes in the mind,
Any worries or frustrations,
And aim to put them aside for the duration of the practice.
Remind yourself why you are doing this practice,
The benefits of doing it,
And the disadvantages of not doing it.
And consider who might benefit from you doing this practice.
If you need to let go of physical distractions,
The following tips might be useful.
If you shift posture,
Be aware of how and why you are doing it.
Try to experience input via the senses as just that,
For example,
A sound as the ear receiving sound,
An itch as the body receiving a physical sensation.
And if frustration remains,
Shift your attention to the frustration itself and watch it come and go.
If you are trying to let go of mental agitation,
Here are some hints.
Continually try to stay with the breath in the body as your chosen object.
Let go of things that attract or repel you through the out-breath.
Watch thoughts and emotions that distract you as they come and go on their own.
Visualize thoughts and emotions like clouds passing across the mind like a clear blue sky.
Resist analyzing the contents of the mind.
Let go of expectations and trying too hard.
Let go of wanting to concentrate.
Refrain from judging the experience as good or bad.
Recall your reasons for and the benefits of doing this practice.
When you notice the mind is agitated,
Try to simply accept it.
If you are really distracted,
Try to be aware of the state of mind that is driving your agitation,
For example,
Hostility,
Annoyance,
Jealousy,
Joy or excitement.
If necessary,
Bring awareness to the bodily sensations for a while,
Then go back to the breath in the body,
Restarting the process of getting comfortable,
Breathing and focusing.
A final way to let go of mental agitation is counting each breath on the in-breath,
Counting up to ten,
Then starting the cycle again.
But if this does not work for you,
Then stop.
The other main challenges to sustained effective practice are when the mind becomes lethargic and is dulled by things such as being tired,
Too warm,
Being in an airless room,
Being full of food and not sitting up straight.
Here is some advice.
Before the practice,
Ensure there is fresh air.
Don't be too tired.
Try to not eat too much beforehand.
Rub your limbs and face beforehand.
Touch your face with fresh water if needed.
Also,
During the practice,
You may need to make some adjustments to the body,
Straightening the back,
Or take a deep breath,
Or opening the eyes instead of closing them,
Or visualising light.
To increase the mind's alertness,
Reconnect with your reasons for doing this practice and recall the benefits,
And increase your curiosity in the practice,
For example seeing each new breath as a new experience or noticing more of the details of the breath.
You might like to select one of these techniques that we have just been explaining and bring it into your next basic awareness practice.
These are also detailed on the Basic Awareness,
Challenges and Solutions page.
