A threefold awareness

As we work with the introductory exercises and with the first three steps of the Anapana practice, a threefold awareness is developing. We still hear whatever sounds may come. We still know each in-breath and each out-breath. We still sense the whole body, sitting, alive.

Different dimensions of awareness are developing. Hearing is a good way of developing a dispassionate awareness, as we learn not to get involved in or react to what we hear. Breathing helps us develop an on-going awareness: we maintain our awareness continually, over a period of time, noticing each breath coming and going. Body-awareness gives us a spatially extended awareness, throughout the whole of the body. Sometimes hearing may also be spatially extended, if sounds are coming from different directions, but this is not always so.

This threefold awareness can keep us fully occupied. We will still be distracted at times, but if we can maintain this amount of awareness the thinking mind will become much quieter. When I return to the exercise after a distraction I often whisper something like, “This whole body, sitting, breathing, hearing.” Then I can focus clearly on all three facets of this awareness.

Gradually our body-awareness may start to include an awareness of how still this body has become. When that happens, we're moving into Step 4.

The order of these three components

We've developed our threefold awareness in one way, but you can actually introduce each component of it in any order. If you're practising in a very quiet place, it may be better to start with the breath, if you find that a more obvious sensation. Then add hearing the silence, and then the body sensations. Sometimes awareness of breathing and hearing may well arise together. Sometimes you might start with the body sensations.

In time you might even find the bodily stillness of Step 4 to be your dominent experience. If so, start there, but then backtrack and be sure you are hearing any sounds, knowing every breath, and experiencing the whole of the still body.