One Thing At A Time

13:35

One Thing At A Time

by Jeannie Smith

Type

guided

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

2

When your attention is moving in several directions, this guided meditation invites you to return to one thing at a time. You’ll begin with one physical sensation, notice where the mind tries to travel, and practice letting other thoughts wait without pretending they don’t matter. Using the phrase “For this moment, this is the only thing I’m doing,” you’ll gently return to a single point of attention whenever the mind wanders. This mindfulness practice can help you feel calmer, more present, and more organized as you return to your day.

Mindfulness Focus Attention Awareness Mind Wandering Awareness Present Moment Focus

Meet your Teacher

Newport News, VA, USA

Meet your Teacher

Newport News, VA, USA

Transcript

Take a moment to find a position that feels comfortable for you. You may be sitting. Lying down. Or simply allowing yourself to become a little more settled wherever you are. There is nowhere else you need to be for these next few minutes. And there is nothing you need to accomplish here. For now. You are simply practicing. Being with one thing at a time. Begin. By noticing one physical sensation. Not every sensation in your body. Just one. Perhaps you notice the weight of your body being supported beneath you. The feeling of your hands resting. The temperature of the air against your skin. Or the natural movement of your breath somewhere in your body. Choose the sensation that asks the least of you. There is no need to make it stronger. Clearer. Or different. Trust. Notice it. Let this one sensation have your attention. For a few moments. Not because everything else has disappeared. But because, Right now. You are choosing this. You may begin to notice how quickly the mind travels. A thought appears. And another thought follows it. Something you need to remember. Something you meant to do. Conversation. A question. A plan. The mind can move in several directions. Before you even realize it has left the moment. You do not have to stop that movement. And you do not have to follow it. Simply notice. There is another direction my mind is trying to travel. Then return to the one physical sensation you chose. Feel it again. Exactly as it is now. If your attention moves away. Notice that too. No correction is needed. Just the small act of returning. The other thoughts may still be there. The things they represent may be real. Important. And waiting for you. You are not pretending, They do not matter. You are allowing them to wait. For these few moments. They do not need to be carried all at once. Nothing is being dismissed. Nothing is being erased. You are simply deciding where your attention will rest right now. Let everything else remain just outside this moment. Close enough to return later. But not asking to be handled now. Come back again to your chosen sensation. Notice whether it has changed. Or whether your experience of it has changed. Because you are giving it your full attention. Now choose one clear point of attention for the next part of this practice. You may remain with the sensation you have already chosen. Or you may choose the feeling of one breath. Entering and leaving your body. One steady sound in the room. Or one place where your body meets the surface beneath you. Choose one. And let that be enough. There may be other sounds. Other sensations. Other thoughts. They can exist without becoming the center of your attention. Stay with this one point. And quietly say to yourself. For this moment. This is the only thing I am doing. You do not need to prepare for the next moment while you are living this one. You do not need to finish a thought simply because it appeared. You can notice it. Let it wait. And return. Again, Feel the one point you have chosen. Give it your attention without gripping it. Without working hard to hold your focus in place. Attention can wander. And return. That return is the practice. Each time you come back. You're gathering yourself into the moment you are actually in. For this moment. This is the only thing I am doing. Allow a little silence here. And remain with this one experience. Now begin to notice the space around that single point of attention. You may become aware. Of more of your body again. The room around you. The sounds that have continued in the background. The day that is waiting beyond this practice. There is no need to gather every thought before you return. You do not have to pick up the whole day at once. Let your awareness widen gradually. While keeping some connection with the steadiness you found here. Perhaps notice the support beneath your body again. And take one comfortable breath. Then another. You can move into what comes next. In the same way you practiced here. Not carrying every task into every moment. Not asking your attention to be everywhere at once. But meeting one thing. And then the next. Begin to invite a little movement into your hands. Your feet. Allow your eyes to open when you are ready. And as you return. Remember. For this moment. This is the only thing I am doing.