How to do ADA correctly?

[cyancat]

Can I just mark all my senses off like a checklist? Like for example, first I observe everything around me, then I go to how everything feels, taste, smells, ect... or do I have to do it ALL at the same time because I find that to be really hard?

[Zoth]

You're mistaking it with focus. Awareness is completely different from focus. The goal is not to close your attention in what you see, hear, taste or smell, but simply be aware of them. I'll give you an example: when I leave home, I clean my mind from the multitude of thoughts and simply walk while feeling the sun on my head, my clothes in my body, the air going around me. I'm not focusing on them, I'm just aware, in the same way you can be reading a book but still realize if a person walks in front of you. You cannot be aware the whole time, just as you can't focus on something forever. So ADA it's all about mindfulness or your ability to perceive each moment, each sensation, without concentrating on it. Hope this made sense. Although Sageous probably doesn't advocate it as ADA (the awareness he talks on his thread goes beyond sensations), I strongly suggest you to give a read at his thread, it's really excellent if you want to grab a concept of awareness.

[cyancat]

Thank you so much, zoth00! That helped a lot! I will definitely be reading sageous's thread.

[jamesninja]

I cant do the sight part of ADA because i get too much eye strain but i can do everything else. What can i do to make up for it?