Focused attention practice.
Start by finding a posture that feels both relaxed and alert.
You may want to have your feet on the floor,
Your hands on your thighs.
You may keep your eyes open with a soft focus on one point on the floor in front of you.
Or you can close your eyes if you're comfortable doing so.
Allowing the spine to lift and the shoulders to relax.
Begin by connecting with your intention in doing this practice.
You may want to develop healthier ways to relate to stress.
You may want to become more focused or a more skillful leader.
Or to be at your best for others.
Or you may not have any clear intention.
You may just be interested in learning more about meditation practice or about yourself.
Remembering that our intention can change from time to time,
From a practice to the next.
We'll now practice focusing our attention.
For this practice,
The idea is to settle your attention on an anchor point or an object of attention.
This is most often a sensory anchor.
Some people use the breath,
Some people will use a sound,
Others may use a sensation.
The only requirement is that the anchor should not be difficult to detect.
If you are using an anchor other than the breath,
Choose something that is steady and constant.
Like the sound of a fan or the sensation of where your body makes contact with your chair.
Now bring your attention to this focal point.
If you are using the breath,
You may notice a movement of the abdomen or chest.
Or the sensation of air passing at the tip of the nose.
Or a sense of the whole body breathing.
If you are using sound or sensation,
You may notice the texture of that sound.
Or the warmth or pressure of the touch.
Wherever the sensation is most vivid for you,
Allowing your attention to rest there.
And for the rest of this practice,
Think of the sensation or the sound as the stabilizer of your attention.
Whenever you notice your mind has wandered,
Bring it back to this focal point.
Can you be curious and kind with yourself,
Even as you bring back your attention to your focal point?
If the attention wanders,
As soon as you notice,
Simply return to this awareness.
Gently,
Kindly.
Thoughts coming,
Thoughts going.
No need to push away or chase after.
If attention wanders,
Simply returning.
Right here,
Right now.
Now let's sit quietly for another minute,
Making just the right amount of effort to settle attention on this breath,
Or this sound,
Or this sensation.
Or just sit here,
Being aware of whatever arises for you.
No sound.
Gently opening your eyes fully,
Returning awareness to the space,
Moving or stretching in any way that would feel good for you right now.
