Okay,
So this exercise is called Choiceless Awareness
and what I will be inviting you to do is just to use everything as your object of meditation.
So whatever you're aware of during the practice becomes the object of meditation.
So there's a certain element of surrender here and an acceptance that you can't really do this
exercise wrong.
Perhaps you notice sensations in the body,
Maybe sounds in your peripheral
awareness and even thoughts appearing and disappearing.
Allow all of it and you might
see that relaxing in this way and surrendering in this way to the present moment
can help you feel a bit more peaceful and a bit calmer.
So to begin the session make sure that you're sitting comfortably
with a straight back,
Ideally if you can,
With a relaxed but alert posture.
So we're going to begin with a few deep breaths in through the nose and then releasing through the mouth.
So breathing in,
Letting go,
Filling the lungs,
Letting go,
The final one,
And releasing.
Closing the mouth,
Allowing the breath to return to normal
and breathing through the nostrils for the remainder of the session.
Checking in with the mind as we begin the session,
How is your mind feeling right now in this moment?
Could be a sense of busyness or distractedness in the mind,
Maybe the mind feels calm today.
However you're feeling in this moment is completely fine for the purposes of today.
So we're going to begin with a few deep breaths in through the nose and then releasing through the mouth.
Taking a second to feel grounded,
Becoming aware of the points of connection between your feet and the ground
and your legs on the chair or the sofa that you're sitting on.
Be aware of any sounds that might be present in the room that you're currently in.
It's important to note that there are no right or wrong sounds that you can hear for this part of the exercise.
Whether you can hear loud noises,
Complete silence,
Distracting noises too,
All are welcome here.
All you need to do is allow hearing to unfold effortlessly,
Exactly as it wants to.
Now I want you to remain peripherally aware of any sounds that might be occurring right now
but also expanding the scope of your awareness
to include anything that you're currently noticing right now.
So there could be an awareness of sound still.
Maybe there are some sensations in the body that are appearing and disappearing.
You might notice the rhythms of your breath.
It could even be a sense of space that surrounds you.
We can often get a sense of the shape of the room that we're in even with the eyes still closed.
The point is that whatever pops up in your awareness,
Whatever you're experiencing right now,
Is perfect for the object of this practice.
We're removing all choice here and we're just being aware of absolutely anything that happens in our experience.
The whole idea with choiceless awareness is that we're reducing all choice and effort here.
So if you find that you're trying to do something right now,
You're putting effort in,
You're trying to do something,
You're putting effort in,
You're trying to do something,
If you find that you're trying to do something right now,
You're putting effort in,
See what happens if you reduce your effort levels by 50%.
There is nothing to do here other than just to be aware of whatever is appearing in the present moment.
You don't need to resist anything,
There are no right or wrong things to experience.
Just be aware of whatever is happening now.
And this includes thoughts or thinking too.
It's likely that your mind has started to do its thing.
Your mind has started to do its thing,
You've become distracted.
But just see if you can make thinking part of this awareness.
This thinking is just part of what's happening for you in the present moment.
It's like you're sitting back and watching the mind do its thing.
All of it arising choicelessly in your awareness.
Another gentle reminder that you're doing this perfectly.
There is in fact no wrong way to do this practice.
Everything you experience here is welcome.
All you need to do is nothing and just be aware of what's unfolding in the present moment.
Whether it's sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts or feelings,
All are welcome here.
And as we reach the conclusion of this exercise,
Maybe becoming aware of the space that you're in a little bit more.
Getting a sense of sounds or smells that you can notice right now.
And checking in with the state of your mind.
Is there any subtle change from earlier?
Or does the mind feel largely the same?
There's no judgement here.
Just acknowledging how the mind is doing right now.
When you feel ready to opening the eyes and coming back to the room.
Stretching or waking up the body in any way that feels good for you.
And congratulating yourself for turning up to practice today.
My hope is that during this practice the sense of surrender,
The sense of just being open to what's happening in the present moment,
Can actually make you feel a bit calmer.
It's like you're giving up the struggle,
You're giving up striving,
And you're just accepting whatever unfolds in the present moment.
And there can be something quite rewarding and peaceful when we practice in this way.
Have a great day.
