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Hi. Darlene here. Today's mindfulness self-awareness tip is on divided attention. When we are not
in a space where we are staying present to ourself, we can get caught up in everything
that's going on around us. We can lose ourself in the activity that we're in. We can lose ourself
in an interaction with someone else. We can lose ourself in the outside world. And one
of the many gifts of mindfulness and self-awareness is to remember ourself, our center, be present
to our own experience as we're engaging in the world.
There's a great practice that you can play with to bring yourself along as you go throughout
your day so you don't feel like the world and whatever's going on outside, or your
interactions with other people, you don't feel like you're losing yourself.
So if you can imagine, just as an example you go to a movie and you sit down and you've
got your popcorn. You've got your drink. The movie starts and you become so immersed
in what's going on in the movie that you completely forget yourself. You are actually
in the movie and in the experience. And this is what happens in our daily life when we're
not present and aware within ourself as well.
So this activity of divided attention helps you to be present to yourself, to your body
and also engaging with the people and the surroundings that you're in throughout your
day.
A good way to practice this is first to get really good at being present in your body.
So that can be with the breath. It can be with sensation. So just take a moment now and tune
in. Turn all your attention inward and sense your breath. Sense the life force energy that is
inside you. Just direct all your attention internally.
You can do this with your eyes closed if it's easier. When you practice it over time you'll
be able to keep your eyes open and still fully direct your attention inside.
Now once you have a feel for that find an object to focus on in your room and send all
of your attention to that object. Direct all of your energy to that object. So I'm going
to do that now, with this video with my computer. Focusing all the energy out. Now play with
drawing some of that energy out and bringing it back to yourself, to your body, to your
sensations. So now this is divided attention where you have 50% of your attention on your
sensations on your body. You can use your center as a focal point. I like to use my
heart center. So bringing 50 percent of that attention to your heart. And 50 percent of
attention to that object that you're focusing on, if it's me, the screen, or if it's
something in the room. And notice how that feels differently. So you're still aware
of yourself in the space, but you're also directing your attention, very focused, to
something in the room.
So you can play with bringing all of the attention back to yourself. And then play with directing
all of the attention outward. And then slowly shift that so that your attention is 50% on
yourself, and 50% on that which you see. There's a distinct energetic difference you can sense
when you play with this and what this is to me is when I am focusing all my attention
inward I'm fully receiving myself. When I'm focusing all my attention outward I'm
fully receiving the other. When I split it 50 50 I'm receiving 50 percent of myself
and 50 percent of the other. So it includes me in the picture as well as the other.
This way when you're holding this awareness of yourself and the other then you're always
able to gauge internally where you are, what's going on. You don't forget about yourself.
You don't lose yourself in the experience. So have fun. Play with it. I would love to
hear any a-has that you may have. If you notice that when you are relating in the world this
way that it feels differently in your body. It feels differently in your being. And see
if when you're engaging with other people if you don't notice a shift in how they
are energetically receiving you and themselves as well. Divided attention. Have fun. Play.
I'll see you next time. Have a beautiful day. Bye.