How do I achieve “pure” awareness while meditatng? … you don’t have to.

This question of “pure” awareness is common. Often students feel discouraged that they are unable to sit still and bring a “pure” focus to their breath, or their practice… feeling that they just “can’t meditate.” Can you relate?

One of my teachers Charlie Knowles shared an analogy of meditation to diving into a lake. Whether you dive into the shallow end or the deep end, the result is the same, you get wet. Similar to cultivating a meditation practice, whether you feel like your practice is met with “deep, pure awareness” or “thought-filled” experience the result is the same, both instances are meditation. In both practices, your awareness of your true experience, as it is, is what constitutes the experience and cultivates the benefits of meditation and the skill of mindfulness.

Mindfulness meditation invites a present-moment awareness. The intention or measure of practice is not “pure” awareness of emptying the mind of thoughts. Rather, it is an expansive awareness; an invitation to experience and witness your felt sense of experience.

A present moment awareness, mindfulness, practice includes the awareness of breath, the mind-wandering, the noticing mind-wandering and the return — consciously redirecting your awareness to the present moment, back to the technique you are practicing. The focused awareness, the mind-wandering and the return are all part of the meditation.

As we practice noticing mind wandering and the return we are strengthening our ability to be resilient.

As we practice returning to the breath with kindness and non-judgment we are cultivating the skill of compassion.

As we practice, we may begin to notice mind wandering and call back awareness with greater ease.

Practice makes practice. We do not sit to be perfect or reach a certain state and move on. The practice itself is a lifelong journey. The practice affords you the opportunity to cultivate a new relationship to your experience.

Your practice is an invitation to experience and be a witness to your experience.

So, just begin and keep on keepin’ on.