Hi,
This is Lauren and in this practice I'm going to be guiding you through different anchors for attention.
What we're looking for as we try on these different anchors is a place where you can rest your attention that feels neutral and easy to access.
To begin,
Go ahead and find a position that feels comfortable but also encourages awareness that might be sitting down,
You might be lying down,
Or standing.
As you find this position and start to settle in,
You might take a deeper,
More intentional breath,
Breathing in and out.
Maybe one more just like that.
The first anchor we'll try on is our sense of sight.
Start by looking around your space.
Allow the eyes to wander around the room,
Taking in shapes,
Colors,
Light,
Shadows,
And colors.
Let your eyes notice anything that draws your attention,
Becoming aware of this physical space.
You may notice that you start to have thoughts about what you're seeing.
If this happens,
Gently guide your attention back to just the sensation of seeing.
Next,
We'll let go of our attention to sight and bring our attention to sound.
You might bring your gaze down to one spot or close your eyes,
Starting to notice each sound as it comes and goes.
There might be sounds that are close or far,
Stark or soft.
Understanding any moments between sounds,
Any lack of sound.
Understanding what it's like to rest your attention here.
Now letting go of your attention to sound and guiding your attention to the breath without altering or changing the way that you're breathing.
Notice what it feels like to breathe.
You might feel the breath most clearly at the nostril as cool air comes in and warm air seeps out.
Or perhaps at the chest as your sternum rises and falls.
Or maybe the breath is most clear at the belly as it fills and empties.
Placing your attention on just one of these areas,
Following the breath in and out.
Next,
We'll bring the attention to the sense of the weight or heaviness of your body.
Noticing where the body is making contact with the seat.
Tuning in to any sense of hardness or pressure here.
Any sense of grounding downward,
Perhaps a gentle pull of gravity.
You might feel a sense of your whole body,
Its mass or warmth.
Seeing if you can let your attention rest here with these sensations of weight.
For this last minute,
Go ahead and choose one of the anchors that we just tried.
It might be your sense of sight,
Taking in the sounds in your space,
The sensations of your breath,
Or the weight of the body.
Using just one and guiding your attention there now.
As you sit with this anchor,
You might notice your mind begins to wander away,
Going to thoughts,
Memories of the past or the future.
Know that that is completely normal.
When you realize your mind has wandered with care,
Bring it back to your anchor over and over again.
This is not a sign that you're doing something wrong in your meditation practice.
This is in fact the essence of the practice.
To notice when your mind has wandered and gently bring it back.
If you're ready,
We'll begin to deepen the breath.
Maybe start to blink the eyes open if they were closed and reorient yourself to the space around you.
Thank you for trying this practice with me.
As you go throughout your week,
You might try on these different anchors and see which gives you that sense of neutral and easy to access.
I'll see you next time.
