Moving Attention Around To Connect To A Part

Using an attention mediation developed in the Enneagram world by Helen Palmer and used in groups with Joan Ryan, this meditation helps you practice moving your attention. You learn as you practice the skill of placing your attention around you and inside of you in order to help regulate emotions, get to know parts of you, and feel a sense of control and empowerment.

Transcript

This is an attention meditation that I have borrowed and adapted from the Enneagram community, Specifically from Joan Ryan and Helen Palmer. Bring your attention from whatever you're doing before you sat down or you began your walk before you turned on this meditation. Bring your attention from that place to where you are right now. Look around your space to see what it's like to move your attention from what you were just doing to what you're doing now as you begin to listen to this meditation. Move your attention around your room, Around your space. Notice what's around you and notice where you are in your space. Now move your attention to your body, Starting at your toes and move your attention up your entire body, Your feet, Your legs, Your belly, Your chest, Your arms, Your fingers, Your neck, Shoulders, Back, Head. See what it's like to move your attention all the way up your body. Maybe notice what it was like to move your attention from what you were doing before to your initial placement, Where you are in the world, To your body. Just notice what it's like, This ability to move your attention from one thing to the next. Your attention is the one thing that is in your control and notice what that feels like in this moment. Now bring this precious attention that you have inside of yourself to your heart, To whatever you're feeling, To your thoughts, Whatever you're thinking, To your body. Just notice what is happening in your inner world. What stands out to you the most? What feels the loudest? And then what happens when you bring your attention to that thing? Maybe we can call that a part of you. What happens? What do you notice when you bring your attention to that part of you, The part of you that is having a feeling, That's having a thought? Maybe there's a bodily sensation here. Let's call that a part. What happens when you bring your attention to that part of you? And now what happens to it when it notices your attention? With your attention on this part of you, See if there's anything it wants you to know, Anything it wants to tell you. Check and see if there's other parts around reacting to it. Is there a part that doesn't like it? Is there a part that judges it? Just see what you notice. You're bringing your attention from this part to the parts around it. Is there a reaction? Is there a judgment? Is there a criticism? Is there support? Is there encouragement? Is there alignment, Attunement? What are you noticing? And then bring your attention back to this one part, This initial feeling or thought or bodily sensation. Bring your attention back there. Check and see how you're feeling towards it. Is there an openness in your heart, Curiosity, Compassion? If not, See if there's another part here and see if you can ask it to give you some space so that you can bring all of your attention in this loving, Compassionate, Curious way just to this one part. And then notice what happens when you do that, When you bring a loving, Compassionate, Curious attention to this part of you. And now check and see what happens to it. Does it notice you? Does it notice your compassion and love? Does it notice your attention? And just see what happens between the two of you as your attention is now on it. It is noticing you. What's happening? What does that feel like? And see again, Does it need something from you? What does it want from you? What does it need right now? And then see if that's something that you can do or is there assurance that you can give it or see if there's just a response from you, From this open-hearted you to this part. Just notice if there's a response. And then maybe you just hang out right here. Just be with this part in a way that feels maybe different for you, Different for it. Maybe take a few minutes. You can even pause this meditation. Just spend some time with this part of you. And maybe you're done and it's time to come out. So as you do that, Breathe, Smile, Soften your body. And see what happens as you notice your attention now moves. It has moved from this part of you. It's moved to the breath. It's moved to the smile. It's moved to the softening. Just see what that's like. You have just moved your attention off of this part of you to something else. And then notice, Bring your attention back to your body, To your toes, All the way up to your body. Bringing your attention outside of you but staying with your body. And then move your attention a little bit farther out of you to your surroundings. Notice what that feels like, That shift from inside to outside to your surroundings. And check and see if you can set an intention to check back in with this part of you. Maybe you can smile and breathe again. Take your time as you bring your attention back to your phone, Back to the screen, Back to your meditation. Reminding yourself that your attention is something that you can move, Something that you can control, Something that you can place outside, Inside.