Working with directed and undirected attention in meditation.
So as we begin don't necessarily close your eyes to start with.
Let yourself get used to sitting here.
The transition from what you've previously been doing.
Just sitting here not doing anything in particular.
Maybe looking at something in front of you.
A shrine if you have one.
Or out of the window.
Wherever you're looking just really relaxing the gaze.
Letting the eyes really rest.
One of the things that can be really helpful with directed practice is actually to start with undirected practice.
And this is so that coming to the object you've chosen for directed practice can be more gradual,
More natural,
A gentle process without any particular focus to start with.
So perhaps tuning into sounds.
Not particularly listening but just relaxed,
Open.
Noticing sounds around,
Sounds within the body.
Noticing silence and letting the attention now come to rest more within the body.
You might even notice that the attention is already going there.
Connecting with different body sensations.
Connecting with the experiences of heat or coolness,
Different temperatures.
Or perhaps noticing pressure from contact with what you're sitting on,
Perhaps lying on.
Really letting yourself notice what that pressure is like.
What does it feel like from the inside rather than thinking about it.
Perhaps you can feel different sensations from one side of the buttocks to the other side.
A different kind of contact or pressure.
And it might just be quite subtle but just registering that.
You might also notice movement happening within the body.
Simple sensations of the breath create movement within the body.
Through the chest,
The throat,
Around the ribs or the belly.
We can recognize that movement as it happens and the sensations that are produced through that movement.
And then we can move quite naturally from being aware of the movements in the body to recognizing and knowing the breath sensations as they happen.
Seeing what's possible to know about the breath,
Its movements,
Its texture,
Its length.
Or knowing the broad sweep of the breath in the body.
The inhalation,
The exhalation.
So allowing the attention to come to the breath and actually directing attention to the breath when it wanders to something else.
Perhaps directing the breath to a point where you feel it most strongly and letting the attention rest there.
And remembering that the practice isn't really about staying with the breath as much as noticing when the attention strays from the breath.
Then we acknowledge that.
Notice where the attention has gone and quite gently but deliberately bringing the attention back to the breath.
And that is where the practice lies in that movement to notice where the attention has gone and to bring it back.
Placing it with the breath.
If we have the idea that the only time we're doing the practice is when we're with the breath,
That creates some tension.
It's more helpful to have the attitude that we're training the mind,
Training its capacity to be able to direct and pay attention.
And you might notice something that impacts on your ability to pay attention,
To rest the attention with the breath.
Acknowledging what's happening whether it's sleepiness or restlessness or low mood particular feelings.
Acknowledging feeling into any hypervigilance that makes us jump on the breath a bit too strongly.
So we acknowledge any hindrance to resting with the breath.
Recognize it clearly,
Kindly and then come back to the sensations of the breath.
And you might also notice how it is to pay attention to the breath.
Perhaps notice the feeling quality in the mind.
Is there some degree of calm or pleasure?
Relaxation.
Notice what's happening and then direct the attention to the sensations of the breath once again.
And now relaxing the directing of attention towards the breath.
Letting the awareness and attention broaden out from the breath sensations.
You might do this through resting back mentally and physically.
Settling back perhaps into the back of the body a bit more.
As if you are settling into a really comfortable chair.
As the awareness becomes a bit softer and broader.
We still might notice aspects of the breath but we're also tuning in to body sensations and sounds.
Letting the awareness be broad and soft.
Notice how naturally the mind knows one sense object after another without being directed to do so.
The attention can move quite seamlessly from a body sensation to attending to a sound or a thought.
The faculty of attention is always quite naturally moving.
So see if you can tune in with that.
The subtle moving of attention from one object to another.
It's not something that we are doing or trying to do but something that's already happening on its own.
And by noticing that process we allow awareness to accompany attention.
Awareness following attention as it moves from sense to sense in this undirected way.
Letting the attention be really light and open.
Just like a butterfly moving from leaf to leaf.
Very lightly.
And whatever is noticed that can be known as an object to be attended to.
Known in awareness.
As well as noticing sounds or sights or body sensations.
We can also notice mental objects.
Things happening through the mind.
Sleepiness or restlessness.
Irritation or wanting something to happen.
Simply objects to be known in the mind.
Or we might notice,
Be aware of calm peaceful states of mind where the awareness feels very bright open.
The more that body and mind are able to relax the easier it becomes to notice attention simply moving on its own from one sense object to another.
Accompanied by awareness.
And we can use this movement of attention as a way to continuity of mindfulness.
When we're developing and cultivating mindfulness it's not really important what we're paying attention to.
We can use any object to help cultivate that continuity of mindfulness.
When we're not directing the attention the quality of the mind can feel different to when we're directing awareness to a particular object.
So feeling into the quality of undirected attention.
Feeling into the quality of openness and spaciousness that comes through this type of awareness.
There's relaxation but there's also a quality of awakeness,
Aliveness.
We're able to be attentive and present to quite subtle objects happening within our experience.
Undirected attention can feel very ordinary.
It can feel very close to our usual experience.
But what makes the difference is that awareness is present.
We're aware of attention going about its usual business as we did while practicing directing the attention.
Notice how the mind feels through undirected practice.
Is there a particular feeling quality to the mind?
Practicing with this more open awareness and just resting in that for a few minutes.
In the next couple of minutes we're going to bring the practice to a close.
If your eyes have been closed during the practice,
When you're ready just half opening them so that your gaze remains lowered.
Keeping the eyes soft.
Keeping the eyes soft helps keep the mind soft,
Keeps the awareness soft.
And in this very gentle way just starting to take in what's around you.
Letting the senses become attuned to your environment.
And when you're ready bringing the practice to an end.
