During this time of year, as the leaves fall from the trees in Central Park, the evergreens emerge more vibrantly than they do during the spring and summer months. This is their time of year to come into the foreground of awareness. As I walked through the park the other day, and began to notice the evergreens in a way I haven’t since last winter, my mind drifted to the dynamics of foreground/ background.

One of my favorite centering exercises is to move my awareness to the background of stillness that exists within and behind every possible moment of experience. It’s a home base I return to again and again, simply by shifting my attention from the foreground activity of my thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions to the background presence of the profound and infinite stillness that’s always there when I remember to pay attention to it.
As I looked at the evergreens, I began to wonder about other kinds of subtle shifts from foreground to background and from background to foreground may be present all the time, but remain unnoticed. I played with this idea as I walked out of the park and along the streets of New York City. My foreground awareness generally focuses on whatever is loudest, brightest, or most beautiful to me. This day, I shifted and looked at what else was around – the sounds and smells that weren’t loud or offensive, but are always present when I bother to pay attention to them. In my home, I took some time to look at parts of my living space that I ordinarily walk by without noticing and discovered some piles of books I need to explore to see what I put there and then forgot. In my office, I noticed that when I’m engaged with a client, my awareness stays in the present moment of whatever might be happening in the room with that person. Between sessions, I’m much more aware of the sounds outside – the traffic, people walking by, murmurings in other parts of the building.

For this month’s experiment, I invite you to play with paying attention to the subtleties in your life that you may take for granted and may not notice most of the time. For example, in the landscape around you, what do you usually overlook as you take in the view? What’s “behind” the brightest, or most beautiful, objects that usually capture your attention? Sometimes, the subtle presences in the background hold surprising beauty or delight.
As with all the experiments, let this one represent a journey of continuing curiosity and discovery. There are never any right answers to these explorations. Instead, as always, they invite you simply to become more aware, and more familiar with the tone and quality of your ongoing awareness.

Click Here for Other Weeks in This Series:

Home Page