IMS Retreat 2012 Q&A Group D No.1 (55:28-57:48)
Yogi: When do I do more directed awareness of a primary object such as anapana and body awareness versus choiceless awareness?
Sayadaw: Choiceless awareness is a function of being able to rest in awarenesss.
When you rest in the awareness, then the awareness is aware of different things and it feels choiceless but the awareness is constantly aware of something or the other at any time.
If the awareness has not enough power, then you can’t do that. You then don’t have a choice; you have to go back to being aware of one thing at a time in order to build it back into that seat.