00 | Daily Mindfulness Practice

As a corporate mindfulness trainer, Rachel connects people with a simple, consistent and effective way of building a mindfulness practice to achieve greater focus, calm and clarity, as well as better emotional regulation and more ease in their life and work. Enjoy this evidence-based, tried-and-tested guided mindfulness practice, using it daily for greatest benefit. May you be filled with loving-kindness and deeply benefit from this positive state of mind.

Transcript

So to prepare for our practice today I invite you to find a position that's comfortable for you,

Whether that be sitting on a chair or sitting on a cushion on the floor,

Cross-legged,

However is comfortable for you,

Just see if you can embody an alert but relaxed posture.

Our body and mind is connected so if we can embody an alert posture it can help us to have an alert focused mind during our practice.

So see if you can have a nice straight back,

Relax your hands in your lap or on a table,

Gently shut your mouth so you breathe in and out through your nose if possible,

If you have a cold and you can't do that for today that's okay,

But ideally you have your mouth gently closed and breathe in and out through your mouth and just now allow your eyes to shut or if you'd prefer to keep them open you can just have them open but downcast.

And as you find that posture,

That way of sitting,

See if you can just set the intention to maintain this position,

This posture for the next 15 minutes.

A really important part of mindfulness and the benefit of mindfulness is being able to have mastery over the mind so that it notices but doesn't automatically unconsciously react to every stimulus that crosses its path.

So as we learn to sit one way we can help to train our mind as an undercurrent to our practice is to notice the impulse to itch or move or relocate but to simply notice it without reacting to it.

If you find that you're in significant pain or anything during you sit it will of course you take care of yourself and you adjust your posture if you need to but what we're talking about here is setting the intention to remain as perfectly still as possible which will support our minds to remain still,

Become calm.

Every time we feel an impulse to itch,

Shuffle about,

Change our position and we don't,

We're strengthening our muscle to notice a stimulus and choose our response to remain centered and calm.

So make sure you've settled into a posture right now that's comfortable,

See if you would like to,

You can set the intention to remain perfectly still for the next 15 minutes to the best of your ability.

Now we'll make a start,

We'll commence with a gong and we'll conclude with three gongs.

So let's start now.

So as we settle into this mindfulness practice for today I just invite you to use your breath to build a bridge if you like between the process of arriving,

Preparing to practice,

Finding your posture and being in this moment right here right now with a focused and centered mind and we can use our breath to do that.

Our breath connects our body and our mind intimately and effectively and so we can use a few deep breaths to just transition from preparing for practice and now sitting for our practice.

We can do this by taking a deep breath in so I invite you to do that now,

Breathing in,

Nice full breath filling your lungs and then allow your breath to slowly exhale and just feel what that feels like.

In your own time I invite you to take another deep breath in filling your lungs and as you exhale gently and slowly just allow yourself to release any tension that you might have built up or you might be carrying just allow yourself to relax and in your own timing one more time you can take a nice deep breath in filling your lungs and exhaling gently slowly now in your body and your mind to settle releasing any tension arriving right here right now in this moment.

The next step of our practice today we can just begin by focusing our attention,

Tuning up our awareness to be focused on one particular area and we can start by focusing our attention on our feet.

So take your attention right now,

Take your focus and direct your focusing your attention at the area of your feet.

If you'd like to you can push your feet into the ground or perhaps into the cushion however you're seated and as you do that you can just notice the sensations that come from the pressure that gets created between your feet and whatever you're pushing them into the floor or the cushion or just notice what that feels like the pressure,

Tingliness,

Itchiness,

Warmth and then allow your feet to rest in their natural position and keep your attention and your focus on your feet.

See what you can notice about the physical sensations that are occurring in your feet right now.

You might like to begin by noticing the sensations that are occurring in your toes.

See if you can notice if there are sensations there that you can detect in your toes right now.

See if you can sense some sensations in the balls of your feet.

If you can't then just still check that area out,

Use your awareness to scan and be aware and observe ready and alert to notice the sensations that are there.

Move your attention to the arches of your feet,

Feel any sensations that you might be able to detect there and notice the quality of them.

Tingliness,

Warmth,

Crampiness,

Itchiness,

Tightness,

Soreness,

Dryness,

Sweatiness could be anything.

Just notice the sensations that are there,

Notice the sensations that are in the heels of your foot,

Throbbing,

Aching,

Pressure.

Notice the sensations that are on the top of your foot.

Could be any kinds of sensations,

The ones that I mentioned are just examples,

Just pointers on the path.

It doesn't matter what the sensations are in your feet,

What matters most is that you can notice them,

Observe them,

Accept them just as they are in this moment.

Notice the physical sensations that are currently occurring in your feet.

If your mind is wandered,

Then just notice that it's wandered and just bring it back to feel the physical sensations in your feet.

Feel them right now.

Training your mind and tuning up your awareness to be here right now,

Noticing the physical sensations that are occurring in your feet.

Feel it with as much sensitivity as you can.

Now shift your attention from your feet to your hands.

Being able to shift our attention on command to the places where we want it to be,

Where we direct it to go is an important part of the practice and benefits of mindfulness.

So shift your attention right now from your feet to another location which is your hands.

And as you do that,

Begin to feel the physical sensations that are currently occurring in the area of your hands.

In my hands right now I can feel like an undercurrent of like throbbing,

Pulsating kind of feeling.

I can feel the pressure where my fingertips are making contact with each other and the warmth that's there.

I can feel that almost like a slight itchiness in the palms of my hands.

A nice gentle warmth and pressure where the back of my hands are resting in my lap.

There are some examples of some sensations that I can detect right now but it doesn't matter what I can feel,

It matters what you can feel.

They're just some examples.

So see what you can feel in your hands right now.

Feel and notice the physical sensations in your hands,

In your fingers.

Notice the sensations there.

What are they like?

See if you can be curious and open like a scientist capturing an amazing data set,

An amazing lot of information about the qualities that are going on in this particular area.

Be curious and open as best as you can.

Feel the physical sensations on the back of your hands,

On the palms of your hands.

If you notice that your mind has wandered to a thought about the past or the future or a random thought or perhaps to a distracting noise outside or perhaps it's wandered off to sensations elsewhere in the body,

The moment that you notice that your mind is wandered just bring it back and feel the physical sensations in the area of your hands.

Feel that right now.

Allow your mind to focus,

To settle,

To be absorbed if you like by the sensations in your hands.

Noticing as much as you can,

Accepting what's there just as it is.

Now shift your attention from your hands to your breath as you breathe in.

As you breathe out right now just allow yourself to notice what it feels like to breathe.

There are physical sensations and movements and a whole lot of things that happen as we breathe in.

Just see if you can notice what that feels like right now.

As you breathe in and out just notice what it feels like to breathe in and out.

You might feel the chest or belly are both expanding,

You might feel the warmth,

Tingliness throughout your body as you breathe.

Just see what you can notice.

See if you can be aware of the fact that you're breathing.

Now narrow your focus and your attention to detecting the physical sensations that occur as you breathe in the area of your anchor.

So there's three options for your anchor.

One is the area beneath your nostrils and above your upper lip as you breathe in and out.

You can check for today whether or not you can feel physical sensations there.

If you'd like to you can take a couple of slightly harder breaths in and out to see if with those harder breaths you can detect the sensations.

Sometimes that can help our awareness to make contact with that area and orientate itself there.

So check that out now if you'd like to.

A couple of harder breaths in and out.

See if you can feel physical sensations in the area beneath your nostrils and above your upper lip and then allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.

If you can feel physical sensations in the area beneath your nostril and above your upper lip,

You can feel sensations there that's your anchor.

Stay there and continue to focus your attention there as you breathe in and out feeling the physical sensations,

Noticing the sensations that are going on there and every time your mind wanders bring it back.

If for today you can't feel physical sensations there,

The next place to try is your belly.

So take your attention to your belly right now and if you like you can put one hand on your belly.

Doing this can help you to make a connection to the sensations in that area of your body as you breathe in and out.

Having your hand there makes the sensations easier to detect.

You can do that for a few rounds of breath and then allow your hand to rest back into your lap but keep your attention on your belly.

Feeling the rise and fall,

Perhaps feeling the pressure or sensations that come from your belly making contact with your clothes,

Feeling any sensations on your skin,

Feeling the sensations that are occurring on the in-breath and out-breath in the area of your belly.

If you can feel sensations there that can be an anchor for you today.

And the final option is to feel the sensations in the area of your chest as your anchor.

So if those other two prior locations have not been a place where for today you can feel a physical sensation that's okay.

Just take your attention to your chest and feel the rise and the fall of your chest as you breathe in and out.

So right now just make sure that you've chosen one anchor.

Just one anchor,

Not a couple that you jump between.

Just choose one anchor and notice the physical sensations that are there right now.

Can you feel the sensations there?

What can you notice?

Pulsating,

Throbbing,

Aching,

Sweating,

Dryness,

Coolness,

Warmth,

Tingling,

Itching.

Maybe a mixture of sensations all at once.

Maybe the same kind of sensation.

Maybe there's one kind of sensation on the in-breath and a different kind of sensation on the out-breath.

Just see what you can notice.

The heart of mindfulness,

The very first step on the path is pausing and the second step is to notice.

Notice as much as you can and every time your mind wanders the third step is to notice that it's wandered and bring it back.

Choose to bring your attention and your focus back to feeling the physical sensations in the area of your anchor.

We'll practice silently for the next minute or so.

Feel the physical sensations and every time you notice that your mind is wandered with a kind and compassionate,

Patient attitude,

Just bring your attention back to feel the physical sensations again and again.

Start the silent practice for a moment now.

If you notice that your mind is wandered or is wandering right now,

Just bring it back,

Feel the physical sensations.

Notice the physical sensations in the area of your anchor.

And as we come up to the end of our practice when the three gongs go,

I invite you to open your eyes gently,

Have them downcast but continue to feel the physical sensations in the area of your anchor for three rounds of breath.

Doing this helps to build the skill of being able to stay connected to the sensations in the area of your anchor with your eyes open as you go about your day.

And as you finish the practice of feeling the physical sensations with your eyes open,

Just draw your attention back up into your surroundings.

See if you do so you can still feel the physical sensations in the area of your anchor.

This is a tool that you can use at any time during your day to calm your mind and still your mind.

Notice the state that you're in right now.

Perhaps you have a clearer mind,

A stiller mind,

Karma energy,

Whatever that is.

Perhaps you just feel like you have more awareness of yourself.

Whatever the qualities are that you've been able to connect with as a result of that practice,

These are the qualities that you can access anytime by feeling the physical sensations in a specific location and bringing your attention back there time and time again.

So use it and share the quality of mind that you've cultivated with others as you go about your day.

Reviews

Stunning clear directions thank you for a calm morning meditation :)

Simple, solid teachings.

Feels like I've been off track, some gold in these words.

This was very calming and grounding, thank you so much Rachel 🙏🏾

Loved this on a morning with a busy mind. Settled well with the guidance provided. That you

A great practice for learning to still the mind and focus on an anchor, throughout the day, whenever you need it.

Excellent, thank you

Excellent! Thank you! 🙏🏼

Excellent for beginners!
(likely not enough silence for amateurs)

Love that smile! Love hearing the birds too (but not the fridge). 😉

Looking forward to trying more sessions. Thank you.

As a new student, I’m thankful for your guidance towards finding an anchor. Thank you, Rachel.

I've just completed my 517th consecutive day of using Insight Timer, and this was the first time I've heard anyone reference the anchor. Thank you so much! I'm planning to use it tomorrow. Cheers!

Thank you 💙🙏💙

Very helpful. I’ll keep practicing. Love the idea of an anchor to come back to throughout my day.

Really nice session. Thanks Rachel :)

One of the best for the start!

This was my very first session. I have to admit that I was skeptical going in. I have always described my brain functions as that of a hamster on an exercise wheel—round and round, over and over. But at around the 10 minute mark I had a conscious thought creep in which made me realize that I was REALLY INTO THE MEDITATIVE STATE. I know this is going to be a wonderful journey of discovery for me! Thank you 💕

Terrific. Thank you.

A beautiful practice, thak you. The concept of an anchor is perfect!

Helps me every day get into the place I need to be to do my work well and to take care of my family

Great walkthrough of becoming more aware of your entire body throughout the mediation. The almost 20 mins is almost well worth it!

Fantastic - perfect balance of guidance and silence