Today we're going to anchor our awareness in the present moment through breath,
A practice I like to call the breathing anchor.
Just like an anchor that keeps a ship steady,
This practice will help you root yourself in the here and now,
Allowing you to dissolve anxiety,
Decrease stress,
And invite a peaceful state of relaxation.
And so it begins.
Find a comfortable position,
Allowing your body to settle into the support beneath you.
You can do this practice while sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Or even walking,
Whatever feels best for you.
If you're sitting,
Let your spine follow its natural curves.
Settle into a posture that feels dignified,
Yet relaxed.
Allow your body to rest down into gravity,
Supported by the floor beneath you.
Close your eyes gently if that's comfortable,
Or simply soften your gaze.
This will help your awareness settle by lessening external distractions.
Now,
Gradually allow your awareness to gather around the sensations of the breath in your body.
Notice where you feel the breath most strongly,
Maybe in your chest,
Your belly,
Or in the rise and fall of your shoulders.
Be curious about your actual experience,
Letting go of any expectations,
And simply being with your breath without judgment.
Gently rest your awareness within your entire torso.
Feel your belly swelling with each in-breath and subsiding with each out-breath.
Can you also feel any movement in the sides and the back of your body as you breathe?
Gradually inhabit your body a little more deeply,
With a sense of kindly curiosity toward whatever you're experiencing as you breathe.
Remember to be accepting of whatever's happening.
There's no right or wrong here.
Now see if you can cultivate a precise awareness of the sensations and movements of the breath in your body as they happen,
Moment by moment.
Allow your awareness to be utterly receptive as it rests upon the natural movement of your breath.
Let your breath be saturated with kindness,
Rocking and cradling your body,
Soothing any stress,
Pain,
Or discomfort you may feel.
Now bring your awareness to any thoughts or emotions that arise.
Remember,
Mindfulness isn't about having a blank mind.
It's normal to think.
Mindfulness is about cultivating awareness of what is actually happening physically,
Mentally,
And emotionally,
So you can gradually change your perspective and feel more empowered in how you relate to life.
Can you observe your thoughts and emotions without getting caught up in them?
Notice them as they are,
Just thoughts,
Just feelings,
Without blocking them or becoming overwhelmed by them.
And remember,
Thoughts are not facts,
Even though we often believe they are.
As you develop perspective on your thoughts and emotions,
Including the ones that undermine you,
See if you can let go of being so caught up in them.
Notice how your thoughts and emotions continually change from one moment to the next,
Just like your breath.
They are not as fixed or solid as you might have thought.
Use your breath as an anchor for your mind.
Each time your awareness wanders,
Simply note it and gently return to the breath time after time,
Moment by moment.
Be kind and patient with yourself,
Even if you have to start again a hundred times.
This is what the practice is all about.
Each time you notice your mind has wandered,
It's a magic moment of awareness,
A moment where you've woken up from distraction and can choose to return to the breath.
When you catch yourself wandering,
Know that you're succeeding in the practice just as much as when you manage to stay with the breath.
What's happening now?
What are you thinking?
Just note this and gently guide your awareness back to the sensation of the breath in your body over and over again.
Now,
As we gently bring this breathing anchor practice to a close,
Begin to open your eyes if they were closed and bring your awareness to the sounds around you,
Both inside and outside the room.
Feel your whole body and gradually,
Gently begin to move,
Making sure you give yourself time to smoothly transition from this practice to whatever you're doing next.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Remember,
The more you anchor yourself in the breath,
The more grounded and present you will become,
No matter what life brings your way.
