G'day,
Darren here.
I'm going to step you through an exercise on building your awareness.
This is about observing what's going on inside our brain-body instrument without trying to change it.
While we're going to be working with the breath,
This is not a breathing exercise.
What will become apparent during this exercise is that the brain and body have a habit pattern of reacting to what's going on.
They do this all the time,
Mostly without our awareness.
This exercise is about bringing those reactions to our awareness so we can change what is going on.
This exercise is simple,
But it's not always easy.
So,
To prepare for the exercise,
Sit in a comfy chair with your back straight,
Keep your head above your spine,
Eyes closed.
Naturally,
I don't believe I have to say this,
But don't do it while you're driving.
What I'd like you to do is focus on your breath coming in and out of your nose.
Focus on the sensation of the air passing over the tip of your nose.
That's all.
This is not a breathing exercise,
So it doesn't matter if your breath is long and deep and slow or shallow and fast.
It doesn't matter if it's only through the left nostril or only through the right nostril or it's through both.
This is an exercise about observing what is as opposed to trying to control something and make it what it is not.
During this exercise,
Your mind will wander and you will forget to pay attention.
This may happen within the first two to three seconds.
That's okay.
When you realize your mind has wandered,
Then bring it back.
This is just what goes on inside our head all the time.
Just bring your attention back again and again and again.
Focus your attention on the air passing through your nose as you're feeling it on the tip of your nose.
Similarly,
Your body will want to get up and move around.
Again,
It's just a habit pattern of the body wanting to be in control and doing as it wants to.
You may find yourself during this exercise that you have got up and walked away before you realize you're meant to be sitting down doing this exercise.
If that happens,
Just sit back down,
Continue with the exercise.
Please,
Don't get angry with yourself.
This is just the habit pattern of the brain and the body who have both been used to running the show and now what is happening is the awareness is coming in and taking over and saying,
This is what's happening.
There are some common tricks that the mind will play on you.
It will tell you a story that the app we're using has stopped working,
You better check it.
It hasn't,
It's just telling you that it has.
It might say that certainly the time is up by now,
The bell should have gone.
It hasn't because the time hasn't elapsed.
The brain might tell you there's an emergency,
You better attend to or you better call Fred or you think the iron's on or one of a dozen other things that could come up.
This is just the mind,
The brain fighting back,
Trying to regain control.
Similarly,
Common tricks the body plays on you is it will generate aches and pains,
Your leg will start to hurt,
You'll get itches,
You'll get twitches,
You'll get hot over the body,
You might get cold,
Dry mouth,
Whatever it is.
The body will generate these things to get you to stop the exercise.
As it does these things,
Just return your attention all the time to the sensation of the air coming in and out of your nose.
Enjoy.
