This practice is a simple way to help you stay present and aware in each moment. By asking yourself “What’s next?”, you let things unfold naturally, without getting stuck in thoughts or judgments. It helps you create space between what happens and how you respond, so you can be more mindful and less reactive. Over time, this practice can help you feel more calm, clear, content or unburdened by what’s happening right now.
- Settle In
- Find a comfortable, quiet space to either sit or stand.
- Take a few deep breaths to center yourself. Feel the air entering your body, and allow your body to relax with each exhale.
- Awareness as Open Space
- Gently bring your attention to your body and the space around you. Notice how awareness is already present — there is no need to “find” it. Just allow it to be.
- Imagine your awareness as an open, vast space, like a clear sky or an empty field. This space has no center, no edge, and no specific point of focus. It is just open, empty, and waiting.
- Notice the First Ripple
- Allow something to arise in your awareness: a thought, a sensation, a sound. It doesn’t matter what it is, just notice it as it appears.
- This is like a ripple in the water, an object appearing in the vast space of your awareness.
- Ask, “What’s Next?”
- As you notice that first ripple, simply ask yourself: “What’s next?”
- This question is not a demand for something more, but an invitation for the next thing to unfold. It allows you to stay open, like watching the next ripple form in the water.
- Don’t force an answer or expectation. Simply notice what arises next — another thought, sensation, feeling, or sound. Observe how things move, come, and go.
- Release the Need to Control
- If your mind begins to grasp at what’s next — to hold onto the ripple or label it — gently notice that and let go.
- Trust that each ripple will come and go on its own. You don’t need to hold it or figure it out. Simply watch.
- Allow Space Between the Ripples
- As you continue, notice the moments between ripples — the gaps where nothing arises. These gaps are like the stillness between waves, the space that allows the next thing to emerge.
- Stay in this space without judgment. Let your awareness rest in the pause. Here, there’s no need to do anything — just be.
- Repeat, “What’s Next?”
- As the next ripple appears — whether a thought, a sound, or a sensation — ask again, “What’s next?”
- This question doesn’t come from a place of seeking or wanting, but from curiosity, like a child wondering what will happen next.
- End With Gentle Awareness
- After several rounds of noticing and asking, let your awareness rest in the simplicity of just being present. If your mind starts to wander, gently guide it back with the question, “What’s next?”
- When you feel ready, take a few deep breaths again, bringing your awareness back to your body and the space around you. Feel the stillness and openness that has been cultivated.
- Integration
- Carry this practice with you into the rest of your day: whenever something arises — a thought, an emotion, a moment of discomfort — pause and ask, “What’s next?”
- Notice how, without grasping, the moment unfolds with more ease.
Spiritual Gravity 