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Awareness Practice
Why it matters?
When we learn to cultivate the capacity to be aware, the strength of our minds and the quality of our lives is enhanced.
Our attention, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors feel less volatile and more intentional. When we develop focused attention, open awareness and grateful intentions, not only will we reduce fear, anxiety and stress, but we’ll become more resilient in the face of challenges that come our way.
The long lists of benefits related to mindfulness and meditation practices is well known — but often cloud the ultimate experience that arises as a direct result of awareness practice – the ability to taste the flavors of life (to quote a participant in the Weightlessness process from where this particular exercise is extracted).
There are many ways to train our awareness: one that is both simple and profound (and most importantly, can’t be ‘hacked’) is to train ourselves to breathe slowly, working our way to 10 breaths in 10 minutes in complete relaxation.
The reason why this particular practice is ‘unhackable’, is that you are given a very clear objective with no attachments, and the cue of being fully relaxed in the breath count. In order to do this, one must exercise complete awareness of the body in space, while systematically releasing tension from one moment to the next.
How it works?
- Sit in a comfortable upright position where you are not leaning against a seat back. Feet parallel and legs bent 90 degrees with no tension in the legs, hips or abdomen.
- Rest hands in dhyana mudra (or left hand resting in right hand, palms facing up with fingers together and thumbs touching in your lap). Shoulders relaxed, tongue resting on the roof of your mouth with tip touching the mound behind your front teeth. Eyes closed and breathing naturally.
- Set a timer to 10 minutes and put it to the side out of sight and mind.
- Begin to breathe as slow as you can, continuously paying attention to how the body relaxes enough to create space for each deepening breath.
- Continuously try to slow the breath, equal inhale and exhale if possible, without any strain.
- Only stop when the alarm goes off, taking note of how many breaths you had in 10 minutes.
- Practice daily as a great power down practice after a day of the lungs working.
Examples
We need to cultivate the capacity to be more aware through deliberate practice, so that we can be fully present to our experience of being alive.
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