The Observation Meditation Technique
Observation meditation (or objectless meditation), is an effective way to increase concentration and mindfulness. When performing this type of practice, your goal should be to bring your attention back onto breathing every time your thoughts wander away from this meditation focus.
Note any feelings of being an “Independent Observer” when engaging in sessions. This is your “Observer Ego” which, with practice and time, will dismantle just like your everyday ego did early on in your practice.
Observe Your Breath
Observation meditation helps us increase self awareness by focusing on physical sensations. With this technique, you’ll observe your breath while trying to detect all of its sensations during each inhale and exhale. Although initially challenging, regular practice will make this easier with time. Practicing observation meditation also provides you with an opportunity to observe your own thoughts without judgment, helping you become aware of feelings and triggers which could then lead to healthier habits.
Begin meditation by sitting comfortably and closing your eyes. Focus on breathing and focus on where it causes the most sensation – your nostrils, throat, chest or belly may all benefit. If necessary count breaths to help remain focused; just try not to get sidetracked!
Once you’ve noted the feeling of your breath, move on to other physical sensations such as your seat pressing against your back or feet pressing against the floor. After taking note of several different physical sensations, shift your attention toward sounds such as air conditioner hums or traffic outside; listen for any that come through as sounds as well.
Once you have noticed some sounds, return to breathing deeply and repeat this process. Doing this is an effective way to quiet yourself and focus on what’s happening in your environment, helping you navigate stressful situations more smoothly while improving sleep and lowering stress levels – both benefits can help lower high blood pressure.
While observing your breath, if doubts or worries about your ability to be mindful arise, it’s essential that you let these go and return to observing it. Doubts are part of mindfulness practice; letting them pass is crucial in maintaining an effective practice.
Observe Your Body
As part of your observation meditation practice, pay attention to how your body is feeling. If there are certain areas that seem tight or uncomfortable, focus on them by drawing awareness to them – inhale deeply into that region while exhaling to release any tension there; over time this tension should fade and your awareness of that part of the body increase.
When feeling anxious or worried, practicing mindful breathing is an excellent way to remind yourself that your thoughts and emotions are temporary and that there is always someone present observing everything you go through – an impartial witness who bears witness.
Once you have developed a sense of being an impartial observer, you can begin applying this practice to other aspects of your life. For instance, while waiting for friends or completing household tasks you could try paying attention to your breathing. This will help bring awareness when your mind wanders allowing you to become a more effective parent or spouse.
At your first session, you will focus on becoming aware of yourself by observing your body and breath, the environment around you and what’s going on within it – this will allow you to get better acquainted with yourself while becoming more aware of potential triggers that cause outbursts or defensive reactions in yourself and others.
One of the most effective meditation techniques, known as Body Scan, is an effortless exercise you can do without props or tools. Start by getting into a comfortable sitting or lying position; tune into sensations in your body – paying special attention to any parts that tingle, ache or throb; focus your attention on each area by inhaling deeply to relax it while exhaling to release any tension; repeat.
Observe Your Thoughts
As your mindfulness practice develops, it’s essential that you work on becoming adept at observing any thoughts that arise during meditation sessions. The key is not engaging with them or trying to force them away, but instead stepping back and watching as they come and go. Many find this difficult; getting caught up in their thoughts and emotions is difficult at first but with practice it becomes possible to observe thoughts without becoming immersed in them.
Keeping track of your thoughts during meditations can help you gain an understanding of which thought patterns trigger certain emotional responses within yourself. Negative emotion-laden thoughts could trigger anxiety and stress levels while positive ones could make you feel content and happy. Understanding which emotions these specific thought patterns triggered could enable you to make adjustments that reduce unnecessary anxiety and stress levels in daily life.
Observing your thoughts can be done at any time and is especially useful throughout the day. For instance, taking some deep breaths before shifting focus onto watching how thoughts come and go is helpful for increasing control over both thoughts and emotions. By practicing this observation technique on a regular basis, this practice can give you greater power over both.
Though it is essential to observe your body, breath and objects around you during meditation practice, it is also equally crucial that you discover how to observe your own thoughts during this form of reflection. Many people mistakenly believe meditation involves trying to empty one’s mind of all thoughts and emotions – this is not true! Instead, the goal of meditation should be creating an objective observer who can witness your emotions without becoming involved. Although this neutral observer might exist as part of one’s ego structure (albeit less neurotic one!), one must bear in mind it still belongs as part of one’s ego structure as an element within itself!
Observe Your Object
Object meditation involves paying close attention to an external object with all five senses, making it an indispensable way to deepen mindfulness practice and gain greater self-awareness. Furthermore, object meditation enables you to become aware of internal states and triggers that lead to emotional reactions – this type of practice is especially helpful for people who struggle with controlling their emotions and frequently have meltdowns; by observing an object meditation can allow you to identify these triggers and take steps towards altering them.
As part of observation meditation, it’s natural to experience moments in which your thoughts wander during practice. While this can be disorienting at first, keeping focus on your object of observation even when thoughts wander can help keep the attention from shifting off-course and toward unnecessary distractions such as breath or bodily sensations if they become too powerful a force for distraction. If this becomes overwhelming or distracting for you to deal with properly.
Use any physical or visual object, from flowers and candles to the rising and setting sun, for this practice. You could also observe yourself, such as by focusing on different sensations in your feet, legs and arms when sitting. Some practitioners even use their breath and body as objects for meditation by focusing on inhalation and exhalation with equal focus.
Observing oneself has long been considered an integral component of spiritual development. Many meditation practices – from Zen, yoga and various forms of Buddhism to mindfulness techniques such as Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Though observing your experiences is essential to spiritual journey, its application could become dangerously addictive for some meditators.
As beneficial as self-observation is in the short term, over time it can become detrimental. Care must be taken not to develop what Ken Wilber refers to as an “observer ego”, where your meditation practice becomes synonymous with becoming mindful rather than part of an activity itself.
