Wheel of Awareness: Increase Well-being & Promote Integration

This practice called "Wheel of Awareness" was developed by Dr. Dan Siegel to promote integration and increase well being.

I like to think of it as a mix tape of my favorite meditation techniques (awareness of breath, body scan, Vipassana, loving kindness and self-compassion).

Because it systematically goes through each type of practice, it's really centering and calming - try it out for yourself and see!

Transcript

Today we will practice a technique called Wheel of Awareness that was developed by Dr.

Dan Siegel.

Begin by taking a comfortable seat on the floor or in a chair or you may even take a comfortable position laying down and gently close your eyes.

Begin to notice your breath finding an anchor point wherever you feel your breath the strongest.

You might notice cool sensations coming in and out of your nostrils or your chest gently expanding and contracting or your belly rising and falling with each breath.

Use one point where you notice the sensations of breathing are strongest and bring your attention to the sensations of breathing there.

Keeping this point as your anchor throughout the entire meditation.

If you find your mind has wandered,

Which it's normal to do,

Simply bring your attention back to the sensations of breathing at your anchor point.

Just noticing those sensations of breathing.

Now picture a wheel in your mind's eye.

It's okay if no image comes up.

Simply have the intention to imagine a wheel.

The awareness of your breath is the center of the hub,

A place you can always return throughout this practice.

Now taking your attention with a spoke of awareness to the outer rim of this wheel,

Becoming aware of sounds.

Let the sounds from the environment fill your awareness.

Without straining or stressing,

Just let the sounds come to you.

Turning your ears to the sounds around you.

And noticing each sound as it's happening in the present moment.

Now we'll move to the sense of sight.

Seeing even with your eyes closed,

You can see light and dark and different textures.

Just seeing with your eyes closed.

Bringing all of your attention to sight.

And then bringing your awareness to your sense of smell.

Let the smell of the air you are breathing fill your awareness.

You might notice a strong smell or no smell at all.

Giving curiosity and focused attention to your sense of smell.

Then becoming aware of your sense of taste.

Letting that fill your awareness.

Noticing whether there's no taste at all or many tastes.

Bringing all of your attention to your sense of taste.

Moving to the sense of touch.

Notice the sensation of your feet on the ground.

The sensation of touch as your clothing is on your skin.

Or where your hands are touching your body.

Or the pressure as you sit or lay on the floor.

Seeing the sense of touch fill your awareness completely.

Now take a deep breath.

And let that practice go and move to the center of the hub.

Focusing once again on the sensations of breathing.

Returning to your anchor point,

The center hub of awareness.

That anchor in the physical sensation of breathing.

And then moving to the outer rim of the wheel once again.

To begin to notice what's going on in the interior sensation of your body.

Feeling the muscles in your cheeks.

Feeling the muscles in your shoulders.

Feeling the muscles in your lower back.

Feeling your heart as it's beating in your chest.

Bring your attention to your arms and your elbows and your forearms.

Your wrists.

Your palms.

Bring your attention to the sensations in your thumbs.

Your index fingers.

Your middle finger.

Your ring finger.

The sensations within your pinkies.

Feeling all the sensations in your hands and your arms as a whole.

Bringing your attention to your thighs and your knees and your calves and your shins.

Your ankles,

Your feet,

Your big toes.

Feeling through each toe one by one.

And then feeling all the sensations in your feet and your legs as a whole.

Bringing your attention to your stomach as you breathe.

Feeling any tightness or looseness in your stomach with each breath.

Now feel your body as a whole.

Feeling all the sensations within your body.

You may notice a buzzy sensation or tingling.

Notice the body as a whole.

And take a deep breath and let this practice go.

Moving back to the center of the wheel.

Anchoring yourself on your breath.

Continuing to focus on your breathing.

Moving the spoke of awareness to the outer rim of the wheel once more.

To become aware of mental activities.

Noticing thoughts.

Just opening your mind to whatever is there.

You may even imagine your thoughts as leaves on a river.

Just notice them as they pass by without stopping them or questioning them.

Just notice the thoughts and then let them proceed down the river.

You may notice a pause between thoughts.

Just notice how a thought presents itself and stays or leaves your awareness.

Notice how the thoughts come and go.

Noticing your thoughts and the quality as they arise without getting entangled in them.

Just noticing the thoughts without judgment.

And letting them go like leaves down a river.

Now take a deep breath.

Now I want you to bring your attention to awareness itself.

Noticing that you're the one noticing.

This part can be subtle.

But see if you can notice that you're the one able to notice.

Feeling that spaciousness as the observer of your thoughts,

The observer of your breath,

The observer of the sensations in your body.

Bringing your complete attention to the role of the observer,

The one who notices.

Noticing those sensations.

Noticing the breath.

Noticing the thoughts.

Becoming more and more aware of awareness itself.

Taking a deep breath.

Now bringing your attention back to the breath,

To the hub inside the wheel.

Anchoring yourself on the physical sensations of breathing.

Then shooting your awareness to the rim of the wheel.

And bringing to mind a person you love dearly.

And saying to that person as you visualize a person you love dearly,

May you be well.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

And really visualize that person,

That loved one.

Sending them loving kindness.

Picturing the love streaming from your heart to theirs.

May you be well.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

And then open your sense of connection beyond your loved one to your friends and family.

Picturing many people that you love that are dear to you,

That support you.

And imagine saying to them all,

May you be well.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

And then extending that compassion and loving kindness further.

Imagining your neighbors,

People you see in the coffee shop in the morning,

People in your school or your children's school or in your office.

Extending well wishes to all those beings.

Saying may you be well.

May you be peaceful.

May you be happy.

And extending further to all beings everywhere.

May you all be well.

May you all be happy.

May you all live with peace.

And bringing yourself into that circle of compassion.

Saying may I be well.

May I be peaceful.

May I be happy.

And then imagine all beings everywhere.

And including yourself saying may we all be well.

May we all be happy.

May we all live in peace.

And just imagine the compassion and loving kindness from your heart.

Flowing around the world to all beings everywhere.

May you all be well.

And including yourself,

May we all be well.

May we all be peaceful.

May we all be happy.

And taking a deep breath and bringing your attention back to the hub of awareness.

Noticing the sensations of breathing.

And whenever you are ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Reviews

This was exactly what I needed to get out of my unmotivated way. I set some goals during this practice and excited to do them.

This is a clear and accessible presentation of a powerful meditative practice that is grounded in both modern psychological and neurological science and ancient wisdom.

I greatly enjoyed and deeply felt the loving-kindness in this guided meditation. I think starting with Body sensations and then to awareness itself really primed me for the loving kindness.

Absolutely beautiful. Calming and peaceful. Thank you!

Excellent rendition of the Wheel of Awareness. Your voice is soothing and strong without distracting from the content. The exercise felt great. Thank you!

This is a very peaceful meditation. A feeling of well being enfolds you with this practice. Thank you. 🙏

A really nice meditation! Incorporated many of the elements I've learnt about mediation so far, so it was good to revisit and strengthen them. Thank you 🙏

Wow this covered so many aspects of meditation..
Lovely!
Thank you 🙏

Very calming and centering. Thank you ✨

Thank you beautiful soul ✨💕✨

It was soothing and lovely.

Very deep and rewarding. Thanks so much Lisa

Such a powerful practice. Thank you for guiding us through it so beautifully!! 💗🙏🏼💗

I love this meditation and always come back to this one. The time goes by so quickly and her voice is so soothing. Thank you!

Lisa: This Awareness Wheel is amazing. I feel refreshed & rested. Thanks & God Bless you always. May you be well🙏

May we be well. May we be peaceful. May we be happy! :)

I thank you for the gentleness in your voice. I am learning to slow down and at first I would fall asleep. As I allow the process, it seems 20 minutes fly by! However can that be? Different levels of healing my body I surmise.

Beautiful meditation, it felt like a journey exploring the body & senses. I liked that it combined the various techniques. Many thanks, Lisa 🙏

Beautiful combination of different meditation techniques in one meditation. Precented with nice music und a relaxing voice

Very soothing, builds more self-observation and distance from emotion.