Descent into Subtlety

This episode of Awareness at Play is available on Apple Podcasts.

Today we’re going to do a guided meditation that takes us deeper very gradually. We’ll start with giving awareness to our body, then our energy body (which is something recognized in the Eastern traditions) and then we’ll focus on awareness itself. This is a good meditation to do when we’re distracted. It leads us from thoughts into a quiet stillness by progressing gently into a more and more subtle focus. 

Sit upright if you like. 

Back of hands.

Feel the breath, lower lungs. Smooth, even, quiet breath, with the exhale a little longer than the inhale if you want to relax.

We’re first going to recognize our a sense of being embodied

Feeling into your body is not less advanced than feeling transcendent, so honor this part of the practice.

First notice the sense of being in the room you’re in, the sounds that seem to be coming from around you.

Notice yourself seated. We’re going to notice the Felt Sense of the Body. We’ll do a body scan. We’ll focus on each body area as if it’s the only place in the world for that little bit of time.  We’ll feel as if our awareness is coming from that body part.

If we had to choose a place where we feel like awareness is coming from, we usually feel as if we are aware from our head. Let’s move that supposed origin of awareness around to other places for a minute.

Let’s keep our breath smooth, even, and quiet as we feel our awareness is coming from our…

Feet, lower legs, upper legs, pelvic area, lower torso, upper torso,  hands, arms, head.

Lower body, upper body, left side, right side, back, front, whole body

Now that we’ve given some attention to embodiment, we’ll focus on the energy body for a bit.

The energy body isn’t a set of physical body parts, it’s a system of energetic channels and centers within the body. It’s recognized by many of the Eastern traditions.

We’ll start with the Central Chanel.

Start a little higher than the crown of the head, and inhale in a straight line down through the center of the crown of the head down through the center of our seat, and a little beyond. Exhale back up through the crown. We’ll inhale down and exhale up, following what is called the Central Chanel. 

On the next inhale, inhale down to what we’ll call the red bindu (b.i.n.d.u.) center, about four inches below your navel, in the center of your body. It’s called the hara or the lower dantien in other traditions. Rest your awareness there for now. Feel a glowing red point of light in this center and a restful sense of presence here. 

On a next exhale, exhale up the to still point at the base of the heart in the center of your body behind your sternum. We call this the blue bindu center. Feel a glowing blue point of light there, and feel the warm sense of love and peace that radiates from this center. 

On a next exhale, breath up to the center of your head, just above the soft palette at the roof of your mouth. This is the white bindu center. Feel a sense of vast spaciousness here, almost as if you have no head, just a white glowing point of light as a center, radiating out to infinite. 

Now let’s focus on awareness itself. 

We’ve relaxed into and given awareness to the physical body and the energy body. Now let’s let awareness itself be the focus. If you want a place to center it, use the blue bindu center, the still place at the base of the heart. It’s the center of our body, at the heart of our practice so far. We’ll let go of focusing and allow ourselves to relax.

We’ve been aware on more subtle and subtle levels. Recognize any of the resonance from our previous embodiment or energy body focuses. They can leave a signature felt sense that carries into to the next focus. 

Now feel as if you are listening or paying attention with every one of your cells. Your awareness is heightened by listening with all your cells. Now imagine you’re aware even in the space between the cells. 

Our awareness is what we’re doing, it’s what we’re observing, and it’s the essence of who we are. We rest in and as this heightened awareness. 

If distractions happen, see them as a temporary movement of awareness. No matter what arises, these movements just an interesting temporary arising of awareness in a slightly different form. 

Inherent in this awareness is a sense of all the qualities we touched on in the bindus. There is a restful presence, a sense of love and peacefulness, and a spacious sense of vastness and limitlessness. Rest in the surrendered freedom of these qualities of awareness. 

Continue to rest in and as your presence, the ground of awareness.