Anchoring to a sense of peace in a chaotic world.
Breathing Meditation Welcome to mindfulness meditation.
My name is Robin Albertson-Wren and in this session we are going to practice a technique called anchor breathing which is a wonderful technique for helping to keep one grounded in busy or stressful situations.
Begin by finding yourself in a comfortable position.
Feet flat on the floor or tucked up beneath you.
Gently closing your eyes if that feels comfortable.
Otherwise,
Simply resting your gaze on a spot in front of you.
In this anchor breathing practice,
I'd like you to imagine that you are on the water,
On a boat,
Or some sort of flotation device,
And that you feel totally safe and comfortable.
If imagining water is not comfortable for you,
Then perhaps you can picture yourself in a meadow.
Perhaps lying there,
Safely connected to the earth.
Or in a tree with the sturdy branches and trunk supporting you there.
Or perhaps imagining yourself in your own cozy bed.
Picturing yourself in your happy place.
Comfortable,
Safe and supported.
Imagine yourself there.
Notice the time of day.
The time of year.
Are you inside?
Or outside?
What is the weather?
Imagine that you look up.
You may notice clouds,
Or birds,
Sunlight,
Or stars.
Perhaps the ceiling of your room.
And you breathe in deeply and think,
Ah,
I love it here.
I want to stay right here.
And then you look down.
Perhaps into the water.
To the reflection of sunlight,
Or moonlight.
Perhaps you can see down into the water to the bottom of the pool.
Or perhaps you're aware of fish,
Or plant life beneath you.
Perhaps you see through the branches to the strong trunk and the roots of the tree.
Or to the meadow plant life,
Or animals,
Flowers,
Or insects around you.
Perhaps you're aware of your own cozy blankets or pillows.
And again you think,
I love it here.
I just want to stay right here.
So what do you do?
If you're on the water,
Imagine that you have an anchor that you can throw overboard.
And it has just the right amount of chain or rope to settle down to the surface beneath you.
To the bottom of the pool,
Or to the sand,
Or stones,
Mud or seaweed.
And it keeps you grounded right there.
You may float a little bit to the right or left,
But basically you are grounded.
Perhaps you reach out and feel the strong support of the tree,
Or of earth beneath you.
Maybe you can sense the sturdiness of your furniture holding you,
Connecting you to your space,
Allowing yourself here to be gently held by the gravity of the planet.
You are basically anchored.
We all have anchor spots on our physical beings as well.
I will share three with you today.
The first is at your belly,
Your core.
So place your hands there at your core,
One on top of the other.
Breathe in and allow your stomach to expand like a balloon.
Breathing out,
Pull your belly button back towards your spinal column,
Allowing your core to contract,
Expanding and contracting.
Breathing in and breathing out.
The second anchor spot is at your chest and lungs.
Take a moment to rest one hand on top of the other,
Right over your own heart,
Noticing the rise and fall of your ribcage as you breathe in and out.
Breathing in,
Holding it for a second or two,
Breathing out and releasing.
Inhaling and letting go.
The third anchor spot is at your nose and mouth.
For this,
You are going to cup your hands together and place them two to three inches away from your nose and mouth,
Following the flow of air,
Any temperature changes that you notice,
In and out,
And once more at your own pace.
Take a moment to check in with yourself.
Notice how you feel in your thoughts,
In your muscles.
We are going to practice three more breaths at your favorite anchor spot.
So notice if one spot felt most comfortable for you or resonated with you in some way.
You may also want to try a combination.
I have a friend who likes to put the fingertips of one hand on her forehead so she can feel the breath on the palm of her hand and her other hand resting at her belly.
So again,
Choosing your favorite anchor spot and focusing your attention right there as you breathe in and out.
Inhaling and exhaling and a third time on your own.
Pausing here for a moment and recognizing that anchor breathing is free and always available.
We just have to remember to tap into it.
What a gift it is to be able to breathe without having to think about it all the time.
Take a moment to send a little gratitude towards your breath,
Working for you all the time.
We tend not to notice it unless we are sick or having trouble breathing.
Consider then that you might want to check in with your breath.
To take three breaths at your favorite anchor spot and really notice it at certain points during your day,
During your busy life.
Consider where and when you can envision using anchor breathing in your life.
Perhaps before an exam or performance match or game Perhaps before engaging in a difficult conversation.
Consider taking an intentional breath at a stoplight or as you use your fob to go through a doorway or before opening your laptop.
Now imagine that your only job is to listen to the sound of the bell staying with the sound until it completely disappears.
Taking a deep breath in and as you are ready,
Slowly blinking open your eyes to readjust to the light and to your space.
Perhaps keeping your gaze downward at first and taking a moment to set an intention for yourself.
An intention being a word or phrase to guide you as you leave this space and head out into the world.
Recognizing that an intention is different from a goal or a to-do list.
How do you want to be in the world?
Perhaps your intention is breathe or slow down or listen.
Whatever it is,
Tucking it away in your heart,
In your mind to carry with you into the rest of your day or night.
Thank you.
