
Open monitoring meditation is a mindfulness practice that can be done while performing any activity. It involves being aware of your thoughts and feelings and observing them without attachment. The goal is to achieve a sense of stillness and peace by allowing thoughts to arise and pass without judgement or reaction. This practice can be done while walking down the street, for example, by focusing on the feeling of your feet against your socks and shoes and the pressure of the ground against your soles. You can also be aware of your breathing and observe any sights and sounds without judgement.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Type | Internal and external |
Goal | To sit quietly and pay close attention to where the mind travels |
Focus | Thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, sights, sounds, tastes, smells |
Approach | Non-judgmental and non-reactive |
What You'll Learn
Be aware of your thoughts and feelings without attachment
Open monitoring meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves opening up your awareness to everything you're experiencing, regardless of its origin. This includes bodily sensations, external stimuli, and thoughts. The key is to let everything happen naturally without trying to focus on or exclude anything.
When thoughts arise, as they inevitably will, the goal is to simply observe them without judgement and let them go. This can be challenging, as our minds tend to wander. But with practice, the mind wandering will happen less often and for shorter periods.
During open monitoring meditation, you may notice repeating themes or patterns in your thoughts, which can be indicative of your wants, needs, or unresolved issues. It can be helpful to reflect on these thoughts after your meditation session and explore why they may have come up.
It's important to note that meditation is not about suppressing or forcibly ending your thoughts and emotions. Instead, it's about strengthening your awareness of them and learning to notice them without getting caught up in them. You accept and acknowledge your thoughts and emotions non-judgmentally, allowing them to be as they are.
By practicing open monitoring meditation, you can develop a healthier relationship with your thoughts and emotions. You can learn to observe them without attachment, gaining a sense of detachment that can lead to increased self-awareness, improved decision-making, and overall well-being.
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Observe the workings of your mind
Observing the workings of your mind is a key part of open monitoring meditation. This involves paying attention to the thoughts, feelings, and mood states that are present in your consciousness. It is about recognising that you are not your thoughts; you are the thinker of the thoughts.
In this type of meditation, you allow thoughts to arise in your awareness and then naturally fall away as they are replaced by other thoughts. You do not try to engage with them or stop them, but simply observe them without judgement. You can think of thoughts as clouds passing by in the sky or bubbles in a pot of boiling water. You can have thousands of thoughts a day, and this practice is about creating a larger mental "container" for them to pass through.
It is important to note that this is different from simply watching your thoughts. When meditating, your mind may wander, and you may find yourself becoming your thoughts without realising it. When you notice this happening, gently return to your open awareness, feeling grateful for re-entering a peaceful state. Over time, the mind wandering will happen less and less often and for shorter periods.
Open monitoring meditation also involves paying attention to bodily sensations, such as the feelings from your skin, the pressure exerted by gravity, tingling sensations, and the subtle feeling of your heart beating. You also open up your awareness to external stimuli, including sights, sounds, tastes, and smells.
This practice can be challenging as it involves letting go of control and simply letting things be as they are. However, it can lead to a beautiful, peaceful, and quiet experience. It can also provide insights into your wants, needs, and unresolved issues.
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Be aware of your breath, fingers and bodily sensations
Open monitoring meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves observing the many things present in your consciousness and then letting them fall away as new stimuli take their place. This includes sounds and other sensory input, as well as thoughts and emotions.
To begin, get into a comfortable position, either sitting or standing, and set an intention for your meditation practice. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Feel your lungs expand and contract, and notice the sensations on your skin, such as the air in the room. Bring your awareness to the space above your head, noticing any sounds or movement, and then move your awareness to the space below you, taking note of where your body makes contact with the floor or a chair.
Now, keeping your body still, bring your awareness to the space in front of you, as well as to your left and right. Envision your awareness as a glow in all directions around you, mentally scanning your surroundings. If your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to your breath.
As you continue, you might notice bodily sensations such as tingling on the skin, pressure on your body from gravity, or the subtle feeling of your heart beating. You might also notice thoughts entering your mind. Allow them to arise and pass without judgement, and gently return your attention to your breath.
Open monitoring meditation is about letting everything be as it is. Don't try to control your breath or your thoughts. Simply observe and experience the present moment, including all the sensations in your body and your surroundings.
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Be aware of your environment
Open monitoring meditation is a mindfulness practice that involves opening up your awareness to everything you're experiencing, regardless of its origin. This includes bodily sensations, such as your heartbeat, the feeling of your breath, and the pressure exerted by gravity. It also includes external stimuli, such as sights, sounds, tastes, and smells.
Being aware of your environment is a crucial aspect of open monitoring meditation. Here are some ways to cultivate this awareness:
Utilize Your Senses
Use your senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to take in your surroundings. For example, if you're walking down the street, notice the buildings, cars, people, wind, birds, trees, and flowers. By engaging your senses, you can become more conscious of and appreciative of your environment.
Observe Changes in Your Environment
Take time each day to observe and note changes in nature, such as the sky, trees, or animals. By paying attention to subtle changes, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how things work together and develop a stronger connection to the natural world.
Notice the Details
Pay attention to the small details that you may have overlooked before, such as the different shades of blue in the sky or the unique shapes of leaves on trees. Noticing these details will help you stay connected to your surroundings and appreciate the complexity of the world around you.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the act of being present in the moment and paying attention to your surroundings. Activities like yoga or meditation can help bring awareness to your body and mind. Regularly practicing mindfulness can increase your overall well-being and make you more attentive to your environment.
Talk to People
Engaging in conversation with others allows you to hear different perspectives and learn about their experiences. This helps you gain insight into the world from a variety of viewpoints. Talking to people about their surroundings can also help you learn about the history, culture, and community of a particular place, fostering a deeper connection to your environment.
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Observe without judgement or reaction
Observing without judgement or reaction is a central tenet of open monitoring meditation.
Open monitoring meditation is a practice of mindfulness, where one is aware of their thoughts and emotions, but does not attach to them. The meditator becomes a scientific observer of their own mind, noticing what thoughts bring about changes in emotions, without analysing, judging or labelling them.
The challenge is to follow the path of the mind without judgement or reaction, and to stay present in each moment of experience. This is achieved by being aware of the present moment, and all the senses and thoughts that arise in that moment. The key is to allow everything to be as it is, without trying to change or improve things. For example, if you are meditating outdoors and hear a dog barking, you accept and allow the dog to bark without wishing for things to be different.
The practice is to simply observe, experience, and allow things to be as they are. This is not passive, but an active practice of opening the mind and receiving all the information available before taking action.
The mind will wander, and this is normal. When you notice this, gently return to your open awareness, feeling grateful for re-entering a peaceful state. Over time, the mind wandering will happen less and less, and for shorter periods.
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Frequently asked questions
Open monitoring meditation is a mindfulness practice where you allow the many things present in your consciousness (sounds, thoughts, emotions, and other sensory input) to arise in your awareness and then naturally fade away as they are replaced by different sensations.
Focused attention meditation involves concentrating on a single object, whereas open monitoring meditation focuses on the feelings, thoughts, or sensations that are currently present in one's body.
Open monitoring meditation has been shown to evoke creative states and promote divergent thinking, which is the ability to find many different solutions to a problem. It also helps to reduce anxiety and worry by bringing a meditative quality to everyday actions.
Start by finding a comfortable and quiet place to sit or stand. Set an intention for your practice and a timer (5 minutes for beginners). Close your eyes and focus on your breath, then expand your awareness to the sensations along the surface of your skin, and then to the space around you.
It is normal for the mind to wander during meditation. If this happens, gently bring your awareness back to your breath and then expand your awareness again. Don't judge yourself or your thoughts; simply observe them and let them go.