Refine Your Focus

These techniques and tools are meant to refine our awareness so that we can explore the more subtle layers of our existence and potentially experience a feeling of union or integration.

This practice is an opportunity to become more attuned to the things below our usual level of observation.

When we start to train ourselves to have a heightened sensitivity and awareness,

We can notice all of the subtle changes and shifts within us and around us.

So start by finding a comfortable place,

Whether you're seated on the floor or in a chair,

Whatever is most comfortable for your body.

And if sitting upright just doesn't feel good for you,

Give yourself permission to lay down.

Know that your meditation doesn't need to look a certain way.

And as you take a moment to settle in,

Allow any movements that need to happen,

Happen,

Whether you need to just wiggle around or really start to nestle yourself into your foundation.

But then bring yourself into stillness the best that you can so that any fidgeting that feels like it needs to happen can start to slow down and dissipate.

And then feel into the sensations of your body.

So just recognize all of the elements of this present moment.

Feel where your hips meet the earth or your support,

Your cushion,

Your chair.

Feel a weight as you give a little bit more of your body weight into gravity.

And at the same time,

Feel the area of your body that doesn't meet the earth.

Feel yourself in the space around you.

Feel the space that you take up.

Observe anything that might be happening in your space.

If there's any sounds that you can detect,

Whether they're near or off in the distance,

If they're subtle or really obvious.

Feel if the temperature in the air around you is in contrast to your own body temperature.

And if you can feel the outermost layer of your skin and what the air might feel like if there's any quality or texture to the air,

If it feels heavy.

If it feels light,

Humid or dry.

If there's any movement of air that you detect.

And whether your eyes are opened or closed,

Try to focus your eyes onto a single point,

Whether that's something that you're looking at or the darkness behind your eyelids.

And as your eyes begin to soften,

Also soften the muscles around your eyes,

Across your forehead,

Between your eyebrows,

Around the cheeks and your jaw.

And as you feel a softness wash over your face,

Also start to relax the muscles around your neck.

Create a little bit of space between the top and bottom row of your teeth.

And then relax your arms so that they feel heavy and the collarbones slightly broaden.

And if you're seated upright,

Allow the shoulder blades to descend lightly down your back as you elongate your spine up through the crown of your head.

And as you take in all of the details of your external world,

Whatever it is you experience,

Whatever plays a role in what your senses are perceiving and picking up.

Keep your awareness of what's happening around you just in the periphery of your mind.

So that you're not so focused on what the shifts and changes and the rhythms around you are doing or your reaction or response to those things.

But rather start to focus and really start to hone your awareness,

Your concentration a little bit deeper into the rhythms and the experiences and the sensations that you might feel in your body.

So start to tether your awareness by connecting with the sensations of your breath.

And without trying to change the rhythm or the depth of your breath just yet,

Become the curious observer of your spontaneous breath and how it flows in and out.

Notice what you experience as the inhale enters in through your nose.

Trace the breath as it moves down into your lungs and feel where the breath starts to expand and create space.

And as your exhale starts to flow out,

Feel into that sensation as the breath slowly leaves your body.

As you become increasingly aware and acquainted with what you feel as the breath flows in and out.

Recognize where you feel that movement,

Where you feel the expansion of the inhale.

If you're seated upright,

Maybe use a little bit of that energetic quality of expansion to sit up a little bit taller as you lengthen up through the crown of your head with the inhale.

And as you exhale,

Maybe even lightly,

Very lightly,

Pull your navel slightly in so that your abdominals engage and you feel a little bit more support through the low back.

And now mindfully,

Breathe just a little bit deeper to create more expansion.

And start to fill through all of the corners of your lungs so that you feel the back area of the ribcage expand just as much as the front and sides.

Naturally feel the breath as it flows out and encourage it to slow down just a bit.

As you deepen and lengthen the cycles of breath,

And as you inhale in through your nose,

Consider slowly breathing out through your mouth as if you were blowing out really delicate candles.

And maybe a few times stick with that in through the nose,

Slowly out through the mouth.

Keep your breath flowing at its natural rhythm.

And as you feel into the breath and how the waves of breath ebb and flow and wash over you,

Welcome the distracted mind.

Notice if your mind jumps around into the past,

Into the future,

If judgments or memories pop into your mind.

Just welcome and notice it without trying to bully it or judge it harshly.

Just be the witness to what you experience.

And if you feel like you wander off into your thoughts,

Gently bring your awareness back,

Anchor it into the breath.

Maybe you stay with the breath in through the nose and out through the mouth,

Or perhaps you just breathe softly in whatever way feels most suitable for you in this moment.

But stay attentive and vigilant to what you experience.

Feel if there's any subtle vibrations that can be felt,

Any tingling through the palms of the hands,

The soles of the feet or the crown of your head.

Recognize if tension arises that's not necessary,

If you start to tense through the face,

Through the jaw,

Through the shoulders.

Use the energetic expansion and lengthening of the inhale to support the spine as you sit up a little bit taller with each breath.

And use the energetic grounding and drawing inward of the exhale to feel into your foundation,

To feel where the hips,

The legs meet the earth.

Be willing to listen.

Be willing to be uncomfortable if that's a part of your experience.

Just give yourself the space to feel in whatever it is that comes up.

Recognize what is present for you right now in this moment,

Emotionally,

Mentally,

Spiritually,

What is here for you.

If your mind wanders or you feel maybe your nervous system activate,

Give yourself permission to just breathe.

To breathe into your body,

Breathe into your mind,

Breathe into your emotions,

Air it all out and create space.

Root yourself into the cadence of your breath.

Steer your awareness back into the physical sensations that you experience throughout your body.

Refine your awareness.

Take in all the details of what's happening in your inner world.

In these last few moments,

Stay with the breath.

Relax through your eyes.

Allow your breath to return to its spontaneous rhythm if you were controlling it in any way.

Start to expand your awareness slowly into the world around you.

So feel the outermost layer of your skin as it meets the world around you.

Feel the space around you.

Hear any sounds that are near or distant.

Whether the eyes are opened or closed,

Take in a little bit of light if there's any around or notice the absence of light.

Feel where your body meets the earth.

Feel that support.

As you become aware again of the world around you,

Take a really deep inhale,

The deepest inhale you've taken yet today.

Exhale through the mouth,

Let it free.

Twice more.

Inhale,

Breathe in deeply.

Exhale,

Let it go through your mouth.

One more time,

Breathe in fully.

And exhale,

Let it go.

As you sit up tall,

Slowly bow your chin towards your chest.

Trace your right collarbone with your chin until you gaze over your right shoulder.

Slowly lower your chin back down through center.

Trace your left collarbone until you're looking over your left shoulder.

Slowly lower your chin back through center.

And as you lift your chin back up,

Maybe open your eyes,

Take an inhale,

Stretch the arms overhead,

Reach as high as you can,

Let the shoulders elevate.

And exhale,

Draw the hands together in front of your heart.

Give yourself a moment to perhaps set an intention for the rest of your day or your evening.

And thank you for joining me and for taking this time for yourself.