OMB TSOA notes

Intro, credit, Overview, Practices

• This is from The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness by Diana Winston
• Also at The Spectrum of Awareness – Diana Winston on the Waking Up App, some “Insights at the edge” episodes on Sounds True, on Spotify and other place.
• DW facts:
  • practicing mindfulness meditation since 1989
  • taught mindfulness since 1999 in a variety of settings including hospitals, universities, corporations, nonprofits, and schools in the US and Asia
  • Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center
  • member of the Teacher’s Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she was trained to teach by Jack Kornfield
• The Spectrum of Awareness is four ways to meditate.
  • A map / model for awarenesss.
  • Bring some fluidity and flexibility to your practice.
• Different ways to meditate
  • Not hierarchical
  • Useful for different things and situations.
  • Vary by:
    • object of meditation
    • width of attention
    • amount of effort

The four kinds

• Focused Awareness: one object, very narrow, high effort.
  • Cultivates concentration, tames a busy mind, clarifying.
• Investigative Awareness: one main object, narrow, some effort.
  • Good for being flexible, but controlled.
  • Good for noticing the tone of moods, emotions, memories, and for noticing their impermanence.
  • “Investigative” like exploring experientially, not like detective thinking.
  • Still connected to the anchor, but a little room to explore.
• Choiceless Awareness: several objects, broad, variable effort.
  • Good for flexibility, relaxing and resting.
  • Also called Open Awareness. Just sit and notice whatever arises, moment after moment.
• Natural Awareness: no objects, very broad, effortless.
  • Highlights impermanence, fluidity.

Minitation: Investigative flowing into Choiceless

We’ll start with our anchor. Then when we get pulled away, let our attention rest on the object briefly, notice it. Then gently back to the anchor. Then after a minute or two we’ll lightly let go of our anchor.

• Settle into a comfortable posture.
• Bring your attention to your anchor.
  • Part of your body that feels at ease, solid, safe, stable, pleasant.
  • Maybe your breath.
  • Pay close attention to your anchor. Notice everything you can about it.
• When something pulls you away, just notice it.
  • There’s no need to judge or evaluate it, just notice it.
  • Maybe it’s an emotion. Or a thought. Or a sensation in your body.
  • Let it hold your attention for a moment.
  • If it’s something that feels difficult, that’s okay.
    • See if you can let whatever is there be there.
    • See if you can leave it where it is. Soften around it.
    • Gently come back to your anchor.
• Notice your anchor.
  • Then noticing what else arises, giving it your full attention.
  • Then coming back to your anchor.
• Now, loosen your hold on your anchor. Keep alert, but don’t worry about coming back to it.
  • Let go of the story and just notice that what’s arising keeps changing.
    • Just pay clear attention to whatever is arising.
  • Try and let go of like or don’t like, and just notice things arise and pass away.
  • Sounds, just noticing them, not getting lost in a story
  • Body sensations. Movement, heaviness, tingling, warmth, vibration.
  • Emotions. Like sadness or joy, frustration. Simply notice.
  • Thoughts. What’s happening? Planning, imagining, remembering.
• Now bring attention back to your anchor.
• Take a few deep breaths.

DIY intro

• We’ll end with about 15 minutes of DIY.
  • Pick one, or more, of the styles that we had tiny tastes of, and sit with it a bit longer.
  • No guidance for this bit of sit.
• As a quick reminder, the four were:
  • Focused Awareness: one object, very narrow, high effort.
  • Investigative Awareness: one main object, narrow, some effort.
  • Choiceless Awareness: several objects, broad, variable effort.
  • Natural Awareness: no objects, very broad, effortless.
• You might like to do a “Full Spectrum” version: Focused into Investigative into Choiceless into Natural.
• Take a few moments to set your intention.
• …
• Three bells to start, three bells to finish.

Added 2024-06-10, last updated 2024-06-12.