Many things can be explored within natural rest:
Notice. Allow. Notice sensations, images, words. Any content of experience that’s already here. Allow it to be as it is.
This one is closer to conventional, and may appear more effortful than it needs to be.
Notice what’s here is already noticed. It’s already allowed. (Notice how effortless it is, just a slight shift of attention.)
Here, we may notice how effortless it can be. It’s just about noticing what’s already happening, in a more intentional way.
Notice the space it’s happening within. Notice that any imagined boundaries also happens within this boundless space.
From the narrow focus on having attention only on content of experience, we expand attention to include the boundless space any content of experience happens within. We can also notice the strongest current contraction in the body, and then notice the space it’s happening within.
Notice the awareness it’s all happening within. Notice that this content of experience happens within and as awareness.
This is one of the “backwards steps”, where the attention and noticing goes to awareness itself, and any content of experience already as awareness. Again, it’s just noticing what’s already here. Nothing needs to change or be added, it’s just a simple and gentle noticing of what’s already here.
Notice and feel any impulse to change content of experience. Any resistance. Any restlessness. Rest with these sensations. Notice. Allow. Notice they are already noticed and allowed. Notice the space they are happening within.
This shifts identification out of these impulses and they are instead noticed as content of experience.
Notice what feels the most as me or I, the observer, doer. Notice and feel the sensations. Notice and look at any images associated with it.
Again, this can shift identification out of these sensations and images (or words) and they are noticed as content of experience.
And so on. We can explore contractions further, by noticing what images and words are connected with them and staying with feeling the sensations while noticing the space. We can explore apparent threats, objects, compulsions. Anything that seems solid and real.