In today's sit we're going to be working with our anchor spot.
Our anchor spot is where we feel the breath the strongest in our body.
Just like a ship needs an anchor to find stillness or be in one place through a big storm or through the night.
Our anchor spot is a place in our body where we can usually find the breath.
No matter how chaotic or how peaceful we feel we can go to that spot and find the inhale and the exhale.
So gently get into your mindful position,
Feet flat on the ground.
I've got my spine in a line,
I've got my hands in my lap,
And I've got my heart to the sky.
Now close your eyes and wait for the sound of the bell and just stay with sound to start the sit.
And as the sound fades away just find your stillness,
Find your strong but relaxed position,
And allow yourself to fully be present in the here and now.
And just start with finding your feet on the floor,
Noticing what it feels like,
And noticing how it feels to be in a chair,
If the chair feels soft or hard,
If you feel any temperatures,
Just noticing where your hands are and finding that beautiful stillness.
Now let's take a deep breath in,
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
And allow ourselves to calm the mind and calm the body,
And come to our breathing.
Just bringing your attention to where you find the inhale,
The space in between,
And the exhale.
And just let your natural breath be there.
Now as we notice,
Thoughts will start arising and distracting us.
We might even start feeling some body sensations,
Discomfort,
Or some areas that feel good.
Either way,
We're just bringing that non-judgmental attention to our breath.
And knowing that our breath is the foundational skill in mindfulness,
Let's remember that it's also something that can be very challenging to pay attention to.
So today we're going to introduce the anchor spot.
So first,
Put your hand about an inch away from your nose,
With it being open,
And notice any sensations of breath from your nostrils to your hand.
You'll feel the warmer air on the exhale coming to your hand.
Just bring attention to what it feels like to breathe,
And pay attention to that one spot.
Now move your hand to your chest.
Notice how it gets bigger and expands,
And then how it contracts and gets smaller.
Notice the movements of the body with each breath.
And now move your hand to your stomach.
Notice the rise and the fall,
And the space in between.
Now pick one of those spots that you feel the breath the strongest.
Stomach,
Chest,
Or even just noticing the air in and out of your nose.
That will be your anchor spot.
For the next 30 seconds,
Focus on your breathing in and out of that spot.
Sounds,
Thoughts,
Distractions will happen.
Just come back to your anchor spot.
It's right there for you all the time.
And remember that that spot can help you when you need your breath to self-regulate,
Or to calm down,
Or to pay attention.
Just find that anchor spot,
And we'll end it with the sound of the bell.
Be present.
Make today a mindful day.
