A note to the reader: The following is the 3rd post in our practice-centered series devoted to The Embodied Path. It is here to describe the 3rd of 11 practices that serve as the foundation for the modern human being who is intent on finding grounding, center, alignment, and skillful action in this chaotic and wild world we find ourselves in.
In this way, The Embodied Path teaches a practical approach to spirituality. This is not intellectual work. It demands to be experienced as it is practiced and becomes part of who you are.
You can learn more about The Embodied Path and all 11 practices here.
Consciousness.
When focused, we can use the word attention to speak to where it is that your consciousness is placed on a single, or perhaps small number of objects, tasks, beings, or other “things” in this world.
When expanded, we can use the word awareness to speak to where it is that your consciousness is receiving input.
Practices 3, 4, and 5 of The Embodied Path have to do with your consciousness. Practices 3 and 4 focus on how skillful you are with your ability to expand and to focus your consciousness. Practice 5 then brings us to the ability to “meditate” – doing so not only with a single object, but with your whole Self (body included).
However, before we get to this more complex task, it is necessary to break down your consciousness into attention and awareness, or, similarly, a focused vs. expanded consciousness.
The ability to focus on a single task
The ability to focus on a single task – to take the full extent of your consciousness, your energy, and perhaps your effort, and to do so for a certain duration of time – is perhaps the most important of human skills that must be recovered in our modern era. I say this for two reasons:
- The first reason being its inherent usefulness – that having to do with your ability to bring the power of your mind, body, and any tools that you may have at your disposal to a particular moment: a problem to be solved, an interaction to have with another being, a creative expression, etc.
- The second reason being that this skill has largely been lost due to our overly-busy, hyper-chaotic, and highly technological world
Let’s be honest. When our attention is scattered, it becomes difficult to accomplish a task or solve a problem. More than this, we become incapable of having authentic connection with other beings or bringing forth our full creative expression.
But when the full force of who we are is placed on what is in front of us (again, whether that is a task to be completed, a problem to be solved, a being to interact with, etc.), then us humans become powerful, perhaps not necessarily of accomplishing anything and everything (that would be hyperbolic), but still, able to live fulfilling lives that include authentic connection, creative expression, and skillful problem-solving.
But again, being very honest with ourselves, we live in a world where this precious resource (our attention) has been taken away, and done so with a powerful force. We can speak to the trillions of dollars that go into marketing, social media, television, and other “techie” sorts of modern experiences. We can also speak to what I think is an atrocious affront to our modern freedom of expression that is tied up in a 40 hour work week and a need to outsource our attention to “jobs” that are rarely in line with that which actually serves this world.
Before I digress down that rabbit hole, I simply wish that you take a moment to consider all of the powers at play that take your attention away from the things that matter in life:
- where does it feel like your attention is stolen?
- where does it feel like your attention is demanded in a way that isn’t soulful?
- where do you know that your attention is scattered?
Seriously, take a moment to consider this. Write it down. I will wait…
I could take a considerable amount of time to go into each of these categories, but for the moment, let me guide your attention (ha!) towards the third bullet point up above:
Scattered attention
We do, indeed, live in a world with a sort of extreme prevalence of ADD. With so much stimulus (that which is very strategically pulling our attention in different directions), we become caught up in patterns of having our attention pulled from one person/task/moment to the next, and the next, and the next. All in the blink of an eye!
Once we are pulled into this pattern, we no longer need external stimuli to pull our attention away from what is important. We end up doing this to ourselves as our minds constantly tug us from one thing to the next to the next – all in a single moment!
Yes, some people come into this world with this being a particular challenge (as would be the case in a traditional AD(H)D diagnosis. But let’s be honest. This pattern is expanding and is even learned when a child enters into a world with constant multiple sources of stimulation, not to mention parents and teachers who, themselves, lack the ability to stay focused on a task.
It is a progressive cycle, and given the way our world is moving in an unhinged capitalistic and technological direction, I would predict that things are only going to get worse.
This is why it is essential to practice what we are here to practice! That is:
Practice #3: Focus your consciousness on a single point/task
At this point, I wish to direct you to the practice itself. As you read about the practice, I cannot encourage you enough to actually try the practice. Even if it is just for 1 minute (30 seconds, even?). Try it out!
Then, carve out some time in your life to make it a daily practice. I will give further instruction on this in a moment.
Practice: Focus your consciousness on a single object
- Choose an object. It may be a physical object (e.g., a candle). It may be something internal (your thoughts, your breath, a mantra, your heart, etc.).
- For our purposes, it doesn’t matter what it is. Choose something, and prepare to focus the full extent of your attention on this singularity.
- Now, choose an amount of time for the practice. 30 seconds? A minute? 5 minutes? 10? 20?
- Again, for our purposes, the time does not matter. Pick something that is reasonable and achievable.
- Set a timer, and go.
Your sole task is to hold your attention on the object.
Simple? Yes.
Easy? No.
When your attention veers (which it will do), simply pull it back. Do not get all messed up about it. Simply return your attention back to the object.
Continue this process for the full duration of the time you told yourself you would do this. Whenever a thought comes up telling you to do something else (because this task is boring/dumb and there are so many other important things you could be doing), then notice the thought, let it float away, and return to your task.
Again, there are many options for doing this practice. Some traditional spiritual practices that focus your consciousness include the following:
- Candle: Light a candle, and with a soft gaze stare into that candle. When your attention veers (which it will do), simply pull it back. Do not get all messed up about your attention wavering. Simply return your attention back to the candle.
- Breath: Close your eyes and become witness to your breath. Witness your breath come in and go out. Do not try to control your breath (this is a state of doing). You are only here to witness your breath. Watch it come in and watch it go back out. When your attention veers (which it will do), simply pull it back. Do not get all messed up about it. Simply return your attention back to your breath.
- For this practice, I invite you to get specific about where in your body you are noticing your breath: your nose, your mouth, your chest, your belly?
- Thoughts: The same task as #2, but this time, witness your thoughts. In this case, there is an added layer of difficulty because you do not want to get absorbed in your thoughts, but instead, become unattached from thought as you enter a state of awareness. Still, the basic idea is the same. Set a timer and bring your full attention to your thoughts until the timer goes off.
- Notice how you can separate yourself from your thoughts
- Notice the waves and patterns of your thoughts (not by getting caught up in them and thinking, but becoming witness to them).
Did you pick a practice? Did you try it out?
Good, then let us continue.
The ability to focus (and otherwise control) your attention is not necessarily the most important task of all time, but when we lose it, the consequences become disastrous.
The above practices are fundamental to your spiritual development, which includes the full extent of how your life unfolds moment-by-moment, day-by-day. When you are able to control your attention, you are able to place it where it serves, and these implications go further than your mind will ever understand. Still, to name a few:
- your ability to complete a work task, doing so in a shorter amount of time and doing so with greater skill (because your attention is on it and not split into other areas)
- your ability to receive the most joy out of a moment with a child, a friend, a pat, a lover, a landscape, or any being at all
- your ability to receive the greatest depth of fulfillment out of a single task
These experiences are combinations of skills, but without your ability to be present in the moment, you will lose out on what is here to be done and here to be received.
And, without your ability to focus your attention on what is in front of you, then your skillful presence in life will not exist at the level you deserve.
To expand on this point, let us circle back to the bigger picture.
Focused attention is essential, but do not get caught in the unskillful belief that it is everything
I created this series in part because I wish to teach the essential skills for the modern human being.
I also created this series because I want to make this point loud and clear: the spiritual path is not a linear, step-wise path to be perfected. It does not require that you master A to get to B so that you ever have a chance of seeing X, Y, and Z.
Rather, the spiritual path offers a broad set of skills and practices to be developed as you make your way through the challenges that arise in life (and open to the gifts to be received along the way). Yes, you may find that it becomes important (perhaps even essential) to practice a particular skill before you do much anything else.
But please, for the love of all things holy, do not get caught in the too-common belief that just because you experienced life and spirituality in a certain way, others have to experience it in the same way, too. When this happens, spirituality becomes dogma, and the masses suffocate under rules when we could all be out here free to explore, learn, awaken, and experience life in a soulful way.
Please understand this: spirituality consists of a range of practices and skills. There need not be a hierarchy of these skills. Instead, it is worth it to explore their variety – to practice them – and in doing so, cultivate a routine practice while developing a skillset that best serves you (in turn, best serving this world).
Focusing your attention is an important skill. So is expanding it.
This is why next time we will dive into Practice #4 – the ability to expand your consciousness, and in doing so, become capable of walking through life receiving all of the important and necessary input that serves for you to be present to.
Understand that this upcoming practice is especially important for those who walk through life with their heads down, focused on only that which is immediately in front of them – no care for what else may be happening around them, while also missing out on the joy and other gifts that are waiting.
Please, also understand that this person is in all of us. Expanding our awareness outward to Life that is unfolding beyond what we have been programmed to pay attention to – this will gift your life just as it will gift the whole of Planet Earth.
Recall that this, here, is our true mission.
If you take nothing else away from this post, understand that when we can skillfully control our own consciousness – focusing it when appropriate, expanding it when appropriate – we become a master of Life. And, while this doesn’t outright solve all the problems in our lives and in this world, it certainly creates a beautiful foundation for us to begin.
Final note: This article is posted in two places – here at ForestBody.com and on my blog at katiehmephill.substack.com. Consider following my work on Substack for a more interactive community (you may notice I do not allow comments here on this website but do encourage them on Substack).