This is a focused attention meditation.
The intention of this practice is to strengthen and stabilize attention in the present moment using different sensations in the body as anchors.
Keeping in mind that guidance offered here is an invitation.
So if at any point you want to open your eyes,
Shift your body,
Adjust or stop the practice altogether,
You are welcome to do so.
Starting by finding a comfortable seated position,
One that reflects your intention to be awake and alert during this practice.
Feet flat on the floor,
Then the body upright and relaxed.
Closing your eyes if that's comfortable or just taking a soft downward gaze,
Bringing gentle attention to how things are right now.
Let's start by bringing awareness to your feet and the contact they may be making with the floor or other surface.
Perhaps noticing pressure where the feet meet the floor.
Or feeling other sensations,
Coolness,
Warmth or the sensations of your socks,
Shoes or air around your feet.
Or maybe not aware of any sensations at all.
For now,
Just resting attention on the feet.
If you notice,
You will notice at some point your mind wanders off.
And that's okay.
It's what minds do.
When this happens,
Noticing with kindness and curiosity where your mind goes and then gently bringing your attention back to your feet,
Your present anchor.
Keeping in mind that focused attention is a practice.
So the act of noticing and bringing your attention back is the practice.
So be kind to yourself and bring your attention back to your feet.
This is a practice of paying attention,
Noticing without judgment.
When the attention wanders,
Bringing it back over and over again.
Remembering that as soon as you become aware that the mind has wandered,
You are already back in the present moment.
Now if you like and you're able,
Shifting the attention to the breath,
Becoming aware of breathing.
Not changing the breath in any way,
But becoming aware of the sensations of breathing just as you are.
Feeling the sensations of the breath as it flows in and out of the body,
Inviting you not to think about breathing,
But to actually feel the sensations of the breath.
Now sometimes,
Bringing attention to the breath can create sensations of discomfort.
And if focusing on breathing is not supportive for you today,
Knowing that you can choose any other anchor for your attention that is more accessible,
Such as the feet,
Seat,
Or another familiar and supportive object for attention.
If you are continuing to focus on breathing,
Then beginning to notice where you feel the breath most vividly.
You might notice the breath at the tips of the nostrils,
Maybe even noticing that the air coming into your nostrils feel cool and the air going out feels warm.
Maybe you feel the rising and falling of the chest,
Or there may be sensations in the belly as it expands and releases.
If at any point your mind starts to wander,
It's okay.
Keep bringing it back to the present anchor,
Your breathing.
The last anchor we will explore in this practice is that of sound.
Allowing awareness of breathing to fade into the background and bringing attention to listening with the intention to receive whatever sounds are here and now.
Attending to sounds as they arise and as they linger and dissolve.
Noticing the quality of the sounds.
High pitch or low pitch,
Near or far,
Steady or pulsing.
Perhaps noticing that your mind has started labeling the sounds.
If so,
Noticing this and then returning to hearing sound for the sake of sound.
For the remainder of this practice,
Choosing an anchor that's the most supportive for you today and resting your attention there.
Perhaps using the feet,
The seat,
The breath and where you observe your breath,
Nose,
Chest or belly,
Or you could choose to rest your attention on sound.
If you aren't sure which one feels the most supportive,
You can simply choose one.
Bringing kind and curious attention to whatever is here in this moment.
Engaging in your practice by simply observing without judgment when your mind wanders and gently returning your attention to your anchor again and again.
Now,
Widening the field of your awareness to take in the entire body,
Sitting and breathing.
Taking a moment to appreciate and thank yourself for taking this time to practice.
For cultivating curiosity and openness to whatever is happening moment by moment in the experience of your life.
Knowing that by practicing regularly,
You are creating the conditions for living with greater ease and well-being,
Strengthening and stabilizing your attention in the present moment.
We are coming to the end of this practice in a few moments.
So inviting you to gently bring your awareness back into the room,
Wiggling your fingers and toes if you like,
Allowing your eyes to open gently if they've been closed and becoming aware of seeing.
Stretching if that feels good and now moving into the rest of your day with increased awareness and steadiness.
