Opening Your Awareness: Breath, Body, and Mind
Awareness is a foundational skill for personal growth and peak performance. Our goal at INHABIT is to help everyone recognize their thoughts and become aware of the mental processes that shape their experiences. This concept can be challenging because it requires us to observe our thoughts and actions while simultaneously engaging in them. Practicing this dual awareness fosters the ability to act as a non-judgmental observer of one’s inner and outer world.
The Awareness Development Sequence
Awareness of Breath:
Begin by noticing the breath.
Progress to understanding that we are not our breath; we observe it.
Awareness of the Body:
Start by becoming aware of bodily sensations.
Realize that we are not our body; we have a body, but we can observe it.
Awareness of the Mind:
Acknowledge that we are not our mind or our thoughts. We can observe our thoughts.
Mind Awareness
The brain generates approximately 48 thoughts per minute, which translates to 25,000-60,000 thoughts per day. Astonishingly, 75% of these thoughts tend to be negative, and 90-95% are repetitive, echoing the same patterns from the previous day. Many of these negative thoughts never manifest into reality.
By becoming aware of our thoughts, we empower ourselves to determine whether they are helpful, necessary, or merely distractions. This realization reveals that much of our thinking stems from ingrained conditioning and habitual patterns.
A Helpful Mantra: “You are not your thoughts.”
Are you aware of the little voice inside your head? If you’re thinking, “What little voice?”… it’s precisely that voice. Recognizing this internal chatter helps us separate ourselves from the constant mental noise many experience 24/7.
A Theater Analogy for Awareness
Stage Awareness:
Imagine you are on stage, acting in a play, completely immersed in the drama. This represents an unconscious level of awareness where you are fully absorbed in the story.
As Shakespeare famously said, “All the world’s a stage.” Many people live on this "stage", unaware of their thoughts and feelings, reacting automatically to situations. This can lead to unnecessary suffering and conflict as they are swept along by life’s dramas. Think about how often this happens in your life or sports. When we lack awareness, we are consumed by the drama.
Audience Awareness:
Now, imagine sitting six rows back in the theater, observing yourself on stage. This perspective represents conscious awareness, where you can witness your actions and thoughts from a distance. You have become the "Noticer." With this awareness, we gain better perspective and control.
Another Awareness Exercise: Clouds and Blue Sky Analogy
Close your eyes and imagine clouds drifting across a deep blue sky. The clouds represent passing thoughts, while the blue sky symbolizes the stillness of the mind. Focus on the blue sky—the constant background behind fleeting thoughts.
The Power of Choice
Awareness gives us the power to choose our focus. Just as we can control our breath, we can direct our awareness. By recognizing recurring thoughts, we can even "name" them. For example:
“There’s the ‘I’m not good enough’ thought.”
“Here comes the ‘We’re going to lose’ thought.”
This naming practice fosters mindfulness and reduces the influence of negative thought patterns.
Key Takeaway Points
Awareness disrupts autopilot: It breaks the cycle of habitual reactions, allowing for thoughtful responses.
There is Space Between Thoughts: Awareness creates a gap between thoughts, leading to clarity and stillness.
Reactions vs. Responses (The Awareness Equation: E + R = O):
E: Event
R: Response
O: Outcome
Reactions are impulsive, driven by past conditioning and automatic thoughts. Responses involve a pause, creating a space between stimulus and action. This space enables choice.
Closing Thoughts
Awareness begins with the breath, extends to the body, and culminates in the mind. It breaks the cycle of unconscious reactions, creates space, empowering us to respond thoughtfully. By practicing awareness, we can all unlock our full potential, both in life and sport.