Hi,
This is Lorraine.
In today's meditation,
We get to work on creating focus and knowing how it feels to strengthen our focus.
And it might sound really simple,
But our brains are designed to continue scanning and looking,
And we live in a society that is constantly pulling at our attention.
And so it will feel like work to really train your ability to focus and stay present.
Focus can help you be more efficient and more effective in all that you do.
So this effort is well worth it.
And while strengthening focus might sound extremely simple,
That does not mean that it's easy.
So let's take some time together to really work in a way that opens us up to the strength of our own focus.
Begin by giving yourself some room to get settled.
Maybe that means shifting your posture a little bit from side to side if you're upright and seated.
Or if you're more comfortable,
You can lay on your back.
But the first task is to find a posture that settles you.
And you feel that connection to being right here,
Right now.
Your eyes can close or they pick a point where they can focus.
And you just take a full breath in through your nose and feel yourself empty and release,
Just exhaling.
Nothing has to change.
You'll just become much more aware of what's actually happening when you take some time.
You bring some attention to your hands.
Maybe they interlace or they just rest on a place that offers you a sense of comfort or grounding.
And knowing that we're here to do some deliberate,
Deliberate work of focusing and paying attention,
Your brain will wander.
Because that's what it's designed to do.
It's designed to look,
To notice,
To judge,
To search for more.
And so we begin by bringing our attention to the body and having an anchor that holds you in the here and the now of the present moment.
And maybe you have that visual image of an actual anchor and how it drops beneath the surface,
Heavy,
Deep,
Sinking down and rooting and holding that boat so that when waves come by,
It stays in this place.
And so if you are the boat and your thoughts are the waves,
You have an anchor that keeps you here.
It can be any physical sensation.
It could be your breath.
It could even be sounds that you hear around you.
Anything that keeps you in the moment.
You'll feel the waves of the past and the strong pull of the future.
And that's okay.
You're anchored to the here and the now.
Doing the deliberate work of training yourself to focus.
You can use the upliftment of a breath in and the steadying of a breath out.
Maybe you feel the first beginning point of your inhale where it rises and the moment it actually changed and becomes an out breath.
Paying full attention and even getting curious.
Where does the breath begin?
Try to feel it.
And when does it change and shift?
Can you feel how it empties?
Or maybe you start to become aware of your heart beating,
Physical sensations that you can only notice from within.
You can relax your jaw.
You can bring a subtle movement to your eyeballs behind closed eyelids.
All of these things happen in the here and the now.
And you fight the urge to go with the waves that might be pulling you to the past or to the future.
Maybe there's even a feeling that this is slightly annoying.
That's great.
That's a sign that things are changing and shifting.
You're strengthening your ability to pay attention and to focus.
So that when the time comes and your attention is truly needed on the present moment and the matter right in front of you,
You know how to be here now.
Effective,
Aligned,
Present.
And our final practice is working with breath and words.
So on your inhale,
Think here.
And on your exhale,
Connect with now.
Nice and simple here.
Now.
Strong focus.
And strengthening your ability to pay attention with every movement of your breath.
Here.
Now.
Stronger.
Steadier.
And more aware.
Breath in.
And breath out.
Just a little bit more practice.
And training.
Here.
Now.
And in a world that tries to distract and scatter your energy,
You connect with this rebellious act of being present,
Getting focused,
And really knowing exactly how to pay attention.
So with regular effort,
This will come much more naturally.
And you use the energy that you have in ways that are effective and aligned with who you are and who you want to be.
Take one more full breath.
Give yourself credit for working in a way that can feel quiet and challenging in an effort to create change.
I thank you for your practice and I look forward to when we get to do this work together again.
Take care,
Be well,
And take this into the rest of your day.
Thanks a lot.
