This meditation reminds you of three common anchors to bring you back to the present,
In moments when you are feeling uncertain or unsettled.
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down.
Allow yourself these first few moments to get as comfortable as you can in your space today.
I invite you to close your eyes if that feels safe,
Or to keep them open with a soft focus.
As you come to stillness,
Check in with the quality of your mind.
There may be some roughness or intensity in your thoughts or in your feelings.
As best you can,
Allow it to all be okay,
Including any restlessness or disquiet in your mind.
As you attune your attention to your mind,
There may be an increasing pull to follow the stories or images you find.
Imagine softening to that pull without judgment.
You don't need to push anything away,
And you don't need to follow anything either.
Allow your mind to come and go quickly or slowly.
Now shift your attention to your breath as it moves in and out of your body.
There is no effort required.
Allow the breath to move in and out as it will.
Open yourself with kindness to the breath,
Just as it is.
Notice how your body expands with your in-breath and contracts with your out-breath.
The breath can be an anchor in a storm,
Holding you steady while the storm blows on.
As you attend to the breath,
You are present,
Noticing what is here.
In this moment of breathing,
You are okay.
Briefly scan your body and allow your awareness to include physical sensations.
Briefly note each sensation as you mentally move your attention through your body,
Starting with your toes,
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your pelvis.
Send attention to your belly,
Your back,
Your chest,
And your shoulders.
Gently focusing on your hands,
Your arms,
Your neck.
Finally up into your face and finishing at the crown of your head.
The physical sensations in your body are an anchor to the present.
As you attend to sensations,
You stay in the present,
Noticing what is here.
In this moment of feeling,
You are okay.
Now allow your senses to open to sounds.
They may be sounds close by or far away.
There is no need to reach for the sounds.
They will naturally come to you.
You can simply remain aware and receive the sounds as they arise and as they pass away.
The sound is yet another anchor.
As you attend to sounds,
You are in the present.
You are noticing what is here.
In this moment of listening,
You are okay.
For the next few minutes,
I will keep an eye on the time and I will remain silent.
Allow yourself to be and to use any of these anchors to bring you back to the present when you notice yourself lost in thought or pulled by emotions.
Use whichever focus works best for you or even allow yourself to try different ones.
The mind will surely take over from time to time and that is normal.
The practice is in coming back to the present when you notice the stories pulling you away.
Thank you.
Wherever your mind is,
Choose to anchor in the present with your breath,
Your body,
Or the sounds around you.
Notice where your mind is now.
Choose to allow this experience to be just what it is.
You may have stayed present with your anchor or you may have felt more swept away.
Neither is right or wrong.
It is just your experience today.
As we close our practice,
Bring your focus once more to your breath.
Take a deep inhale and a deep exhale.
Open your eyes slowly and add gentle movement as you return to your day.
