This is a focused attention meditation.
It's a foundational mindfulness practice that can help us strengthen our ability to direct our attention and also sustain our attention.
We do this by focusing on a particular object of awareness and then noticing when our mind wanders.
And when it does,
We simply acknowledge where it's gone and then return our attention to our chosen focal point.
And we'll begin by choosing a posture that will be supportive for you based on how you're feeling right now.
So that might be sitting in a chair or on a couch or a cushion.
That might be lying down,
Outstretched on your back.
Or if you have any issues with your lower back,
Any challenges,
You might put some cushions under your knees.
Or you might try lifting your feet and resting them on a couch or a chair,
Whatever feels like the right height to relieve pressure from the low back.
Or you might prefer to stand for this practice.
So any of these postures is fine.
You can just take a moment to gather what you need to be comfortable and get yourself situated,
Allowing yourself to settle into a posture that is both supportive of relaxation and alertness.
So transitioning slowly and gently from wherever you were just a moment ago,
Whatever you were doing,
To landing right here.
Beginning to take in the space around you with your sense of sight and your sense of hearing.
Sensing light and shadows and sounds.
Becoming aware of the time and the day.
Settling right here.
And as you're ready,
You can bring your attention inward by lowering your gaze and softening your focus,
Or by closing your eyes.
And starting to notice how things are for you right now.
Tuning into the body and noticing how you're feeling physically.
Becoming aware of whatever emotions are present.
And also noticing what's on the mind.
Seeing if you can invite the attitude to be open and friendly and curious.
Willing to be with whatever's here.
As we settle in in this way,
We can notice where there's clenching in the body.
And where there's tightness that we're holding onto,
We can release and allow that tightness to dissipate.
And where there's tension that can't be released,
We can just acknowledge that it's here and let it be.
Just give it some space to ebb and flow on its own.
So bringing the attention to the forehead,
Allowing it to be smooth,
Allowing the brow to be smooth,
Softening the muscles of the face,
Unlocking the jaw,
Releasing the shoulders,
Letting the arms and hands and fingers be heavy,
And softening the abdomen.
Allowing the leg muscles to release,
The feet to relax,
Relaxing along the back of the body as well.
Lightly scanning your body,
Noticing if there's any other clenching happening.
And where you can soften,
Allow that to happen.
Making any little adjustments to your posture that will allow you to be as comfortable as possible,
While also remaining alert.
And we'll try a few different anchors for the attention,
Testing them out to see which one feels the most accessible and the most neutral for you,
And then you'll have the opportunity to work with that one for a few minutes.
So we'll begin with sounds.
Sitting in this very comfortable posture,
This very stable and supportive posture,
Allowing your sense of hearing to open so that your attention can rest with sounds as they come and go.
Noticing sounds that are nearby,
And also sounds that are farther away.
And becoming aware of whether you're leaning forward in some way,
Searching for sounds.
And if you are,
See if you can rest back and just open the attention so that sounds come and go,
Rising and falling on their own,
Without any need for you to do anything but receive them.
I'm releasing the focus on sounds.
We'll try another focal point for the attention.
Guiding the attention to the hands and fingers,
And noticing what you feel here.
If the hands are resting on something,
Then maybe you feel pressure,
Textures,
Firmness or softness.
If the hands are resting alongside the body without touching anything,
Perhaps you're standing,
Then maybe you feel air touching your skin,
Temperature.
And whatever position you're in,
See if you can feel inside the hands,
Inside the fingers,
And sense any buzzing,
Vibrating,
Pulsing sensations that are here.
Releasing the focus on the hands.
If it's comfortable for you to bring your attention to your breath,
We'll try the breath as the next possible anchor for the attention.
If it's not comfortable for you to rest with the breath,
Then feel free to stay with sounds or the hands,
Or maybe try a different touch point like the feet.
And if you're bringing the attention to the breath,
Then first just noticing whatever you feel when the body breathes in,
And whatever you feel when the body breathes out.
And then tuning in to where you feel the breath the most,
Obviously,
In the body.
So that might be the tip of the nose,
Feeling the air as it touches the nostrils.
Maybe it's the chest,
Sensing the rising of the chest as you breathe in and the falling of the chest as you breathe out.
Or possibly the abdomen,
Feeling the gentle expansion with the inhalation and the contraction with the exhalation.
So resting the attention at whichever location feels the most obvious,
And feeling the body breathing in and out right there.
And now releasing the focus on the breath,
And reflecting for a moment on each of these anchors to determine which one feels the most accessible,
The most supportive to you right now.
So that might be sounds,
It might be sensations in the hands,
Or maybe the breath.
And choosing just one.
If none of these stand out in particular,
It's okay,
You can just choose any of them,
And you can try a different one the next time that you practice.
But choosing one and letting the attention rest with that as your focal point.
So I'll be quiet for the next couple of minutes as we try this out.
Thank you.
Noticing where the mind is right now,
And if the mind has wandered,
Knowing that that's okay,
That's natural,
And we simply acknowledge where the mind has gone,
Without analyzing it,
And then guide the attention back to the anchor every time that we notice the mind has wandered,
Beginning again and beginning again.
And that's the heart of the practice.
So continuing to rest the attention with the anchor,
Letting the attention rest lightly,
There's no need to force the attention.
Releasing the focus on the anchor that you chose.
Coming back to feeling the body resting in whatever posture you're in.
Aware of all the places of contact between the body and whatever's supporting you.
Sensing the wholeness of the body from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes.
Noticing how you're feeling in this moment.
Checking in with the body,
Tuning into the heart,
And becoming aware of the mind.
And taking your time to stretch in whatever way would feel supportive for you right now.
Maybe massage your shoulders or your neck.
And then as you're ready,
Lifting your gaze gradually,
Opening your eyes,
Taking in the light and the surroundings again,
And continuing from here.
