Dr.
Shelley Harrell here.
I would like to share a basic foundational mindfulness practice with you.
An essential core of mindfulness is the process of anchoring and returning.
Anchoring your attention and returning your attention to the anchor when your mind starts doing what it naturally does.
Doing this anchoring and returning process over and over again is what strengthens that part of your brain that helps you focus and direct your attention and energy,
As well as supports the experience of inner calm and peace.
Let's start by taking three deep breaths together.
This is a marker and signal to your body and brain that you're shifting your energy.
In these transitional breaths,
We will make our exhale a bit longer than the inhale.
This is because the part of our nervous system,
The parasympathetic,
That down regulates us physiologically and promotes relaxation that slows our heart rate and breathing is associated with exhaling.
So we will take a deep inhale for two counts,
Breathing through your nose and exhale for four counts,
Breathing out slowly through your mouth,
Just opening it slightly to let the air out.
Let's practice.
Breathing in,
In.
Hold for a brief moment at the top of the breath.
Now breathing out,
Out.
If your exhale is completed before the count of four,
This is fine.
Release judgment.
Give yourself space and grace.
Pause and begin again.
The beauty of mindfulness is the reminder that each moment gives us an opportunity to begin again.
Let's now do this together three times.
Breathing in,
In.
Hold.
Breathing out,
Out,
Out.
Breathing in,
In.
Hold.
Breathing out,
Out,
Out.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
So the very first step in doing this basic mindfulness practice of anchoring and returning is to identify your anchor.
Anchoring is important.
We allow something to assist us in the process of inner stabilization.
Visualize an anchor for a boat.
The anchor keeps bringing the boat back to a stable place,
Keeps it from floating away too far.
Your mindfulness anchor will be something related to one of your senses or something you feel in your body.
The most common anchor is your breath,
And it is a great anchor because you always have it with you.
We want to think about the anchor as home,
And we keep coming back home during this practice.
There are other anchors you can choose to use that might work better,
Like the sensation of your bare feet making contact with the ground,
Anchoring in that place where your feet make that contact.
Or a visual point of focus like a symbol or an object,
A mandala,
A symbol from your religious belief system,
A candle flame.
Or part of nature like a flower,
A blade of grass,
A cloud in the sky,
Body of water.
Another anchor can be a tactile anchor,
The sense of holding or rubbing something in your hand like a smooth stone or a tumbled crystal.
Sound can be an anchor,
An instrument in a song like a drum rhythm,
Or repeating a simple mantra,
Word,
Short phrase,
Or sound in your mind or out loud.
Or even the energetic sensation in your hands when your palms are open.
What's important is that you find an anchor that works for you,
A sensation that you can keep coming back to.
In this practice today,
We're going to use the breath.
I do,
However,
Want to encourage you to experiment with the other anchors.
The anchor is home and we want to keep coming back there.
So the instructions for the practice are not complicated.
You simply put your attention on your anchor and keep coming back to it when your mind wanders or you get distracted.
That's it.
You just keep doing that.
Now this is really important,
This part right here.
Your mind is definitely going to lose focus away from the anchor.
This is normal,
Even among master meditators and monks.
Your mind is doing what all minds do,
Get lost in thoughts,
Goes blank sometimes,
Starts making lists,
Worrying about something,
Thinking random thoughts.
Your mind is just doing what it do as we say.
This is expected and totally normal.
You allow this natural process of the mind.
However you might experience some self-criticism or pressure to do it perfectly,
Then you can simply notice any self-judgment if you begin criticizing yourself,
Expectations of perfection may arise or the feeling or impulse to give up.
Just notice.
Take a brief moment to give yourself space and grace,
Inhaling compassion,
Exhaling judgment and gently coming back to your anchor.
You have not done anything wrong.
The basic mindfulness practice is continuing to return home to the anchor over and over and over again.
You keep coming back to whatever you determine your home to be.
Your breath,
Feet on the ground,
Object in your hand.
We're going to practice together now using the breath.
I invite you to close your eyes if you're comfortable with that.
If not,
Just softly look down at a place on the ground,
Relaxing your gaze.
Now let's start by finding and noticing your breath.
Pause and notice the flow of your breath,
The natural flow of the inhale and the exhale.
And just follow the flow.
Feel your breath as it enters your body,
Moves through your body.
Pay attention to the sensations in your body as your breath flows,
As it is flowing through your nostrils,
Your throat,
Filling your lungs,
Your chest,
Your abdomen expanding.
And keep following it during the exhale as your breath exits your body,
Your abdomen relaxing,
The breath moving out of your nose or mouth,
Feeling the air moving through your mouth,
Over your tongue,
Across your teeth,
The inside of your lips.
And if you exhale through your nostrils,
Maybe feeling the breath on the top of your lip.
Just keep following the path of your breath as it moves in and out of your body,
Focusing on the sensations inside your body,
The different parts of your body as your breath travels in and out.
This is your anchor,
This process of following your breath.
This is what you come back to when your mind starts doing what it naturally does.
So I'm going to be silent for a few moments while we practice this together.
Remember,
All you are doing is following your breath and then coming back gently,
Lovingly to following your breath when your mind starts doing something else.
Let's begin.
Finding and following the flow of your breath.
Coming back home to your breath.
Coming back to your breath.
Coming back to your breath.
That's the practice,
Anchoring and returning,
Allowing your anchor to bring you home over and over and over again.
I encourage you to practice this daily,
Being patient and compassionate with your process.
Giving yourself space and grace.
Sending you peace and love and soulfulness.
Be well.
