Sati Pasala NSW and ACT Reflection Reporting

Sehansa
Mindful Sitting
My main focus was on my breathing. Although I did get distracted a few times, I managed to to bring back my focus. When I was focusing on my breathing I was able to notice that every time I inhale the air is cooler than when I exhale.

Senuli De Alwis

Mindful Walking

During mindful walking I focused on the sole of my foot as well of the changes of the temperature in my surroundings. During the walk there was a consistent warmth coming from the floor as I moved. I allowed myself to realise this and slowly focused back to the soles of my feet. I could keep mindful for 15-20 steps but would soon realise that my monkey had jumped from one thought to another without me realising. After I knew this had happened I slowly brought my mind back. After bringing my mind back I focused that I knew I was walking and that I could feel the sole of my foot on the ground.

Mindful Sitting

During mindful sitting I focused on my breath. As I inhaled my breath was cold but as I exhaled my breath was cold. As this continued I realised that whether I inhaled or exhaled my breath was always warm. I could keep focus for 20-30 breaths before my mind wandered to a thought. Knowing this has happened I slowly brought my mind back and continued to focus on my breath. After sometime I became restless and began to move as I was feeling uncomfortable. When I realised this I tried bring my mind to my breathing to distract myself from the restlessness.

Pahandee Kodituwakku

Mindful Sitting
As I began meditating, I brought my focus to my breath. I noticed how long breaths were taken when breathing in whereas short breaths were taken when breathing out, observing how the temperature would change varying each breath. I was able to keep my mind from wandering for around 30 breaths at a time, coming back to the present moment once a certain thought ended or whether there was a disturbance. Further into the meditation, I brought my focus to my sitting posture, observing the pressure of my feet against one another and how it would gradually increase throughout the session.

Sanindu Patabendige (NSW)

Mindful Walking:
- During the mindful walking practice, my primary focus was to count the steps I took, which was 556 on each foot, and to observe the sensations that my feet felt when walking. At the beginning of the practise, my mind often wandered since I has just come back from cycling, but after a few minutes, it settled down I began counting my steps and perceiving the sensations that I felt through my feet. When walking, I constantly felt the carpet brushing my feet as I took each step, the heel touching the ground before the arch and the toes. Sometimes I slightly lost my balance during the direction changes when I turned a little too slowly or quickly. Occasionally other unwanted thoughts crept into my mind, but I sent those thoughts to the back of my mind and focused even more on the walking. Eventually, those unbidden thoughts disappeared as I completely ignored them and doubled my focus on the steps and the sensations of my feet when walking.

Mindful Sitting:
- When mindfully sitting, I focused on my in breaths and out breaths since they were my primary focal point. I counted the number of in breaths and out breaths and at the end of the session, I tallied 247 inhales and 247 exhales. Although my primary focal point was my breaths, I also came to notice the sensations that I felt during this period. I felt slight tingling
sensations in my calves and thighs, and I also felt the touch of one foot on one thigh, and one thigh on one foot, since I was sitting in the half lotus position. My breaths were slow and even, and I felt my lips beginning to dry, because I was breathing in and out of my nose. I also noticed that when I inhaled, my upper body (torso) would rise and when I exhaled, it would fall. Since I was sitting a few centimetres away from the wall, my upper body would move away from the wall when inhaling, and my spine would barely brush the wall when I was exhaling.

Sasmin

In the mindful walking activity I focused on my heel going on the hard wooden floor and I would also observe my toes pushing as I would bring my back foot in front of my front foot.
I could also focus on my foot for 25 steps until I get distracted.

In the mindful sitting I focused on my breath coming into my nose and going out through my nose. I could usually focus on my breath for 15 times before I get distracted.

Ranuk.dassanayake

Mindful Sitting: As I closed my eyes the sound of a car passing went through one ear and came out the other. The sounds of birds tweeting caught my attention. Afterwards I heard the sounds of footsteps coming louder then quieter and the. I felt a cold gentle breeze hit me as I breathed in and out. I felt pressure from my buttocks touching the pillow and my shoulders were relaxed and so was my mind. I felt a tension between my back and the wall behind me.
Mindful walking: The number of steps between my spot and my destination was 23-27 steps and in the given time I did 37 laps. Every second that passed I would take a step feeling the coldness of the floor touch my feet. I noticed my hands behind me were locked together and I kept a steady pace throughout the session.

Akain

In mindful walking I felt my foot squashing the mat. I did 25 steps until I get distracted.

In mindful Sitting I felt my lungs breathing air. I could do 7 breaths until I get distracted.

Mindul Walking - Akith Perera
In mindful walking, I tried to focus on the lower part of my body, specifically the sole of my foot. First, I noticed the left and right foot touching the ground and later on, I started to notice the cold sensation of the tiled floor. I noticed this for about 5 to 10 laps. I had a short walking path today, and it felt very hard because of the tiled floor. So while I walked, I could feel that my bottom jaw kept hitting my top jaw. As I continued, I realised it was the vibrations that were coming when my foot hit the ground as I could feel it in my knee. This sensation continued throughout the entire practice and I focussed on it as it was the most prominent. I was mindful of this for about 8 laps before my mind wondered off. To bring my mind back, I also used this sensation, as sometimes, my teeth hurt if the vibration is too much. Most of the time I felt it in my back teeth and sometimes a sound is made. When I turn direction, I don't feel the sensation that much as my feet are kept more softly and it is usually a soft part of my foot which touches the ground, absorbing the impact of the floor. As well as this, sometimes my foot would touch the creases in the floor, which are made of a substance that holds the tiles together. When this happened, I felt a sharper sensation from the corner of the tile.

Medhavi De Alwis

Mindful Walking
Before starting mindful walking a selected a wooden path of around 10 metres. When I started walking I first noted that the texture of the ground was rough but despite this I couldn't sense much against my sole of my foot. However when I walked on top of the mat that was along the path the sensations that I felt on the sole of my foot became more prominent as I could feel the patterns on the mat. When I started a new round, I noticed that at the beginning of that round the shift between weight from one foot to another was considerably more noticeable than when i felt it at end of the path. Specifically when I turned around, I noticed that the shifting of weight still continues, however it occurs in a more subtle manner, because instead of walking you are essentially jyour weight is only slightly moving from one side to the other. I also gathered that when I pace becomes slower through the session, my pace length also reduces. I was able to maintain mindfulness on the sole of my foot for around 30-40paces.

Mindful Sitting
In the mindful sitting session, i first sat in a comfortable posture. In this session, when I inhaled and exhaled there was only a slight difference in temperature however the depth of my breath was very noticeable. When inhaling, my breath itself felt deep however when I exhaled the falling of my stomach was more prominent than my breath. Also I noticed a small gap between when I inhaled and exhaled however this gap lessened throughout the practice. Further along the session, I felt that my left nostril would breathe in more air compared to my right nostril, as I could feel my breath touch the lower part of my nostril when I exhaled from my left nostril but not from my right nostril. In this mindful sitting session I was able to maintain mindfulness on my breath for around 35 breaths.

Suhanya Ranasinghe

Mindful Walking

At the beginning of the mindful walking session, I felt very tired but after walking a couple of laps at my normal pace, I felt more awake and alert. Having my full attention of mindful walking, I was able to observe the slight coldness of the tiles I could feel through my socks. I also observed the sounds of the cars and the feeling of my skin touching my clothes. After I had become fully aware of my surroundings, I moved my focus onto the movement of my feet. After observing how my feet moved, I found out that one of my feet was always moving across the air while the different parts of the sole of my foot on the other foot touched the ground. I was able to keep my attention on the movement of my feet for around 25-30 steps at a time before getting distracted. I usually find out that I'm distracted by asking myself, "Am I observing the movement of my feet?". If not, then I will gently bring my attention back to my focus. Overall, I am happy about the mindful walking as I was able to change from being tired to relaxed.

Mindful Sitting

Before I started mindful sitting, I scanned my entire body, observing any places of pressure or touching points of my body to the chair. Then, I began observing the rising and falling of my chest. I was only able to keep my attention for around 10 breaths at a time because the movement was so subtle and it was easy for my mind to wander off. So, I decided to move my focus onto the cold air going in and the warm air coming out of my nostrils. This method was more effective for me as I was able to keep my attention for 20-25 breaths before getting distracted. Whenever I discovered that I was distracted, I would gently bring my focus back to the sensation of air moving in and out of my nose. I continued to do so until I heard the bell ring.