Being aware of awareness might sound a little mysterious.

It's one of those phrases that can seem lofty or philosophical until you actually experience it for yourself. Then it becomes surprisingly simple.

In the yoga tradition, we begin with our ordinary awareness. The awareness that helps us navigate our day, have conversations, drive a car, make dinner, remember appointments and stay safe in the world.

This everyday awareness is linked to the senses and is incredibly useful. It allows us to engage with life, respond to what is happening around us and participate fully in the world.

Meditation doesn't ask us to abandon this awareness.

Instead, it invites us to become curious about it.

It invites us to turn our attention inward.

I often think of it as an inward-flowing current.

Most of our attention naturally moves outward. We are focused on people, tasks, responsibilities, conversations and the endless stream of information that modern life presents.

Meditation offers an opportunity to pause and gently redirect that attention.

Not away from life.

Not away from experience.

But towards the experience itself.

We begin by noticing something simple.

The breath.

Sensations in the body.

The sounds around us.

The movement of thoughts.

We discover that awareness can rest on almost anything.

As we sit quietly and allow our attention to settle, something interesting begins to happen.

We become aware that we are aware.

There is the breath being observed.

There are sensations being observed.

There are thoughts being observed.

And naturally a question begins to arise:

Who is it that is doing the observing?

Awareness and Awareness

This question has been explored by yogis, philosophers and contemplatives for thousands of years.

Not because they were interested in creating complicated theories, but because they recognised that this question points towards something fundamental about who we are.

In yoga philosophy, this is where we begin to explore the distinction between awareness and Awareness.

I sometimes use a capital A for Awareness simply to distinguish it from our ordinary, everyday awareness.

Awareness, in this sense, is not another thought.

It's not an opinion.

It's not a belief.

It's not something we invent through positive thinking.

Rather, it is the silent presence that is aware of all our experiences.

You could call it the witness.

The observer.

The seer.

Or, in the language of yoga, your deepest Self.

Whatever name we use, the invitation is the same.

To recognise that there is a part of us that can observe thoughts without being defined by them.

This understanding sits at the heart of many contemplative traditions and is explored beautifully through meditation practice and yoga philosophy. One of the teachers whose work I continue to appreciate is Tantra Illuminated, which offers a modern exploration of these timeless teachings.

We Are Not the Contents of the Mind

This is important because most of us spend much of our lives identified with the contents of our minds.

We become wrapped up in our worries.

Our plans.

Our memories.

Our judgements.

Our stories about ourselves and others.

A thought arises and we immediately believe it.

An emotion appears and we assume it defines who we are.

Meditation gives us an opportunity to step back.

Not to get rid of our thoughts.

Not to suppress our emotions.

Not to become blank.

The purpose of meditation is not to stop thinking.

The mind thinks.

That's what it does.

The purpose is to recognise that we are more than what is passing through the mind.

Thoughts come and go.

Emotions come and go.

Sensations come and go.

The body changes.

Life changes.

Relationships change.

Circumstances change.

Yet something remains present throughout it all.

Something quietly aware.

Something that has been with you your entire life.

A Recognition Rather Than a Belief

The awareness that noticed your experiences as a child is the same awareness that notices your experiences today.

It has been there through every success and disappointment.

Every joy and sorrow.

Every chapter of your life.

Yoga teaches that this Awareness is not separate from the greater field of consciousness that connects all life.

This isn't something you need to believe.

It's something you can explore directly through practice.

This is one of the great gifts of meditation.

It moves us beyond ideas and into direct experience.

Instead of asking us to accept a philosophy, it invites us to investigate for ourselves.

To look.

To notice.

To become curious.

To experience.

For many students, this exploration deepens naturally through ongoing study, regular practice, and participation in yoga trainings, retreats and workshops. If you're interested in continuing your learning journey, you can explore my upcoming Yoga Classes & Workshops, where we regularly explore the practical application of yoga philosophy alongside asana and meditation.

A Simple Practice

If you would like to explore this more deeply, try this simple practice.

Take a comfortable seat.

A chair is perfect if that suits you.

Allow your spine to be upright but not rigid.

Soften your face.

Relax your shoulders.

Let your body feel supported by the ground beneath you.

Close your eyes.

Bring your attention to your breath.

Notice the inhale.

Notice the pause before the exhale begins.

Notice the exhale.

Notice the pause before the next inhale arrives.

Simply observe.

After a few moments, gently ask yourself:

Who is aware of this breath?

Don't try to answer with your thinking mind.

Just notice.

Who is aware of the body breathing?

Who is aware of the thoughts coming and going?

Who is aware of the experience of sitting here?

Rest with the question.

Allow it to open a space of inquiry rather than searching for an intellectual answer.

You may discover that what you're looking for isn't an answer at all.

It's a recognition.

A remembering.

A glimpse of the Awareness that has been here all along.

Conclusion

Perhaps that is one of meditation's greatest gifts.

Not that it gives us something new.

But that it helps us recognise what has always been present.

If you would like support in developing your meditation practice, deepening your understanding of yoga philosophy, or exploring how these teachings can be embodied in everyday life, I would love to hear from you.

You can explore upcoming offerings on my Homepage, browse current Classes & Workshops, book a complimentary conversation through my Book a Call page, or get in touch via the Contact Page.

I look forward to connecting with you.

References

Wallis, C. (n.d.). Tantra Illuminated. Retrieved from https://tantrailluminated.org