Have we been experiencing the breath, or observing the breath? Have we been experiencing the mind, or observing the mind? The answer is both.
Both collect data, yet experiencing and observing can feel quite different. As we experience, we register information through our perceptions in a more subjective way. As we observe, the data can feel a bit more spacious, a bit more neutral, and perhaps a bit more clear.
Observing asks something of us. It calls upon attention, intention, focus, concentration, and a measure of discernment. It invites the mind to become steady enough to remain fully present with what is happening in the moment.
Are you staying with the flow of energy and information as it moves through your experience, or have you drifted off into story? There is no need for judgment when you drift… after all, you observed it!
Happy meditating.