Day 4: The Power of Open Awareness

Lesson 4 Chapter 1


Let’s begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle.Find a comfortable position that allows your spine to be long but with a natural curve in the low back.

You can close your eyes or keep them open with a soft gaze downward a few feet in front of you. Let the belly and shoulders relax (2 seconds).

Today I will guide you through an open awareness practice. Before we start,
take a full breath in and a long breath out (3 seconds).

We'll work on opening our awareness to whatever arises;
thoughts, sensations, feelings, and sounds will come and go.

Cultivate open awareness by practicing meeting whatever comes,
trying not to focus on or place more or less weight on any one thing
As you breath in (2 seconds)
and breath out (15 seconds).

If you feel yourself following a stinky thought or feeling,
labeling it can be helpful.

Labels can include simple words like thinking, work, or excitement (10 seconds).

Whenever you realize you have gotten caught up in thinking, just come back to rest in the simple clear awareness of what's here now (15 seconds). 

Lets finish this open awareness practice by taking a full breath in
and a long breath out (4 seconds)

*ding* (20 seconds).

Integrated Practice:

Take a few minutes today to go for a walk with open awareness. While staying connected to your breath, see how many colors, shapes, sounds, smells and sensations you notice. If you can’t be outside, try walking around your home or office with an emphasis on seeing things in a new way.

Reflection Questions:

Was there anything that surprised you on your walk?
What impact might taking an open awareness approach have on your work?


Breathing Into Tension (Mindfulness Worksheet)

  • The walk was peaceful but my mind was flooded with a lot of chores to do so I has to stop and breathe for a while. I also noticed that I can walk slowly without hurrying all the time.

  • I took the walk last evening, and I focused on my breathing and noticing what was out there with me, and I was surprised. I noticed birds and heard them singing, I also noticed a rabbit on my neighbor’s front lawn. I could also smell the grass and trees– one of my neighbors had cut his grass earlier, and i noticed the smell of fresh cut grass.

    I live near a highway, butI heard many bird singing. i also noticed that one of my neighbors had put out baskets of colorful flowers, and she had a brigtly coloredwreath on her front porch.

    It had been cloudy all day, but I noticed that some of the clouds were beginning to break up, and I saw the bright yellow sun shining through and reflecting on the clouds.

    I love walking, but often find myself Thinking about people and places somewhere else.

    I discovered that there is beauty right in front of me and all around. I think that open awareness meditation will help me tune int what is happening in the here and now.

  • Pen