Open Awareness Meditation

The practice of mindfulness is not simply about noticing our thoughts, sensations, emotions, and the environment around us, but rather about noticing without judgment, and with curiosity, acceptance, and a kind and compassionate attitude. In today's meditation, we'll start by practicing focused awareness on our breath and then we'll move on to open awareness. This meditation accompanies Episode 12 of the Mindful Agility podcast, about organizational mindfulness.

Transcript

Welcome to the Mindful Agility Meditations podcast. I am your guide, Mirella Petali. Thank you for taking this time to meditate with us today. Mindfulness is the skill of becoming aware, Of noticing what is happening in the present moment. While we may be often aware of what is going on, The practice of mindfulness is not simply about noticing our thoughts, Sensations, Emotions, And the environment around us, But rather about noticing without judgment and with curiosity, Acceptance, And a kind and compassionate attitude. In today's meditation, We'll start by practicing focused awareness on our breath, And then we'll move on to open awareness. Studies have shown that the practice of open awareness meditation helps us cultivate a non-judgmental and non-reactive attitude. When we practice mindfulness this way, Both in our daily practice and in our everyday activities and interactions, We get closer to seeing things as they are. We can consider different viewpoints and solutions, Recognize and reduce our biases, Make objective assessments about ourselves, Others, And what is happening. We can be more creative, And then ultimately, We can act more skillfully and contribute to the well-being of ourselves and those around us. We'll practice open awareness by paying attention to our moment-to-moment experience and see if we can cultivate an attitude of curiosity, Non-judgment, Acceptance, Kindness, And compassion to whatever is happening. During the meditation, You might notice your mind wandering, Judging, Commenting, Being restless or sluggish. That's perfectly natural. That is what minds do. We notice it, Become curious, And even have a light, Humorous attitude about it, And then let it go. You can find the corresponding discussion in episode 12 of the Mindful Agility podcast at mindfulagility. Com. And now let's start. Find a comfortable position, Either sitting or lying down. You can close your eyes or keep them slightly open. Focus downward in front of you. Let's start by taking a few deep, Long, Slow breaths to settle in our bodies and relax. Now allow your breath to return to normal. Find a spot where you feel the breath the most, Either the tip of your nose, Upper lip, Chest, Or your belly. Notice the breath coming in. Notice the breath coming out. Keep your attention on a breath this way for a little bit. If you get distracted, Either by thoughts, Sounds, Or sensations, Notice it without judgment and bring your attention back gently to the breath. There is no need to try too hard to focus. We just want to be aware that we are breathing in, Aware that we are breathing out. Now bring your attention to your whole body. Your body sitting or lying down. How is your body feeling? Spend some time being curious about what sensations are there. You feel any tightness, Discomfort, Pressure, Pain, Numbness, Or tingling? Your body is working for you all the time. Your body is a wonderful organism where every single visible or invisible part is important and is constantly working, Collaborating, Exchanging, Contributing to the whole. It's co-creating life, Your life. Take a moment to feel your body and appreciate everything that it does for you. As you keep your whole body in your awareness, Notice the body breathing. We have expanded our awareness, And instead of being mindful of the breath at one point, We are being aware of the whole body breathing. Does this feel any different than when you were focused on your breath at one point only? Now I invite you to expand your attention even more, To include the environment you are in. Notice what is there. What's the temperature? Any sounds? If your eyes are open, What do you see? If your eyes are closed, I invite you to open them now and look around you. You can use gentle labeling as things come to your attention. Seeing, Hearing, Breathing, Sensations, Emotions, Thoughts. You may notice that your attention is being pulled in every direction, Or that a sound, A thought, A sensation is strong and it keeps your attention longer. That's okay. We try to keep an open awareness by allowing things to come and go without becoming too involved in them. Imagine you are sitting at the edge of a river. Your awareness is watching as the river flows by. There is a sense of calmness, Stillness, As you watch and listen. Continue to practice this open awareness for a while on your own. Now let go of the meditation and bring your attention back to your body. Notice your body breathing. When you're ready, You can get out of meditation. Thank you for taking this time to meditate with us today.