Introduction to Mindfulness_349810_bookemon_ebook.pdf Coaching and Practising Mindfulness | Page 84

focussing on being focussed. As if focus itself is the 'object' of your awareness/meditation. This is tricky to understand as you need some experience with it to know of that 'place' or 'zone' that I am talking about, but once you truly know it, you can go back there rather immediately. The major difference between the form of concentration meditation and the mindfulness form of meditating is that in concentration you focus on content, while in mindfulness it is not about the content of your focus, but about the quality or level of your focus, or awareness itself. Mindfulness meditation is a way to raise your level of awareness, of consciousness immediately, without having to deal with and become involved in the infinite possibilities of content. While practicing this beingness, this awareness, thoughts will arise. All you need to do with these thoughts is nothing. Don't do anything with them, don't try to watch them, don't try to manipulate them, don't judge them, just don't try anything. Let them be and remain the witness to all that happens. Open up your focus but remain alert. If you notice you are getting involved with thought-forms, go back to the focussed state of alertness, of witnessing and retain this state of focussed awareness as thoughts pass by in the mind. The longer you retain this state, the greater the decrease in thought-forms will become and the greater the clarity and bliss. Note that the goal is not to notice or become aware of everything that is going on in the environment. This will happen in later stages automatically and it is not even the purpose of this meditation; it is just a possible result of mindfulness meditation. For now, don't try to focus on things that happen, only retain high quality awareness when things do happen to catch your eye or any of the other senses. Don't focus on them, just remain focussed, conscious and let distractions be and pass on their own account. 83