Transition

SHIFTING THE GOAL

In solitary practice the goal of the technique is to experience inner space as deeply as possible by repeatedly directing awareness away from the thinking generated in a relatively quiet environment.  But in your active life, it’s rarely possible to repeatedly direct awareness away from the wide-ranging barrage of thinking generated out in the world.  So, “out there,” the goal of the technique to redirect awareness as your real time activities allow.  The technique’s simplicity allows you to ground your awareness with just a single intentional breath during almost any of your real time activities.

TUGGING AT YOUR AWARENESS

When you practice in solitary in a quiet room, real time thinking is minimized and the mind generates thoughts of your remembered past or imagined future.  But in your active life, the mind generates past and future thoughts, as well as thoughts stimulated by real time situations.  Practicing out in the world initiates a tug-of-war.  This is a contest between the onslaught of thoughts pulling you out into the world and the technique pulling you back into inner spaciousness.  So, practice in solitary until the technique’s is familiar enough to give you an edge in this tug-of-war.  Then transition…

BACKING OUT OF YOUR ROOM

As a step towards using the technique out in the world, occasionally modify your solitary practice in this way:  Sit alone in your room, eyes open.  Leave a dim light on, and run a fan or some other white noise device.  Thoughts will intrude, along with perceptions of the room created as light and sound waves and enter your head.  Eyes open, feel yourself drop back into your inner space.  Notice that you can also feel yourself recede from being projected into the room “out there.”  Realize that this room is being fabricated inside the same head you’re feeling right now as part of your inner space.

Active Practice

INTEGRATING YOUR HANDS

Since the technique focuses on your head and torso only, it can be used when your limbs are moving.  However, it’s best to start with an activity where only your arms and hands are in motion.  Dishwashing is ideal.  As you wash, occasionally take an intentional breath and drop into your inner space.  With your arms extended into the sink, your awareness automatically projects forward.  So, as you exhale, fully anchor your awareness by making sure you feel the back of your torso as part of your entire inner space.  When you can easily practice at the sink, you’re ready to try walking.

INTEGRATING YOUR LEGS

Because your legs are a downward extension of your head and torso, moving your legs as you walk causes less forward projection than thrusting your arms out in front of you.  However, walking can take you into new settings that generate more thinking than what’s generated at your familiar sink.  So, start by walking alone in nature.  Notice that if you walk slowly, you can easily take an intentional breath.  Transition to walking alone in your neighborhood, or while window-shopping.  Notice how thinking intrudes more forcefully and more often than when you were in nature.  Why?

NOTICING TIME PRESSURE

Even when you’re alone at the sink, the mind may remind you that it’s pressed for time.  If a car streaks by the kitchen window, the mind might say, I’ll finish the dishes later.  I’ve got to get to work.  If you notice that the sink is funky, the mind might say, I’ve gotta find time to clean before mom comes on Sunday.  Stepping out into the world — even in your neighborhood or just to window-shop —  can prod the mind to generate many more stressful thoughts telling you that there’s no time to occupy the present moment.  Notice how venturing “out there” creates time pressure in you.

USING STRESS

When stress pressures your awareness into past and future scenarios, you’re evicted from the peace of the present.  But when you occupy your inner space, you’ve taken up residence in the now.  As you carry the technique into daily situations, you’ll discover how often the mind generates stress.  Start to notice even the mildest forms of stress, and you’ll begin using the technique to reduce stress before it becomes debilitating.  Sometimes you’ll only manage to take a single intentional breath.  At other times you’ll be able to take several.  Let the circumstances dictate your response.

BACKING OUT OF THE WORLD

The objects and sounds you perceive as the world “out there” are translations of light and sound waves coming all the way to you to register inside your brain.  The appearance of an external world is a fabrication translated from these internalized waveforms by your amazing neurology.  In solitary practice, this external world fades.  But in your active life, your neurology works overtime to construct and maintain the external world, and to project you into it.  So, occasionally remember that the world you’re experiencing is actually being created inside you.  This gives you an edge in the tug-of-war.