Continuum of Awareness

In Continuum of Awareness, “What am I noticing now?” is the ongoing and underlying inquiry of Gestalt Awareness Practice (GAP). Even so, the purpose of Continuum of Awareness (CofA) is to practice how we meet whatever we are noticing. We emphasize the quality of awareness in our noticing, more than the content of what we are noticing. The rationale is that what we meet – our circumstances – are often unpredictable, but HOW we meet our experience, and meet life, can be chosen and practiced.

Purpose

We use CofA to meet what we notice with curiosity and open-minded friendliness, with presence, time and space for our experience, moment to moment. We notice without having to know, without having to figure out. The potential is in the depth, spaciousness, and freshness with which we meet each moment - each thought, sensation, or perception. Through this ongoing practice we can develop a “witness seat,” an open-minded, open-hearted, mature place to meet our experience, inner and outer. CofA is where we practice the presence we need for Open Seat. Bit by bit, we develop the ability to be self-reflective as we contact and enter emotion, thought, and other awareness.

CofA is also a training tool at the “awareness gym.” We learn to work with both a focused awareness – staying precisely with one noticing – and a wide-angle lens – opening our view to awareness beyond what has captured our attention. This flexibility is important so that we can move past habitual noticing into new territories of awareness, and so that we develop the muscle of staying with, especially staying with what we usually avoid, suppress, or ignore.

Learning to notice the inner realm can be challenging, especially if we have no language for sensation. You can prompt yourself with specific questions around areas of sensation/feeling: movement? size? shape? location? hot/cold? texture? weight and density? Touching yourself in the area of sensation may also support your noticing.

It is important to notice the difference between what you perceive (outer realm) and what you sense (inner realm) and what you THINK about that (mind realm). For instance: I see a beautiful sunset (perception/outer) and I feel an expansion in my chest (inner/ sensation); I hear a baby cry (outer/perception) and I remember the time my child was crying as I left her at preschool (mind/thought) and then I notice a heaviness in my chest (inner/sensation).

• Our perceptions can give rise to thought and sensation.
• Our sensations can bring things to mind, which may also color our perceptions.
• Our thoughts can stimulate sensations and also be used to block sensations.

Sorting these stimuli and responses can support clearer awareness, especially regarding our habitual patterns and recognition of new possibilities. The sensations of wanting to cry (inner realm) and a dismissive attitude toward crying (thought) may be in habitual conflict. Becoming aware of that conflict could lead to recognizing alternative ways of being.

Practice

In GAP, the Continuum of Awareness is usually preceded by the other essential practices, Taking our Seat and Basic Breath Practice.

After taking your seat and a period of breath awareness, gradually open your focus and notice what is arising in any realm of awareness. What am I noticing now? …and now?.... and now? This is Continuum of Awareness. Meet what you notice with open interest and curiosity. Don’t analyze what you notice. Instead, notice and meet what arises with interest and an open mind.

Partnered Continuum of Awareness Practice
When practicing CofA with a partner, both partners practice noticing throughout the session, but each person takes a turn in the “expressive” role and the “receptive” role. The expressive person can describe or show what they are noticing. This expression alternates with a quiet period of simply noticing.

The expressive partner can choose to verbally describe what they are noticing at that moment. This is a description, not an explanation. If the expression becomes storytelling or explanation, pause and reset by returning to noticing. The expressive partner is not attempting to be understood by the silent partner. They can also choose to show what they are noticing nonverbally, through movement, breathing, or sound. After each expression, the active partner goes back to simply noticing. Noticing – expressing – noticing – expressing… After a period of time (usually 5 minutes), partners switch roles, and the second person has a turn to notice and express.

The receptive partner is lending presence and offering witness - receptive without interrupting. This is not a dialog or active exchange. The silent partner is relieved of having to understand, analyze, figure out, or help, but does make themselves available for eye contact. The silent partner practices listening and being present with their partner while staying attuned to their own experience. For instance, while I am listening and being with my partner, I am also rotating awareness to notice my own breathing and physical sensations. Sometimes I notice the light in the room or recognize an association as I hear my partner speak. Silent partner is in the practice of balancing self-awareness and “other” awareness.

Bottom Line
In GAP, Continuum of Awareness is the basis of any exploration. In each exploration, whether a partnered exercise or Open Seat, return often to CofA.

The art of continuum includes offering more time and allowing more space for each noticing without trying to get to a particular experience or goal. We are being here, moment by moment, opening to inquiry – nothing to change, accomplish or fix. Through this open ended noticing, new awareness can emerge.