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So I read Yoshi's tutorial on ADA, and I really want to get more vivid and lifelike dreams. But is anyone else finding starting out ADA is hard? I get distracted easily and it's hard to multitask senses so does anyone have any tips to make my sessions easier?
You always have access to the awareness because there is only one thing to have awareness of and that is the now.
Here is a seminar where Eckhart Tolle discuss how to be present:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTFDfR47dl4
I have noticed that when I am more focused on the actual world instead of stimultation such as music, tv and thoughts to name a few, I experience more awareness in my dreams as well. :) So if you can sacrifice some modern habits that overload your brain you can enjoy the awareness that comes with it.
We usually read the obvious statement: If we practise awareness when we are awake, we will be more aware in our dreams.
But this awareness is usually refered to make a reality check to see if we are awake or in a dream, and well if reality checks is all that we practise then our lucidity will dissapear as soon as it came because it's not really a practise of maintained awareness.
So to really enjoy the actual world, by listening to the sounds, quieting down the thoughts and just be attentive and be in the moment is more beneficial in my opinion. And it's less awkward than reality checks as well. :P
We are as children naturally in the now, the colors are bright, the sounds are beautiful, the work is play but then as we get older we become more focused on our thoughts than the present moment or the actual world. So this is what I do, instead of calling it a practise of awareness I see it as a reminder of awareness. If I am on the bus home from work and have nothing to do, I just realize the fact that I have been in my thoughts and I listen and like a guided relaxation tape I ask myself "What do I see? What do I hear? How do I feel?" and as I use my awareness to answer these questions I get more and more drawn into the moment. Now I usually just listen and just observe the sound without analysing what it is, just like your thoughts in regular meditation.
So instead of experiencing a stream of thinking that made me anxious like this: "Sigh.. It will be so nice to get home, so stressful at work today. I got so much to do... I wonder what I will eat when I get home. Ah.. maybe I don't have enough groceries and I have to go to the mall this late... How has my life come to this... And I need to clean later on as well I got a date tomorrow. I hope all goes well. Cra* I have not worked out this week! Oh I am so pathetic I promised myself to go to the gym! Why can I never stay on track...
Why is she looking at me so weird, do I have something in my face? Or am I ugly?"
I just experience: The moment for what it is, not for what I make it to be in my mind. And the moment isn't something that can be described to yourself, because if you have to describe it you have to use language and if you use language you are thinking and if you are thinking you are not in the moment! xD
Imagine having all those self-image thoughts in a dream. Which leaves you so busy thinking about a thought... That makes it's practically impossible for you to notice your environment. Or to just see the dream for what it is and then ONE thought pop up "Hmm this is weird oh I must be dreaming."
I made a thread about how to approach ADA that you can check out in my signature
Pro Tip: Don't over do it. Once you start stressing out to keep ADA going, it will start to work against you and you won't make anymore progress at times.
Pace yourself and stay motivated. Eventually ADA will become a part of you like a second nature of you stick with it long enough. Until then, keep pushing yourself and it will pay off in the end with nightly LDs.