Sit quietly, with gentle attention on your breathing. Move the
attention slowly from your nose to your throat area, from your lungs to
your diaphragm, then to your abdomen. After a few minutes, move your
attention slowly down your legs to your feet, to the soles of your feet.
Now stand up. Feel the sensation on your soles of the floor or
ground. Describe them to yourself...cool, smooth, rough, solid, bumpy.
How would they differ if you were on a warm beach, on a mountain track,
swimming?
Bring your attention back to the here and now.
Take a few slow steps and feel the changing sensations on the different
parts of the soles of your feet as you walk - as each part touches the ground, as you shift your
weight, lift your foot, move it through the air...and so on. Shut your eyes and take another few steps, slowly, carefully, putting attention on the messages you receive through the soles of your feet.
Note,
as you do this, that some of the sensations come from actions due to
your own will and effort and some from your surroundings. And this is
how it is with all our life. Some of it comes from 'me', so much more
from 'other'. Namo Amida Bu!
What sounds do you particularly like? Why? When and where have you heard
them? Is it the nature of the sound that you like or something about
the context?
Now sit with your eyes closed and listen - what can you hear? Can you
hear any sounds that come from inside you? What can you hear that
originates from outside you? What do you think is making those sounds?
Which of the sounds that you can hear now do you particularly like and
why? Now continue sitting, listening to the pleasurable sounds - first
putting your attention on the feelings of pleasure and then move your
attention out so that it rests gently on the object from which the sound
is coming - keep it there for a few minutes. Feel gratitude for your
ability to hear.
Spend some time lying or sitting quietly. Look around your room, through the window or outdoors, if that is where you are. Find an object that you like, that attracts you in some way. Look at it carefully. Describe it to yourself (shape, colour, size, texture etc.). What are the qualities that you find attractive in the object? How does it make you feel? Put your awareness on the sensations of pleasure within you. Now continue looking at the object, with gentle attention on those qualities that you find attractive.
You can repeat this at another time with another object.