How to Practice 'Wheel of Awareness' Meditation

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Get to know the "wheel" structure.

   This meditation technique can best be illustrated through a wheel diagram.
   
   The inner hub represents the 'knowing,' or space of awareness in which any experience happens.
   
   The spokes represent the 'attention' through which we become aware of anything in the outer rim.
   
   The outer rim represents anything we can be aware of.
   
   This rim can be divided into 4 segments:
   The first segment (top right) represents sense perceptions, including taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight.
   
   It's about how we perceive the world through sense perceptions.
   
   The second segment (top left) represents sensations from the inner body.
   
   It is also called as sixth sense in science.
   
   The third segment represents our thoughts, images, memories, sounds and how they arrive and leave from our space of consciousness or hub.
   
   The fourth segment represents sense of connection with other people outside of our bodily self.
2. 2

   Step 2: Sit up straight.

   Before you start, maintain a good posture.
   
   Keep a straight back and relax your shoulders, face muscles etc.
   
   If its hard for you, then lie down.
   
   Alternatively, choose your own comfortable position., The next sections combined as a whole practice take about 20-30 minutes.
   
   Practice each step for a few seconds or minutes or however it feels natural., Look to the middle of the room.
   
   Now to the wall.
   
   And again focus your attention to the middle of the room.
   
   Now let the attention come to about a book reading distance from you, as if you are reading a book.
   
   Can you notice that you have the ability to focus your attention at different distances? , Focus your attention on the breath and feel the sensation of the air as it comes in and out.
   
   Let the sensation from rising and falling of the chest, as you breathe, fill awareness.
   
   Let the sensation from the belly, as it expands and contracts, fill awareness.
   
   Now feel the sensation from the breathe wherever it feels most natural to you.
   
   Like sensation from nostrils, sound of breath, chest, belly etc.
   
   Ride the wave of the breath in and out.
   
   Let the thoughts come and go.
   
   Now take a deep breath and let this breath practice go for now.
   
   Imagine the wheel of awareness as you ride the breath wave and imagine being in the hub of the wheel of knowing.
   
   You don't have to visualize it, if it's difficult.
   
   Just focus on the sensations. , Let sounds from the environment fill awareness., Let the light fill awareness.
   
   Like light from closed eyelids or the environment, if your eyes are open., Let smell fill awareness., Move the spoke to sense of taste and let it fill awareness., Like the place you are sitting, where hands are touching etc.
   
   Now take a deeper breath. , Start with muscles and bones and let it fill your awareness., Focus your attention on the forehead and scalp then back of the head and ears.
   
   Then to throat, neck and shoulders., Stream attention to both arms to the ends of the fingers.
   
   Move to the muscles and bones of upper chest, lower back, abdomen and hip region., Then to pelvic and then opening awareness to genitals., Follow the gut sensation, from the esophagus to all the way to the interior of the throat.
   
   Now to the interior of the mouth., Sinuses followed to the back of the nose, from the trachea to the interior of the chest.
   
   Open the sensation of the lungs.,, Open the signals of the body and realize them as the source of wisdom and truth.
   
   Now take a deeper breath. , As explained before, segment 3 represents thoughts, emotions, feeling, ideas, beliefs, visuals etc.
   
   Let's explore it in two aspects:
   From the hub of knowing, simply invite anything to come into it.
   
   It could be thought, visual, sound, etc.
   
   Open your mind to whatever comes or doesn't come.
   
   In the second aspect, notice the thoughts and space between the thoughts.
   
   Notice how a thought presents itself and how it stays and leaves awareness.
   
   Notice how the next thoughts comes and how the gaps between thoughts feel like.
   
   Now take a deep breath. , This step is a little advanced so if it feels too subtle then just focus attention on breath.
   
   For those who want to try it out, here it goes:
   From the hub of knowing bend the spoke of attention back to 'hub of knowing'.
   
   Imagine a spoke of attention being pulled back to its source.
   
   Be aware of it for a few minutes or as much as it feels natural.
   
   Now ride the wave of the breath, in and out. , Open that awareness to all the people around you. , Open the sense of connection to your friends and family.
   
   Now to people with whom you work, and then the people in your neighborhood, Focus on the people in your city, then the people in the state/province, and then all living beings on earth., When repeated to yourself, the following phrases may help improve health and happiness.
   
   Silently say them to yourself:
   Say to yourself, "May all living beings be happy and live with a playful joyful heart.
   
   May all living beings be healthy.
   
   May all living beings be safe and protected from all sorts of harm.
   
   May all living beings flourish, thrive and live with the ease of well being." Now take a deeper breath.
   
   Say to yourself, "May I be happy and live with a playful, joyful and grateful heart.
   
   May I be healthy and have a body that gives me energy, flexibility, strength and stability.
   
   May I be safe and be protected from all sorts of inner and outer harm.
   
   May I flourish and thrive and live with the ease of well being." Send another wish and taking into account that 'me and 'we' are equally important.
   
   Say to yourself, "May 'mwe' be happy and have a playful, grateful and joyful heart.
   
   May mwe be healthy in a body that gives flexibility, strength and stability.
   
   May mwe be safe and be protected from all sorts of inner and outer harm.
   
   May mwe flourish and thrive and live with the ease of well being."
   
   Whenever you are ready, open your eyes.
3. 3

   Step 3: Dive into your practice.

4. 4

   Step 4: Focus your vision.

5. 5

   Step 5: Breathe.

6. 6

   Step 6: Become aware of the sounds.

7. 7

   Step 7: Become aware of sense of sight.

8. 8

   Step 8: Become aware of sense of smell.

9. 9

   Step 9: Become aware of sense of taste.

10. 10

    Step 10: Move the spoke to sense of touch and let it fill awareness.

11. 11

    Step 11: Move the spoke to interior sensation of the body.

12. 12

    Step 12: Move to the head.

13. 13

    Step 13: Move to the upper body.

14. 14

    Step 14: Stream your attention to both legs to the end of the toes.

15. 15

    Step 15: Focus to the interior of the abdomen.

16. 16

    Step 16: Move your attention to the respiratory system.

17. 17

    Step 17: Center your attention in the heart region.

18. 18

    Step 18: Feel the body as whole.

19. 19

    Step 19: Become aware of mental activities.

20. 20

    Step 20: Become aware of space of awareness.

21. 21

    Step 21: Feel the sense of connection to the person closest to you.

22. 22

    Step 22: Go beyond the immediate sphere.

23. 23

    Step 23: Expand further.

24. 24

    Step 24: Speak positive truths and wishes in your mind.

25. 25

    Step 25: Breathe and ride the wave of the breath in and out.

Detailed Guide

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