Posture-Based Concentration

This concentration meditation uses the body and breath as anchors, as well as access points for what might be happening in the mind. It is a shorter meditation that can be easily done at any point during the day.

Transcript

And then I'm going to invite us into a really body-based concentration practice for breath and body. And just periodically we're going to check in with our posture, These points of posture. As a way to support our attention and our concentration. So the body often represents in its position what's happening in the mind. They influence each other. Something in the mind shifts the body. Body positioning impacts the mind. And really, They're not so separate, But we can just kind of pay attention to that. And so if it feels okay for you, You can start to pay attention to your breath. We'll do this as a three-part breath awareness. And the three parts are feeling the inhale, Feeling your exhale, And then in the space between the exhale and inhale, Feeling your whole body sitting here, Feeling the posture. So inhaling, Exhaling, Whole body sitting. You can feel the breath wherever it's easy, Wherever it's easiest. And just tracking your own natural rhythm for some breaths. Inhale, Exhale, Whole body. You can practice like this for a little bit of time in silence together. And when your mind wanders, You just come back. Notice where you are. Inhale or an exhale, Feeling the whole body. And then whatever's happening, We're going to pause and just check in with the posture. And just start at the feet, The sit bones. Just notice if you need maybe a little uplifting. Drop the chin. If it's lifted, Notice if that's happening. Lengthen the whole back of the neck and spine. And also check in with the balance. These interesting things sometimes when we get caught in the planning or active doing thoughts of the body, It actually starts to just kind of lean forward. So check in with that. Would it feel more balanced to just let your body fall back? Balance the spine a little farther back and down. And then we'll return to the breath, Awareness, Three parts. Feeling the inhale, Exhale, And then whole body sitting. Okay. And so again, Just checking in. So the mind's wandered. Notice if you're inhaling or exhaling and let yourself catch the wave of the breath again. And then one more time, Letting go of the breath and checking in. Checking in with your posture, Noticing if the spine is still long, Balancing forward and back, Softening. Taking a moment to enjoy if there's anything that feels good in your body or in your mind, Like the space around you, Just letting your attention rest. If anything that feels pleasant or peaceful. And then when you're ready, You can open your eyes and bring this practice to a close.