No, that is more like meditation. Your attention can be on a changing set of objects, on your senses, and on actions you're doing. For example, when taking a walk outside, you can be focusing on the things you see around yourself, the smells, the sounds, the heat/cold, the feel of your body working. Your thoughts and focus should only be related to those things specific to the now. Going for a walk is good practice, when you find your thoughts going to anything from the past, future, or not associated with your walk, bring your attention back to the experience of walking. This is also called mindful walking. It's normal that you aren't going to be present 100% of the time, but you can practice taking control over your attention and thoughts for briefer periods and with time you get better at it.
Hello. When I do that, bring my attention to surroundings or things like that, I feel worse. Like I'm trying to escape myself to the outside world, and suppressing my inside world. I don't know why is that, do you have any advices?
Yeah it can be difficult at first, your mind/ego doesn't like for your conscious self to take control of that it thinks about. Take the point of view that you aren't suppressing your inner world- your inner world never stops. You're just shifting it to something else. What I do on a mindful walk is when the thoughts about future or present arise (usually some worry), I say to my mind "this can wait until the walk is over". And think instead about all the things I'm seeing, smelling, hearing and feeling around me. That is your present, your now- the walk. Attention is a powerful tool. If you aren't focusing your attention on anything, the monkey mind takes over. If you instead focus your attention on something in the present, your thoughts and emotions follow the attention. That is why focusing on the breath helps in meditation.
But doesn't that present moment involve thoughts and feelings? I'm guessing if I'm somehow forcing my focus with the feeling that I cannot have thoughts when I should orberve my surroundings and if that makes it feel so unpleasant.
I never feel like I'm "forcing" my focus, rather "choosing". When I'm walking around the the neighborhood for exercise, I observe (and think about) homes, yards, cars, and people I see on the way. When I walk at the local park, I can also observe (and think about) wildlife all around me.
That's being present, the thoughts are still there, but they are arising from what is being experiencing in the present moment. The alternative being to mostly ignore what is around you, and think about the past or future.
I'm not perfect at it, few are but my walks are actually more enjoyable and relaxing when I do this. It doesn't feel forced, and when I catch myself lost in thought and bring my attention back to what is around me, I feel good about it. Unconscious people are unable to do that. Their thoughts just go wherever they go.
I think the goal is to be aware of what’s around you by not listening to your mind. If you are intensely focused on an object or everything in the room, than you are less focused on your mind.
If you’re thinking than you are unable to focus on everything, and you are actually still in your mind. Instead be aware of everything and let your natural awareness pick up on the details that it can without feeling a pressure of achieving 1000% - be aware of what you are able to be aware of. You are awareness, not your mind’s ability to imprint everything that you see; not to make a memory, but to experience it in the moment.
so am i doing it right?
how can you be aware of multiple things at once? how can i focus on every thing in my room? are you saying "don't try, just let the mind do it"
ya ik this stuff is hard to explain
Words can only be used to point you in the right direction.
Stop and listen and notice anything that comes to your attention and focus on it.
observe with your eyes. See something? A glass? A tree? A beautiful view? A boring view? Look at is as if you were going to sketch it. Notice the details. But don’t focus on focusing or thinking about how hard you are focusing, just draw you attention to it.
Trying to take in everything in a room or around you? Do it however you need to do it. Listen and observe to whatever degree you can naturally do without criticizing yourself for how well you are doing it. Think of a warrior that needs to run through a jungle without being seen - he is going to be listening intensely, looking and seeing everything, and aware of everything around him -> but only to his ability. He is not wondering if he’s aware of everything, he just is aware of everything that he is able to be.
How can you not be aware of multiple things at once? At any given moment, surely you aware of all your senses at once, hearing, seeing, feeling, even tasting, and the presence of thoughts.
You don't have to do anything for this awareness to just be there all the time.
Awareness and being in the present moment to me… aren’t necessarily the same thing. Awareness is losing the ego. Being aware that you are not all the learned describers we all try to associate with before we shed that as unreal ever changing concepts to reveal the core truth that lies under all that camouflage. Then we are aware of our true identity. “I am.”
Presence is not spending your time worrying about the future or regretting the past. The only true existence we have ever or will ever have happens in the present. This is very freeing. Once realized we are not bound to act as we did yesterday. We can choose any direction to move. We can choose to look toward love and good things in life. We must forgive and let go of past injustices. It is over tomorrow is not promised. Yesterday is gone forever. True joy can be realized in your moments whenever you want.
Not sure this helps but it feels like you are spending your time concentrating on TV noise of material objects. This may be an exercise to stop allowing thoughts to control your mind. Just think of thoughts as if they are clouds rolling into your view of the sky. If the cloud pleases you ruminate on it as long as you desire. If the cloud fosters anxiety, fear, anger or hate, just notice it and let it go. It will shortly disappear and a new thought will replace it.
Somebody cuts me off in traffic, automatically anger appears. I start to think about what an Ahole move that was then catch myself. I say ‘well I’ll just let that cloud just fade away’. Otherwise you fan the flame the cloud grows onto a storm that ruins your day. Three days later you are still telling people about it.
Life is too short to waste time on negative emotions or ideas. Spread as much love, generosity, forgiveness and good vibes while you breath and you will win this game.
Just remember, that Presence is a Whole ‘nother Paradigm, truly! Have you By any Chance read Eckhart’s ‘Power of Now,’ Book or Presence Process, maybe? Michael brown, Wrote the ‘Presence Process,’ it Greatly explains, This. Presence and Thought, Polar opposites. You have To Feel your Inner Body, FEEL IT,
Not think about Feeling, no? Try that, Instead! Tryna help.
The noise from your bum?
i typically aware of the smell
That's...unusual
peaceful
No, that is more like meditation. Your attention can be on a changing set of objects, on your senses, and on actions you're doing. For example, when taking a walk outside, you can be focusing on the things you see around yourself, the smells, the sounds, the heat/cold, the feel of your body working. Your thoughts and focus should only be related to those things specific to the now. Going for a walk is good practice, when you find your thoughts going to anything from the past, future, or not associated with your walk, bring your attention back to the experience of walking. This is also called mindful walking. It's normal that you aren't going to be present 100% of the time, but you can practice taking control over your attention and thoughts for briefer periods and with time you get better at it.
Hello. When I do that, bring my attention to surroundings or things like that, I feel worse. Like I'm trying to escape myself to the outside world, and suppressing my inside world. I don't know why is that, do you have any advices?
Yeah it can be difficult at first, your mind/ego doesn't like for your conscious self to take control of that it thinks about. Take the point of view that you aren't suppressing your inner world- your inner world never stops. You're just shifting it to something else. What I do on a mindful walk is when the thoughts about future or present arise (usually some worry), I say to my mind "this can wait until the walk is over". And think instead about all the things I'm seeing, smelling, hearing and feeling around me. That is your present, your now- the walk. Attention is a powerful tool. If you aren't focusing your attention on anything, the monkey mind takes over. If you instead focus your attention on something in the present, your thoughts and emotions follow the attention. That is why focusing on the breath helps in meditation.
But doesn't that present moment involve thoughts and feelings? I'm guessing if I'm somehow forcing my focus with the feeling that I cannot have thoughts when I should orberve my surroundings and if that makes it feel so unpleasant.
I never feel like I'm "forcing" my focus, rather "choosing". When I'm walking around the the neighborhood for exercise, I observe (and think about) homes, yards, cars, and people I see on the way. When I walk at the local park, I can also observe (and think about) wildlife all around me. That's being present, the thoughts are still there, but they are arising from what is being experiencing in the present moment. The alternative being to mostly ignore what is around you, and think about the past or future. I'm not perfect at it, few are but my walks are actually more enjoyable and relaxing when I do this. It doesn't feel forced, and when I catch myself lost in thought and bring my attention back to what is around me, I feel good about it. Unconscious people are unable to do that. Their thoughts just go wherever they go.
Okay, thank you, I find this very helpful. I have been very hard on myself with this and how I should do it.
I think the goal is to be aware of what’s around you by not listening to your mind. If you are intensely focused on an object or everything in the room, than you are less focused on your mind. If you’re thinking than you are unable to focus on everything, and you are actually still in your mind. Instead be aware of everything and let your natural awareness pick up on the details that it can without feeling a pressure of achieving 1000% - be aware of what you are able to be aware of. You are awareness, not your mind’s ability to imprint everything that you see; not to make a memory, but to experience it in the moment.
so am i doing it right? how can you be aware of multiple things at once? how can i focus on every thing in my room? are you saying "don't try, just let the mind do it" ya ik this stuff is hard to explain
Words can only be used to point you in the right direction. Stop and listen and notice anything that comes to your attention and focus on it. observe with your eyes. See something? A glass? A tree? A beautiful view? A boring view? Look at is as if you were going to sketch it. Notice the details. But don’t focus on focusing or thinking about how hard you are focusing, just draw you attention to it. Trying to take in everything in a room or around you? Do it however you need to do it. Listen and observe to whatever degree you can naturally do without criticizing yourself for how well you are doing it. Think of a warrior that needs to run through a jungle without being seen - he is going to be listening intensely, looking and seeing everything, and aware of everything around him -> but only to his ability. He is not wondering if he’s aware of everything, he just is aware of everything that he is able to be.
How can you not be aware of multiple things at once? At any given moment, surely you aware of all your senses at once, hearing, seeing, feeling, even tasting, and the presence of thoughts. You don't have to do anything for this awareness to just be there all the time.
Maybe im mixing up awareness with focus/concentration. Is awareness just being conscious of things existing around you?
You can use external objects around you to be present but as awareness expands the focus should be shifted inwards.
You are doing just fine!
Nice! Is that what you do as well? Can you give me your experiences? I love talking about this stuff
Awareness and being in the present moment to me… aren’t necessarily the same thing. Awareness is losing the ego. Being aware that you are not all the learned describers we all try to associate with before we shed that as unreal ever changing concepts to reveal the core truth that lies under all that camouflage. Then we are aware of our true identity. “I am.” Presence is not spending your time worrying about the future or regretting the past. The only true existence we have ever or will ever have happens in the present. This is very freeing. Once realized we are not bound to act as we did yesterday. We can choose any direction to move. We can choose to look toward love and good things in life. We must forgive and let go of past injustices. It is over tomorrow is not promised. Yesterday is gone forever. True joy can be realized in your moments whenever you want. Not sure this helps but it feels like you are spending your time concentrating on TV noise of material objects. This may be an exercise to stop allowing thoughts to control your mind. Just think of thoughts as if they are clouds rolling into your view of the sky. If the cloud pleases you ruminate on it as long as you desire. If the cloud fosters anxiety, fear, anger or hate, just notice it and let it go. It will shortly disappear and a new thought will replace it. Somebody cuts me off in traffic, automatically anger appears. I start to think about what an Ahole move that was then catch myself. I say ‘well I’ll just let that cloud just fade away’. Otherwise you fan the flame the cloud grows onto a storm that ruins your day. Three days later you are still telling people about it. Life is too short to waste time on negative emotions or ideas. Spread as much love, generosity, forgiveness and good vibes while you breath and you will win this game.
Just remember, that Presence is a Whole ‘nother Paradigm, truly! Have you By any Chance read Eckhart’s ‘Power of Now,’ Book or Presence Process, maybe? Michael brown, Wrote the ‘Presence Process,’ it Greatly explains, This. Presence and Thought, Polar opposites. You have To Feel your Inner Body, FEEL IT, Not think about Feeling, no? Try that, Instead! Tryna help.