WEEK 1: meditation exercise (becoming conscious of your surroundings)
as i mentioned yesterday, the theme for this week is learning to pay full attention to our environment and surroundings; learning to be more conscious in the present moment. if you think of the 5 W's (who,what,when,where,why), i like to think of this week as focusing on the "where" of your present moment. before diving into the heavier stuff, first, orient yourself.
^wouldn't it be wonderful to orient yourself here?
think of a route that you often to take to school, work, or a friend's house. how clearly can you picture it in your mind? normally we are so caught up in our thoughts or rushing to get somewhere that we barely notice our surroundings.
when I was going to university, i lived in this really great apartment that backed onto a huge park. the university was on the other end of the park, so i'd often cut through it to go to school. it took about 20 minutes from point A to point B, but i'd normally be trying to squeeze that down to 15 minutes as i'd be running late for one reason or another. on my way to school, my thoughts were consumed with just getting there, what i had to do once i was in class, whether or not i enjoyed this particular subject or professor. on my way home, it would be more of the same - usually thinking about my HUGE! MASTER! TO-DO LIST! and how i would accomplish doing ALL THE THINGS. it didn't really occur to me that i was being inattentive to my surroundings. in fact, i didn't even realize that being attentive to my environment was a viable option.
there were a few walks home that made that change. i can't say i remember the particular details, there isn't one day that stands out; it was probably a gradual change. but i do remember that there were a few walks home when the sun was shining just right, maybe the leaves were falling, or the snow was melting -- something in the environment made me pay attention to it. i'd spend my whole walk just looking around at everything. noticing little things, just appreciating them. i'd come home feeling so peaceful and content, as if every tiny detail of beauty on my walk home filled me up, really nourished me. it hit me- why don't i always do this? it's so simple!
and yet, it's not. we are not really programmed to do this, to just simply be anymore, and there is so much going on in a single day that it's no wonder that we are constantly stressing out. that experience of walking through the park changed me, and it made me aware. that much is true. but i definitely can't say that after that "a-ha!" moment, that i never walked home consumed with thoughts again. no, no, not at all. this is the kind of thing that really requires practise.
"practise, practise, and all is coming" - pattabhi jois
so let's get right down to the exercise, shall we? and then we can practise this all week in meditation, before hopefully bringing this off the meditation cushion, and into real life.
MEDITATION 1: Become Conscious of the Environment
(adapted from David Fontana's Meditation Week by Week)
Read through this meditation, and then try it in a nice environment. Ideally, outdoors, but since it is Winter here, you might want to settle for sitting in front of a window that is cracked open (and get nice and bundled up first!)
If you like, you can set a timer for the whole time or each step, but if you have the time today, just do this exercise for however long it feels natural.
1. Sit somewhere comfortable (a couch, a chair, a cushion, a park bench). Let your eyes just travel around your environment, simply taking the time to look at the colours, shapes and textures, and any other enjoyable details. Pay attention to both individual objects, and the "negative space" around those objets. Look up, down, from left to right. Try not to name or judge anything, and if other thoughts or worries arise, let them float on by, returning your attention to what's in front of you.
2. Now close your eyes, and focus on what you can hear. Listen to all the different sounds. It might be quite noisy- cars rushing by, children laughing or it might be very quiet. Don't worry about the quantity of noise, or pinpointing each noise so as to identify it. Just let your ears be open to whatever sounds will come to meet them.
3. Move your attention to tactile sensations- what your body feels. Can you feel the warm sun? A breeze? What about what you're sitting on- what does it feel like? Again, do this without trying to identify or mentally "describe" these feelings.
4. Slowly opening your eyes, let your gaze be soft. Try to take in all sights, sounds, and sensations together, being fully present in your environment.
how did that feel? what effects did that experience have on you? did it change how you relate to the environment? take a few minutes to notice these effects, and if you'd like to share with me how it went!
i'll be posting later on in the day how this exercise went for me. as i'm still feeling pretty sick, i'm going to rest for awhile before really bundling up and going for a little walk, and finding a good park bench to sit on and do this with.
hope you're all doing well, wherever you are :)
