Thursday, November 23, 2006

A Self Awareness Exercise

This is probably the simplest and most challenging meditation exercise you will ever do. Simple because there is no technique. Challenging because we are going looking for something that is extremely difficult to find.

Sit in a comfortable position. If you have some sort of sitting practice that will do. If you do not have such a practice then sit in a chair or on the floor on cushion will your butt slightly raised. Make sure your back is straight because that makes it easier to relax while remaining supported and that will keep you alert. If you are wide awake you can lay down on your back without a pillow, hands at your sides or on your stomach and your feet about shoulder width apart.. I say wide awake because it is quite natural to fall asleep when lying down and relaxing and we want to remain alert.

Now just relax your body. Don't fight with it or try to force it, just let it naturally relax. The positions I have suggested are conducive to relaxing so there will be no need to try to force it. Just breath, don't try to control your breath. Don't try to control your thoughts (you can't anyway). In fact, don't try to control anything. Just relax enough to give this exercise adequate attention. If you are distracted by something that you have to do or something is bothering you, fine, stop. Do what has to be done and return to this when you can give it your full attention. There is no hurry and I don't want you to be hurried doing it.

Ok, that's it as far as the technique is concerned. Just be comfortable, alert and available. Now close your eyes and turn your attention inward. Be aware of your breath. Be aware of your body. Be aware of your mind, that is, your thinking. If you have never encountered anything else I have written or said regarding awareness or even if you have, I will start with a simple preliminary exercise.

Think of a monkey. Really just do it!

Ok, now think of a mountain.

Now think of someone you know.

Great. I asked you to think of 3 things. You immediately told your mind to create images of those things and it did, effortlessly. It obeyed you directly and without question. Those of you who have meditated for years trying to control your mind please take note. But that effortless control is not what I wanted to bring your attention to.

I want to bring your attention to the one who told the mind to produce the picture and to the one who was looking at it.

We are so used to thinking of ourselves as a thing that we automatically assume that awareness is an attribute of that thing. “I am aware” or “I have awareness”. I am an entity with awareness.

Now, finally, we get to the heart of this exercise. I want you to look for that “thing”. I want you to start a thorough and exhaustive search for whatever IT is that is aware. Go look for it. Look inside, look outside. Don't leave any stone unturned. Search until you have exhausted yourself and every possibility. And don't just do it once or for a few minutes. Spend some time at it. Do it more than once. It is illusive and you will not find it easily or quickly. Don't give up. Enjoy the bewilderment. Engage yourself in how difficult it is to search. Become entrance by it until it becomes a quest. And a quest is something you don't abandon. You don't stop until you either find it or...

...

keep looking...

Even if you already know why I asked you to do this exercise and even if you know what the ultimate result will be..

keep looking...


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a great exercise, though I find it makes me sleepy! Obviously, I need to set aside some time to do it when I am rested. I usually meditate when I am tired to help to refresh my brain but this is obviously one I need to do at a different time.
I like the material you are providing and have put in a link to your blog from mine. If you would like to exchange links, that would be brilliant. Please take a look at my blog and see if you like it. As it happens, I have suggested an exercise of my own in my latest post. I should be interested to know what you think.
All the Best - Simon

Forgetful God said...

clever...that "thing" is nothing. The search itself leads you through all the possibilities though and eventually leaves you with yourself (simply..."I Am").

I'm going to add your blog to my recommend site list. Thank you for the pleasure of your insight...I hope to read more.

Sincerely,

A Forgetful God