Choiceless Awareness

Let's begin by getting settled into a dignified sitting posture in which we're comfortable and at the same time alert.

Opening the spine,

Opening the chest,

Relaxing the shoulders and finding our center of gravity.

And now becoming aware of the sensations of breathing wherever they are most salient in your body.

Taking an area and sticking with it and just staying with the ever changing sensations of breathing.

One breath at a time for the whole duration of the inhalation,

Exhalation and pauses in between.

You you when the mind begins to wander or your inner voice starts judging your experience just remembering that while the mind wanders breathing is still occurring and then bringing the sensations breathing back to the forefront of your awareness and doing so a hundred times if you need to with patience and kindness we're not going anywhere no need to hurry take your time you you you you and now broadening your awareness to include the rest of your body perhaps scanning through the different areas of your body and seeing what's there you maybe you notice pleasant sensations maybe neutral ones maybe even unpleasant ones such as pain you taking the time to scan through the different areas of the body you you and tuning into the bare sensations perhaps warmth pressure tingling pulsing stinging stabbing pulling heaviness throbbing itching burning that kind of thing you being curious about how these bare sensations change over time such as their intensity their quality their location and if you notice pain not expecting the pain to go away not struggling with the pain just seeing if you can be open to all the sensations that you notice in your body without trying to change or avoid them you kind of like putting out the welcome mat for even painful sensations just for now you If the mind starts saying things about these sensations,

Just notice what the mind is saying.

And then notice that while these thoughts are going on,

The sensations are still here.

And see if you can become curious about what they feel like beyond the thoughts about them.

So getting a sense of the body as a whole,

Sitting here,

Breathing,

Generating sensations.

Take your time.

And now bringing sounds to awareness.

Instead of listening to four sounds,

Just notice what sounds are already arriving at the ears just now.

What sounds do you notice?

Can you hear them as pure sounds?

Do they sound beyond labels about them?

What qualities do these sounds have?

Do they evolve or change over time?

And if so,

How?

Do you notice silence between sounds?

Just bathing in the sea of sounds surrounding you right now.

Now bringing the process of thinking in the forefront of your awareness.

Watching thoughts come and go in the field of your awareness without holding on to anyone in particular.

Kind of like seeing thoughts and images as events in your mind.

Noticing their content and emotional charge without getting caught into the content.

Just maintaining the frame through which you're observing the process of thought.

Like a cat waiting in a mouse hole,

You're just there waiting for the next thought to show up and see clearly.

Noting that individual thoughts don't last long.

They just come and go on their own if you don't hold on to them.

Just being aware of this now.

Notice if some thoughts keep coming back.

Perhaps if your thoughts say something about you,

Others,

The past or the future.

Noting thoughts that are about wanting,

Not wanting or striving.

Noting feelings and moods as they come and go.

And noting what feelings are associated with what thought contents.

If you get lost in your thoughts or emotions and no longer see them as mental events,

Just coming back to the breath for a moment.

And then when you're ready,

Returning to seeing the thoughts in your mind as just mental events passing through.

Take your time.

And now expanding awareness to whatever arises in the present moment.

Using all the anchors that we just explored.

Recultivating choiceless awareness where we let whatever comes in the forefront of awareness on its own be there without judging it,

Without holding on to anything and without pushing anything away.

Noticing what is already arriving at your senses.

Maybe sounds,

Sensations in the body,

The feel of the air on the skin,

Maybe thoughts or feelings.

And then without holding on to any particular experience,

Seeing how your attention continuously gets attracted by different anchors.

And then when you're ready,

Returning to seeing the thoughts in your mind as just mental events passing through.

Noticing what arises and opening up to whatever shows up.

Everything that comes into the field of awareness becomes your anchor for this moment.

Even when thoughts show up,

They become an anchor to look at,

Non-judgmentally and with curiosity.

And without holding on to them or getting caught up in them,

Also becoming curious about what else is there.

What else is coming into the field of your awareness.

Just being completely open and receptive to whatever comes into the field of awareness.

Letting it all come and go.

Watching,

Witnessing in stillness.

Being the constant awareness that sees it all.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.

Resting in this awareness.