This meditation will help you find an anchor for your mindfulness practice.
An anchor is something that gives our minds a resting place.
I like to think of the mind like a lake.
When it's a stormy day and there are lots of boats on the water and the surface is kicked up,
It's difficult to see below.
But on a calm day,
When the surface is still,
We can see through to what's underneath.
We use an anchor in meditation because it helps smooth the surface of the mind so we can see more clearly.
So let's begin.
You might take a couple of slow,
Deep breaths to settle.
Breathing in and out.
With this next breath,
You might see if your body would like to release any tension on the out-breath.
Again,
Breathing in and out.
So we'll work with a couple of different styles of anchor and you can see which one feels most accessible to you.
Let's begin with the breath.
It's the most common anchor,
Which doesn't mean it's the right anchor.
Its benefits are that it's always with you,
It's always changing,
It's easy to access.
So let your mind become aware of your body breathing.
You might notice it at your nostrils as cool air comes in with the in-breath and warm air goes out with the out-breath.
You might also notice it with the rise and fall at your chest or your belly.
For some,
It can be supportive to put your hand on one or the other or both,
Sensing the rise and fall of your breath.
Now,
We're not trying to make your breath different than it is,
Just letting it be natural and watching it,
Using the breath as a resting place for your mind.
Now for some,
The breath is an uncomfortable anchor.
This is especially true if you have suffered trauma in your life and there are other anchors to try,
And for some,
The breath just doesn't work.
So let's work with sound for a few minutes.
Now again,
We're not trying to reach out and hear the sounds.
Like the breath,
We're watching it,
We're listening,
Letting it be received.
So you could begin by sensing into any sounds that are furthest away from you,
Letting them come and go on their own,
And then sensing any sounds that are closest.
You might also sense the silence or the quiet between the sounds,
And just letting that play happen in front of you,
Letting them come and go.
Now,
The third anchor you might try is bodily sensations.
So bring your attention to your hands.
Let's start with your left hand.
You might notice the temperature,
And as you become aware of your hand,
You might also sense vibrations or tingling,
Noticing if those are moving or stationary.
Perhaps there's some beating in your hand.
And then switching to your right hand and noticing any sensations that are present there.
You can rotate between the hands.
You could also rotate between the hands and your feet.
So I will give you about 90 seconds to play around with those three anchors.
And you're not trying to get it right.
You're only seeing which one feels easiest for you.
So the breath,
Sound,
Or bodily sensations.
And now,
As you were doing that,
Inevitably,
Your mind got distracted.
Our minds are made to come up with thoughts,
So this isn't a problem.
In fact,
Mindfulness isn't about getting rid of thoughts.
It's about noticing them.
So this practice,
The anchor,
Helps you have something to return to.
So every time you get distracted,
When you notice you're distracted,
You gently return your attention to the anchor.
You can always begin again,
And this isn't a moment of failure.
It's a moment of waking up,
And that's the whole practice.
When we wake up,
We notice what we're up to,
And then we have a choice about what to do with it.
So we're bringing gentle attention,
Kind attention,
And treating ourselves with such compassion.
We'll close with a wish.
May all beings come back home to themselves.
You can continue sitting in this way for as long as you'd like,
Or whenever you're ready,
You might stretch your arms.
Sense your body in space.
Sense into your surroundings.
Whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes and return to your day.
Thank you.
