Search in book...
Toggle Font Controls
Create new playlist

Name your new playlist

Playlist description (optional)
Sign In

Email address

Password

Forgot Password?

or

Continue with Facebook

Continue with Google
Sign Up

Full Name

Email address

Confirm Email Address

Password

or

Continue with Facebook

Continue with Google

Acknowledging and Being Aware

‘Awareness allows us to get outside of our mind and observe it in action.’ – Dan Brulé

You may have heard of the term ‘mindful awareness’ and wondered what it is you're meant to be aware of.

Mindful awareness simply requires you to choose (something) to notice. Once you do that, mindful awareness will follow. If, for example, you were asked to look out for anything blue, anything that colour would stand out.

You'll have experienced this awareness if you've bought a car or a baby buggy: you start noticing cars and buggies of the same make and model as the one you've just bought. The number of that type of car or buggy hasn't increased, but your awareness of it has.

Mindful awareness depends on being open and receptive to what's going on within you and around you – to thoughts and feelings, experiences, events and objects.

Mindful awareness also requires you to acknowledge what's happening, to consciously recognize the existence of something, recognizing thoughts, feelings and experiences as events that are occurring.

The more you notice about what's happening in and around you right now, the more in the moment you are. And being more aware helps you to appreciate what you normally take for granted and to notice when things are new or different.

In Practice

‘Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.’ – James Thurber

Listen. Each morning when you wake up, lie for a minute or two being aware of the sounds you hear. Listen to the sounds inside: your breathing, a ticking clock, other people and children moving around, talking. Be aware of the outside: traffic, people, birds, the wind or rain.

Get into the habit of being mindful of your surroundings. Look for changes in the environment on your way to work, taking children to school and so on. What's different? Describe in your head or out loud what you are seeing or doing.

If you resolve to be more aware, you'll see that almost everything is different each time: the weather, the pattern of light on the buildings, the faces of the people.

Notice small details in your environment and daily life. Use waiting time – at the traffic lights, in the doctor's waiting room – to notice something new.

Make yourself more aware by doing something new. Try a new soap or shampoo, coffee or cereal.

Move the clock or bin in your office. At home, put the jam, tea or coffee in a different cupboard. Why? Because just having to think about these things every time you go to use them will make you more aware.

Be curious. Take a photo of a building or a view every day for a week. What's different? The weather? The pattern of the light? The sky? Take a new photo of a tree every week for a year. Look for changes.

..................Content has been hidden....................

You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.

Table of Contents for 15. Acknowledging and Being Aware

Create new playlist

Sign In

Sign Up

Table of Contents for
15. Acknowledging and Being Aware