Hello and welcome to this dropping anchor practice today.
This practice can be useful in times when we feel ourselves becoming overwhelmed by strong feelings and emotions.
Whether it is anger,
Sadness,
Frustration,
A sense of being overwhelmed or out of control.
With these emotions,
Often comes difficult thoughts and sensations in our body which can be destabilizing.
But while uncomfortable,
Experiencing these emotions is normal and is part of what it is to be human.
During these times,
It can be useful to drop anchor,
To steady ourselves as we wait for the emotional storm to pass.
So to get started today,
You are invited to get comfortable in whatever position you currently find yourself.
Feet or heels securely resting on the ground,
Feeling your back or thighs against the surface on which they sit or lay.
Eyes closed or diverted downwards.
And picturing a boat out to sea as a storm hits.
Where the water was once calm and easy to navigate,
All of a sudden the waves start to swell.
The water becomes more choppy and unpredictable as the waves grow larger and larger until the point where the boat is being tossed around violently.
Fighting against the storm or doing nothing could lead to the boat sinking or veering far off course.
So at these times,
The safest action is to drop anchor and wait for the storm to pass.
When you're ready,
I invite you to bring to mind a problem that you are currently struggling with.
A situation that is creating an emotional storm in your life.
Whether it be something that has recently happened or something that happened long ago that keeps showing up for you in some way.
Just taking a few moments to reflect on this problem.
What images arise for you?
Is there a specific scene that comes to mind?
A specific location.
Thinking about where you are and who you are with.
Visualizing what is taking place.
And as you do that,
Just taking a moment to tune into your body.
Noticing the emotions and feelings that are present.
Notice the thoughts that are going on inside your head.
Out of ten,
How consumed are you by these emotions and thoughts?
Notice them and then take a deep breath.
Focusing in on the breath as it enters your nose,
Travels down to your belly and then exits your mouth.
Taking a moment to breathe.
Breathing in through the nose,
Noticing the sensation,
Filling your belly with air and exhaling through your mouth.
And now focus back to the emotions and thoughts that are present.
Noticing the sensations in your body that take place alongside these emotions and thoughts.
Now placing your fingertips together in front of your body and extending out your arms,
Moving them back and forth in front of your body and behind.
Really in whatever way feels good for you.
Just noticing that you have control over your arms.
Pressing your fingertips together and just noticing the sensation.
Noticing the feeling as you move your arms.
How does it feel to move your arms?
Pushing your feet into the floor whether you're sitting or standing.
Can you feel your feet grounded firmly on the floor?
Noticing how this feels.
And as you bring your arms and feet to a rest,
Now tuning back into the emotions,
Thoughts and sensations you're experiencing.
Yes,
They're still there.
Taking a moment to acknowledge that there is pain here.
Take a moment to acknowledge that it's challenging and difficult.
Name the pain.
Here is anger or here is fear or here is sadness.
And just notice that while there are painful thoughts and feelings here,
That there is a whole body around the pain that is holding it and containing it.
And that even when we're experiencing painful thoughts and feelings,
That we still have control over our body.
You're still able to move your arms and just moving your arms now again.
Stretching or moving them in front of your body and behind.
Once again feeling your feet grounded into the floor.
Notice that you're able to move your arms,
Your legs,
Your feet,
That you're able to have control over your body while you're experiencing these emotions and these thoughts.
Now opening your eyes and looking around.
Looking around you and noticing what you can see.
Can you name five things that you can see?
Say them out loud.
Now check in with your thoughts and emotions and now moving your arms around again.
Pushing your feet into the floor.
Noticing how this feels.
Now can you notice four things that you can hear?
Name them out loud.
Checking in on your thoughts and emotions.
Whilst also noticing that you can see,
That you can hear and that you have control over your body.
Now checking in.
Out of ten,
How consumed are you currently by these difficult thoughts and feelings?
Do you have more control over your body and your actions now?
Do you feel more present?
The emotions and the thoughts that we experience at times will not disappear.
That is not the aim,
Of this exercise.
The aim is to notice that while we all experience emotional storms at times,
We are still able to control our actions and focus our attention on what's most important here and now.
And you can continue this practice of noticing your thoughts and feelings whilst also moving your body.
Checking in with what you can see and what you can hear around you for as long as it feels right for you to do so.
