Hello and welcome to day 25 of Insight Timer's Building Healthy Habits Challenge.
Let's take a moment to get settled.
Close your eyes,
Take a deep breath in and exhale out.
Let's dive into today's healthy habit.
Hello and welcome to the Building Healthy Habits Challenge here on Insight Timer.
My name is Chelsea Pottinger and today I will introduce you to a practice that helps you focus and be more productive.
Research has shown that meditation can even help your brain become better at focusing.
In looking at a group of meditators versus non-meditators,
Scientists saw differences in the part of the brain responsible for spontaneous thought.
The meditators had more stability and were able to focus better.
This is why this is within our interest to build this practice as it has obvious benefits when working on a deadline,
Having conversations or trying to learn something.
The aim of this session is to help you focus your mind so you can have more mental stamina and improved memory and focus.
Let's begin by taking a comfortable seated position.
Settling in here,
Straightening your spine and taking a deep breath in and release.
Placing your palms up,
Resting on your knees,
Softening your gaze and when you're ready,
Slowly closing down your eyes.
Allowing your body to completely relax,
Letting go of any tension you might have in your face,
Neck or shoulders.
Sinking deep into this moment,
Right here and let everything melt away.
In a world of constant stimulation,
We can easily become distracted and forget to focus on what is truly important to us.
Thank yourself for taking this time for you to let yourself truly relax and just be.
Today we are going to be practicing a relaxed awareness,
Focusing on your breath so that you can leave this meditation with a sense of clarity and an ability to focus on what is right for you.
Bringing all of your awareness and attention on your right pinky finger,
As you inhale,
Imagine the air flowing up through your pinky finger,
Into your head,
Through your forearm,
Up to your shoulder,
Through your neck,
Your jawline,
Your cheekbone,
All the way to the top of your head.
As you exhale,
Imagine the air being released all the way back down,
Out through your right thumb.
Let's repeat this on the right hand side once more in your own time.
Now,
Placing your attention on your left pinky finger,
Imagine the air being drawn up through your left pinky,
Into your hand,
All the way up your arm,
Shoulder,
Your neck,
To the top of your head.
And as you exhale out,
Imagine the air being released all the way back down to your left thumb.
Let's repeat this once more on your left side in your own time.
If any sensations come up,
Just observe them,
Notice them and let them pass.
If you find your mind is drifting off,
Just gently bringing it back to this moment,
Right here and right now.
Now moving your attention to the tip of your nose,
Notice the air moving through.
On the inhale,
Is it warm,
Is it cold?
Does the air move through easily?
Does it make a noise?
Notice it without judgment on the inhale and the exhale.
Now begin to visualize the air moving through your nose and down your body.
What color is it?
Is it thin or is it thick?
Take a moment here to imagine the air however you see it,
Picture it in your mind and watch it as it slowly inhales,
Then exhales out of your body.
Allowing yourself this time to focus on the present moment rather than moving from distraction to distraction means you can better focus in your day to day life.
Taking one last deep inhalation here,
Watching your breath move in,
Exhale out.
You may slowly begin to bring your attention back to this room,
To your body,
Moving your fingers,
Moving your toes,
Whenever you are ready,
Just gently opening up your eyes.
Have a beautiful day.
Namaste.
How do you feel after that session?
Calm?
Motivated?
Focused?
Please share in the comments.
One of the best times I find to do this focus meditation is in the morning as it sets the tone for my entire day and I have more focus for work and life.
Thanks for practicing with me today.
