We've done lots of techniques that all involved controlling our attention in some way.
We have lots of choices with what we can do for meditation practice.
It's also good to sometimes practice not choosing at all.
Shinzen Young calls it,
Do Nothing.
It's a technique of no technique.
With this technique,
With time,
One can start to become acquainted with the part of your brain that controls attention.
This practice technique can,
With time,
As you get to know this part of your attention,
Turn that part temporarily off.
So you will not be controlling your attention at all.
You're stepping aside and letting nature itself dictate what you focus on.
The instructions for this technique are just two lines.
Let whatever happens,
Happen.
As soon as you're aware of an intention to control your attention,
Drop that intention.
This doesn't mean that you should try to keep up an intention to drop intentions.
It says,
When you are aware of an intention to control your attention,
Drop that intention.
It's not saying that you need to monitor your intentions moment by moment for any intention to arise.
It just says that whenever you're aware of an intention,
Drop that.
Let whatever happens,
Happen means that whatever sensory experiences come up,
Let them come up.
That could include that you get lost in your thoughts for a while.
It could mean that you get sleepy or even fall asleep.
It could be that you don't feel like you're meditating at all.
You might have very little concentration,
Clarity,
Or equanimity.
These are possibilities that fall under let whatever happens,
Happen.
If you become aware of an intention to do something about anything that has happened,
Drop that intention.
Intention is something that you have complete control over.
So if you can't drop an intention that you're aware of,
It's not something you can drop.
So don't worry about it.
Drop does not mean get rid of.
It means you just,
In that moment,
Drop that intention.
If it comes back,
You just drop it again.
If you can't drop it,
Then it's not an intention.
So you don't have to drop it.
Don't worry if you don't notice any intentions.
The instructions say as soon as you're aware of an intention,
To drop it.
If you're not aware of it,
There's nothing you need to drop.
The meditation teacher Adyashanti calls this practice true meditation.
And one of his instructions for this that I like is that you let go of the meditator.
You let go of the thing in you that wants to meditate well.
You just allow whatever happens to happen.
As you've practiced some meditation,
You may have an automatic tendency to develop some degree of concentration,
Clarity,
And equanimity in your practice.
If that happens during do-nothing,
You don't drop that.
It's coming up automatically.
So it's not an intention.
This is part of what's meant to happen.
Mindfulness spontaneously arises.
But you don't try to have concentration,
Clarity,
And equanimity.
You just let it happen naturally,
If it does.
If it doesn't come up,
You let its absence occur naturally.
Let's try it now.
Get into a comfortable meditation posture.
Although you won't control your attention,
You will control your posture as it will support the practice.
So stretch up your spine and relax your shoulders.
Allow your eyes to close if you'd like.
But this practice can be done with eyes open as well.
Now,
Let whatever happens happen.
As soon as you are aware of an intention to control your attention,
Drop that intention.
Let whatever happens happen.
Allow everything to be just as it is,
Including your attention.
As soon as you become aware of an intention to control your attention,
Drop it.
Don't try to meditate.
Just sit in the posture and do nothing.
Let whatever happens happen.
We're seeing what happens when we let go of control.
As soon as you're aware of an intention to control your attention,
Drop it.
Good.
This may or may not have felt like meditating to you.
That's okay.
Over time,
This technique can sensitize you to that part of you that wants to control your attention,
Your thoughts,
Your experience.
And as you get sensitized to it,
It can sometimes turn off for a while.
If you'd like to keep practicing,
Go ahead.
If not,
Take your time to come back to your normal way of meditating.
If not,
Take your time to come back to your normal way of being.
And notice what you feel like now.
Thank you for your practice.
