Notice

(Read Slowly, and Follow)

Taido Shufu - Ensō

Sit in an upright and comfortable position, with your chin slightly raised. Hold closed your eyes, gently. Breathe - in through your nose, out through your nose.

Let yourself relax into this state.

Notice your body: the feeling of the ground beneath you, your clothes upon your skin. Move your awareness from here to there around your body. Observe how, even when you are not paying attention to them, all the parts of your body still produce sensations.

Move your attention, now, to what you can hear around you. Perhaps you might hear birdsong, or traffic, or the wind and rain. Focus on just the one source of sound: focus on its location, in space. Explore with your mind all aspects of that sound. 

When you are satisfied with your exploration, move to another source of sound, while holding still an awareness of the first in your mind. Locate it. Notice how the two sounds are distinct in space, yet picked up simultaneously by your hearing. 

Find another source of sound; hold all three in your mind.

Keep observing each sound and every sound until your entire mind is focussed presently on all you can hear.

Turn your attention, now, to your breath: in through your nose, out through your nose.

Keep this focus of attention for as long as feels natural: the feeling of air moving up through your nostrils and sinuses and the feel of your lungs expanding into all the parts of your chest and belly; the feeling of air moving out from your contracting lungs up through your sinuses and out through your nostrils.

You may notice your attention wandering from here to there; this is fine. Let it wander. When you become aware of your mind's natural tendency to wander, guide it back to your breath.

As you are breathing, follow your breathing. As your mind is wandering, follow your wandering mind.

Notice how thoughts seem to emerge from one moment to the next. Perhaps these thoughts might be related to things you have done earlier in the day; perhaps they might be related to things you are yet to do. Perhaps these thoughts might be related to the sounds and sensations coming to you from the world around you.

Explore these thoughts as they arise.

Notice how your thoughts seem to emerge from one moment to the next. Notice how this stream of thoughts happens, unendingly, as if outside of your control. Pay attention to how one thought relates to the last, and how the next is generated by the previous. One thought leads to the next, which leads to the next, and so on. See how your thoughts might be seen as a long chain, or even a web of interlinked chains.

Keep watching your thoughts. You may notice yourself 'thinking', instead of just watching your thoughts. Try and notice the difference between these two actions.

Remember to return to your breath. Remember that it is natural to stray from your breath.

You may notice how some of your thoughts come with them emotions: thoughts of what has to be done might come with emotions of stress; thoughts of past upsets might come with emotions of guilt; thoughts of loved ones might come with emotions of happiness, and so on. Pay attention to how emotions are associated with thoughts, and how thoughts are associated with emotions.

Keep watching your thoughts, and watching your emotions. You may notice yourself 'thinking' and 'feeling', instead of just watching your thoughts and your emotions. Try and notice the difference between these two actions.

Remember to return to your breath. Feel the movement of air in through your nostrils, into your lungs, out from your lungs, out through your nostrils. Find peace in this simple movement of air.

As you watch your thoughts and emotions, and as you also think and feel, notice the difference between these two states of mind. Notice that the difference between watching a thought and thinking, or watching an emotion and feeling, is one of identification. 

You may notice that in the watching, you are the one doing the watching; you may notice that in the thinking or feeling, you are the one doing the thinking or feeling.

Notice that when you are the one doing the watching, the thinking and feeling part of your mind - the part of your mind generating thoughts and emotions - is always and continuously operating. Notice that, as you are watching this process of unfolding thoughts and emotions, it is your choice to move from a state of watching to a state of thinking and feeling.

Remember to return to your breath. 

How good it is, to breathe.

Continue watching your breath, your thoughts, your emotions. You may notice that, as it is your decision to choose between identifying or not identifying with your thoughts and emotions, you do not feel as controlled by the contents of your mind as you once did.

When you truly understand this insight, open your eyes, and carry on with your day.

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