I am a fan of the subject of duration. For me, that can include geological epochs and microseconds. As I learned about the benefits of meditation, the question of how long meditations sessions should be arose. The meditation I am interested in is for developing better awareness of where my attention has landed. Am I thinking about analysis of variance again or wondering how Phoebe's pregnancy will go? Whatever the subject is, do I want to change it? Is there something fun or worthwhile that I have forgotten about?
Getting to be aware of where my mind is did not seem to be something I wanted to do for days, let alone weeks or more. Early on, I learned about the book "QR: The Quieting Reflex" by Charles F. Stroebel, MD. As with many 80's documents, he aimed at relaxation, not awareness of mind. That subject was related to good health and was more acceptable to people who were put off by foreign notions. Stroebel encouraged his readers to be aware of an open, unscheduled moment and use it to search out tension in the face, arms or elsewhere in the body and relax. He mentioned waiting for a phone call to be answered, a traffic light to turn green and such quite small chances that come up to notice tension and relax.
It was easy and natural to look for Stroebel's six second opportunities to relax. At the same time, doing a quick check of the focus of my attention went right along with checking for tension, posture and breathing.
What I didn't expect was the natural progression from frequent quick checks to a more or less continuous habit of relaxed body and awareness of thought. It has gotten so that any pause includes a quick check of both body and mind. Maybe a relaxed body and a relaxed mind increase awareness of what I am allowing to take up my attention. Eckhart Tolle's question "What will be my next thought?" is a good tool. If I surprise my mind with a pause, it tends to go blank. But then, what will be the first thought that comes to mind? Food? Sex? Money? Politics? Tasks and to-do list?
