Attention

A mindfulness meditation practice to help increase the quality of attention. Cultivating an alert awareness in the moment with eyes open. There is guidance and a short period of silence at the end of the practice.

Transcript

This is a brief meditation to help increase the quality of attention. Mindfulness starts with attention and awareness of ourselves and how we show up in the world, Aware of our thoughts, Emotions, Words, And actions, Cultivating attention with skillful discernment and wholesome intent. Awareness creates meaning in our lives. This focused attention practice is an exercise to increase the capacity to skillfully place attention in the present moment. Research suggests that we spend close to 50% of our day mind-wandering, Unaware of the present moment, Lost in thoughts, Ruminating about the past or fantasizing about an imagined future. Sitting in meditation is a means to hone in our attention, And it requires practice, Like anything we want to get good at. Mindfulness meditation could be considered a mental fitness activity, Like exercise to increase physical fitness and health, Mindfulness practices increase mental fitness and wellbeing. Studies have shown that as little as eight minutes a day can increase focused attention. As we sit in silence, The invitation is to allow yourself to be present in this moment with no judgment or analysis. There's nothing to fix or change, Allowing all that arises and allowing all to pass away. Noticing any tendencies to hold on to what is pleasant or aversion to the unpleasant or the restlessness of neutral feelings or uncertainty. Accepting all of it and never feeling too uncomfortable. It is not necessary to be uncomfortable. This is your practice. Be gentle and kind to yourself. And when necessary, Change your attention to what brings more comfort. This is an exploration being present in the moment, Placing a gentle attention to the natural rhythm of the breath as a place to rest your focus. Without any insistence that the practice be a certain way and allowing distractions to simply come and go, Knowing that everything changes if we don't get caught up in stories about the thoughts and emotions that arise. When you notice you've become distracted, Simply return your attention back to the feeling of the body breathing and start by finding a posture that allows you to feel supported, Alert and comfortable, Bringing a sense of groundedness. It might be feeling the weight of the body in a chair or the feet resting on the floor. Maybe your hands relaxed, Resting in your lap. Having a felt sense of the body in some way is helpful at feeling grounded. And take a brief scan of the body from head to toe. Relax any areas of tension, Letting go of any tightness you notice in the shoulder or neck, Allowing the jaw to be slack, The belly soft. There's nothing to hold on to, Just allowing the body to rest and relax and letting the breath be natural. Bring a gentle attention to the breath, Perhaps even noticing and appreciating the ease and natural flow of the body breathing. It is what the body does, A vital function that does not require any effort. Just noticing the subtle movements of the body breathing, Slowing down. There's nowhere to go. There's nothing to do. And the eyes remain open in this practice. This is a way of practicing while fully awake, Finding a soft gaze in front of you, Letting the eyes rest on an area rather than focused on anything in particular. Eyes open, Helping to cultivate a sense of alertness. Notice and take in the whole visual field, Aware of how wide the peripheral vision is without looking around. Taking in all that is present in this environment, In this moment. And again, Allowing your attention to rest on the breath, Feeling the body breathing. This is not conceptual. It's not about focusing attention on the breath. It is about feeling and experiencing the body breathing. Feeling the slight expansion of the body on the in-breath, And maybe even a sense of release, A kind of letting go on the out-breath. Maybe even noticing a slight pause that occurs between the in-breath and the out-breath. When focused, There is a quality of the mind, A sense of being held and carried by attention. In this practice, The gentle focus is on the breath, Resting in the moment. This in-breath is out-breath. Your mind will continue to have thoughts. This is normal. It is what the mind does. Allow thoughts to come and go. It's estimated that we have between 50 and 70, 000 thoughts a day. And these thoughts pass quickly if we allow them to come and pass away without getting caught in stories. Thoughts and emotions are like the weather. They are ever-changing. Noticing that you have become lost in thought or caught up in an emotional reaction and having the skill to return your attention to the present moment is mindfulness. Sometimes simply labeling thoughts can help to return your attention to the present moment. Breathing. Returning attention to the felt sense of the body, Breathing. Beginning again and again. Like the repetition of weight training to build muscles, Returning your attention is training the mind to build awareness. There may be ambient sounds. Notice how they also come and go. They might be near or off in a distance. Sit with a relaxed presence in this environment, Noticing these sounds and resting a gentle attention on feeling the body breathing. And now practice on your own for several minutes. When you hear the bell to end the practice, Take your time to transition. Okay? Okay. Your attention and intention affects everything you do and everyone you know. A quote from Marshall Rosenberg, The founder of Nonviolent Communication. Your presence is the most precious gift you can give another human being. Thank you for practicing and thank you for practicing with me.