Open Awareness

An Open Awareness Practice - cultivating a kind attention to the present. A practice to explore being in the moment with what arises; thoughts, sensations, emotions, and feelings. Developing the ability to sit with what is present without any need to change it. An exercise in finding peace in the moment.

Transcript

This is an open awareness practice, An exploration to cultivate a greater sense of awareness and to increase your ability to focus with kind attention. Being fully present in each moment and bringing a kind attention to what you are experiencing. Exploring what is present and allowing what is discovered to just be there without any effort to change it or push it away. Just accepting. At any time during the practice, If you find it difficult or uncomfortable, Just stop and rest, Being still and quiet for a few moments. There is no specific or right way to practice. You can have your eyes open or closed. Just notice what's most comfortable for you. If you find eyes open feel safer, Just find a soft downward gaze. The eyes closed is often suggested because it helps to reduce distraction. This is your practice. Find what works for you. Start by finding a comfortable posture, Making any adjustments necessary. You can be seated or lying down. Take a few moments to relax and have a few deep breaths to transition and settle into practice. Start by bringing your awareness to being here in this moment and allow your attention to focus on the breath. Taking a deep inhale and noticing how your chest and belly expand. Following the exhale, Maybe you notice a sense of letting go, Almost a sense of relaxation. Taking a few more deep breaths at your own pace and notice your body breathing. And now settling into the natural rhythm of the breath. Nothing to do, Just allowing the body to breathe. Again, Notice the subtle movement of the body breathing, Maybe feeling the air in and out of the nose or the subtle rise and fall of the chest or belly. And as we move through this open awareness practice, You will notice being distracted by thoughts. This is normal. When you become aware that thoughts have arrived or you have become distracted by your thoughts, Just notice and return your attention to the breath, Noticing the sensations of the body breathing and using the breath as a focal point, A kind of anchor to focus your attention. This is developing the ability to have better focus and attention. Again, Resting in your breath and noticing what sensations are present. Now taking a few minutes to scan your body from head to toe, Notice what sensations are present in your body. You might feel totally relaxed or you might notice some tension somewhere, Maybe even a discomfort or pain. See if you can allow a kind of tension to your body and any sensations that are present. Noticing and allowing what is present without forcing or insisting that anything change, Just noticing and allowing what is here. If there is tension or discomfort, Maybe even noticing on your out breath, Just a little letting go. Maybe you can notice change. This is normal. From moment to moment, Sensations, Thoughts, Emotions change. Now bring your attention to any sound that is present. There might be sounds in the distance. Allow your attention to rest on what is heard. Letting go of any particular like or dislike, Just listening. Again, Noticing how sounds change. They might be loud or soft, Near or far. Big thoughts and emotions and feelings, Sounds change from moment to moment. And now noticing any thoughts without creating any stories. See if you can just notice what thoughts pop into your head. Notice the thought and let it pass without getting caught up in a story. You may notice a stream of thoughts or maybe even something specific that you have been stuck on lately. It might be difficult to just notice and let them be. But an analogy here might be helpful. Being a witness to our thoughts, Just observing what is present, Like the sky. There's always a vast, Open, Clear blue sky above and beyond any clouds. Sometimes there may be a few clouds. Sometimes many. Sometimes the sky is stormy. And beyond that, There is always a clear, Open blue sky. If you've ever been on a plane, You know what this is like to be lifted up beyond the clouds. Thoughts can be like this. They come and go. Sometimes they're dense and intense, Sometimes light and easy. And as an observer of thoughts, There is this vast, Open awareness. You are more than your thoughts. Rest for a moment and notice the coming and going of thoughts and how quickly they can change if you don't become attached to them or get caught up in the story of them. Just rest, Letting your thoughts come and go. Again, This might be difficult, But just relax and notice what's there. Remembering, If anything becomes overwhelming, You can always bring your attention back to the breath and just rest. And now take a moment to see if any emotions are present. Feeling safe and comfortable. Just notice what's there. You may feel restless or bored. Maybe there's some anger present. Maybe you feel happy and content. Just noticing what you experience and seeing if you can just allow this too, Without any need to change it. Just notice too, Like thoughts and sounds, Emotions will come and go. They will change rather quickly if we're not adding stories to them. Again, Like the sky, The weather comes and goes. Thoughts, Feelings, Emotions, Sounds, They all come and go. And as we come to the close of this practice, See if you can rest for a few moments in an open awareness, Experiencing what is present in this moment. Any thoughts, Sounds, Feelings, Sensations, Emotions, Just noticing what is present without any need to change it, Without trying to hold onto something that is pleasant or pushing away something that is unpleasant, Resting in an open awareness, Being the observer, Witnessing with a kind attention to what is present in this moment. And now taking a moment to focus your attention to the breath, Just resting in the natural rhythm of breathing, Or if more comfortable, Just the subtle sounds that are present. An open awareness practice can help us cultivate a greater sense of equanimity, Able to find a resting place, Even in the storm, And in closing, A quote from John O'Donohue. I would like to live like the river flows, Being carried by the surprise of its own unfolding. God blessings.