As you sit, ready for meditation, with your eyes closed turn your awareness or attention to the sounds you can hear. Listen to these sounds without thinking about what they are. At first you will spend a lot of time naming the sound, until slowly the naming will become irrelevant. This method requires perseverance and will not happen in seconds. You will find yourself not only hearing external sounds, but sounds that arise from your own body, the movement of breath, the beat of the heart, or the rumblings of your mind. As you ground and centre these sounds will decrease in volume.
Another awareness exercise is known as progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your feet. Become aware of each part of your body. Notice the position, touch of clothing, any stresses or tensions. Then on an in breath tense all of the muscles in that area, and release on an out breath. As you release feel that area becoming relaxed. You should progress up through your legs, body, arms, hands, head and face. When you have completed each part in turn, turn your awareness onto the whole of your body. As you breathe in tense the whole of your body, and on the out breath release the tension. Feel your body becoming relaxed, light and almost floating.
Awareness of breathing is another useful exercise of this type. It is important to breathe normally throughout this exercise. If you try to change your breathing by force you will not achieve the desired result. With your eyes closed, notice the first place your breath touches as it enters, your body. Notice how the breath feels, its coolness, and motion. As you breathe out, find the last place your breath touches, and again notice how it feels. Do this for a little while. Then follow your breath on its journey down to the soft palate at the back of your mouth. Be aware of the breaths whole journey, and how it feels. As you breathe out be aware of the breath moving from your soft palate out. Continue this awareness for a little while. Then follow your breath on its journey down through your windpipe to the top of your chest, but not into it. Again notice the effect of the whole journey. As you breathe out do the same again. Do this for a little while. Then follow your breath on its journey down into the top of your lungs, notice it filling your chest and causing it to move. As you breathe out notice the effects and follow the journey of your breath until it leaves your body. Do this for a little while. Then follow your breath on its journey down to your diaphragm. Notice how it effects your belly. As you breathe out follow this same journey. Be aware of every part of the journey. Do this for a little while. Somewhere deep in the centre of your physical body a place will begin to tickle or throb. This is the centre of your awareness, the point of relaxation, watch it, and allow it to grow with each breath. As you breathe in see it expand. As you breathe out see the tensions that restrict it leave with the outgoing breath. Allow the centre of your being to expand until it fills every conceivable part of your being.
With your eyes closed try to remember the main events of the day. Start with the most recent events. Do not go into lots of details. Rather try to fix on one particular item or moment. Progress steadily back through your day, picking out key events, or moments. Stop when you reach that moment just before you woke up that morning. At that point remember how relaxed you were lying in bed, how safe, and secure. Spend a few moments enjoying that feeling.
This exercise is best done standing or sitting, but is a little strange if you are lying down. With your eyes closed, try to image that there are roots going out from your feet. They search their way down into the earth, they continue down, into the very heart of the earth. When you feel they have gone as far as they will go, begin to draw up the deep raw energy of the earth. Feel it rising through the roots, flowing up into your very being. When this flow is established, without forgetting it, begin to notice your breathing. Image that the air you are breathing is filled with the golden rays of the sun, that you are breathing it deep into your being, where it mixes with the energy of the earth. Feel yourself responding, growing, and spreading Out from your own limits. Image yourself stretching out like a tree. You may even want to move freely at this point, if so, then do it. When you feel ready withdraw your roots, imagine then drawing back up. Allow any excess energy to flow naturally back into the earth, or breathe it out into the air.
Using sound is always effective, but it takes time to get over the initial inhibitions you may have. Close your eyes, and either use a repeated phrase, the vowels are good for this, or a sound. Voice your chosen sound, make it loud, and clear, try to express your feelings in the sound you are making. Allow the sound to grow and change, it may become louder or softer, it may loose coherence. You might even begin to make strange almost inhuman noises; you may become wild and abandoned, or fall slowly into silence. Whatever happens allow it to do so freely. Do not feel self-conscious, as this is the very thing you are trying to free yourself from. When you finally feel sounded out, and there is no more to release, become silent, and for a few moments enjoy that silence.
In this exercise it is important to try to imagine each colour as vividly as possible. Do not just imagine objects of that colour; feel as if you are immersed in it, One way is to imagine that that colour light surrounds you. Closing your eyes, start with the darkness all around you. Imagine that you are falling through this darkness, with no particular goal or direction. The slowly start to see the space around you fill with bright red. Let the red fill the space totally, entering your very being. Continue falling without direction through this colour. Slowly allow it to lighten into Orange, until you are bathed in orange. Continue in this way through the colours of the rainbow, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Then continue into clear bright white light. Float here for a moment, at peace and at rest.
When you have mastered the art of grounding and centring spend some time becoming firmly aware of the sensation. Really get to know how it feels to be in this state of consciousness. Try to remember the feeling. Associate a simple image with the process of grounding. Perhaps a leaf falling to the ground, or the waves crashing on the shore. Then next time you start to ground or centre sit in silence with your eyes closed; imagine the image you have used. As you picture the image know that you are grounding and centring, experience the associated feelings as you have come to know them. This system is only effective if you have already got used to grounding and centring through other exercises, and can be used quickly and efficiently.
Extending Awareness
Through these exercises you aim to move your awareness beyond the confines of your head. Most people live in their head, and are rarely aware of their whole self By centring, grounding, and relaxing you will be able to extend your awareness into the whole of your body. In so doing you will come to know and understand your bodies needs and functions.
Begin by entering a relaxed state. When you are ready take your awareness into the centre of your being. Feel this awareness expand until it fills the whole of your physical body. Stand up, as you do be aware of every move you make of your physical response. Stand for a moment with your eyes closed. Become aware of what it is like to stand. What position is each part of your body in? How does your body feel? Inclining your head down open your eyes. It is not important to look around, but you do need to see the ground before you, so that you do not fall over in the next part of the exercise. Begin to walk slowly around the room. Try not to think about where you are going, or what is around you, just walk. Become aware of the sensation of walking. Feel the movement of your muscles, the flow of your body. Continue this for several minutes. When you are ready stop, and return to normal consciousness.
This exercise can be extended further. You can go for longer meditative walks, and perhaps end by contemplating the place where you have been walking. If going for a long walk it is advisable to go with someone who knows what you are doing. Equally you could do the exercise whilst paying more attention to your surroundings, but this takes practice.
The exercise can also be done through dance. Select a piece of music, which you feel that you can move freely to. When you have centred, stand up, start the music, and begin to move in whatever way seems to suggest itself Completely surrender your movement to the music, without concern. Be aware only of your body and its flow.
Another stage of the exercise is to take your awareness beyond your body. Look at an object or view. Allow yourself to become a part of all that you are aware of Try to feel as if you are the object, or part of the view. This takes a lot more practice, but allows you to change your perspective on issues.
A similar exercise, which appears to be simpler, but can give rise to very profound experiences uses listening. Find a place that you feel safe in, in town or countryside. Make yourself comfortable, ground and centre. Closing your eyes try to become aware of all the sounds you can hear. If it is the sound of a car, or footsteps try to determine the direction they are moving in. Try to locate the position of birds, the rustle of trees in the wind. Listen to the symphony of the natural world. However, you will need to resist the temptation to open your eyes and look, as to do so will almost certainly bring the exercise to an end.