There are many more uses for being aware of your environment than fighting!
Believe it or not, whenever I need to find my family in Wal-Mart, I often use these techniques.
I first close my eyes and get very still. I enter a lightly relaxed state and visualize my conciousness expanding to fill an area much larger that myself. It's really an interesting sensation.
When I feel that I am ready, I open my eyes and begin walking.
Using this method, I can always find them in a fraction of the time.

I have also used this method in tracking people in the mountains.
Try it sitting on a rock beside a stream or deep within the woods. It is amazing how much we filter out.