Awareness
Let us begin where most would end. We start with becoming more natural. In order to attain a natural feel in the most trying situations you must first start by feeling natural in idle situations. Naturalness comes from a point of knowing that all is well. That all is as you would have it be. This is the mindset you must first observe. During daily activity be aware that all is well. If you are distressed, anxious, or nervous, and find it hard to assure yourself that all is well, you can recall to yourself that this exercise is part of your training. Relax yourself by observing the thought that you are in training and even stress cannot deter you from your awareness training.
Awareness training is the first true lesson of any form of Ninjutsu. Knowing that all is well is the fastest path to being fully aware. It can sometimes begin as a constant vigil of the environment as you move about your day. After sometime you will notice that you are holding your breath and exerting unnecessary energies trying to take everything in through your senses. If this happens begin to focus more on your breathing rhythm, and the internal knowing that all is as it should be. Some call it faith. True awareness comes from having the entire being available to freely react. The distress of trying to see everything at once dampens the peripheral aspects of senses like vision, hearing, and touch. Try and relax. To discipline the body is to feed the spirit. This lesson may seem small, but it is truly an enormous task to remain aware. This lesson will come, in time, to be the most trying lesson of your apprenticeship.