We live in a world that demands so much of our attention.
There's information coming at us from all angles every day.
Herbert Simon says,
What information consumes is attention.
So when we practice present,
What we do is set ourselves up to train the ability to focus.
We teach our brain to be less distractible,
And we learn to organize our attention around a single point.
As you move through your day,
This helps you.
Spend your attention on what really matters.
So.
Begin by finding a comfortable position to practise.
If you can sit,
That's ideal.
So the spine is upright.
You can use a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
And just supporting your lower back.
If you would like to close your eyes,
You can,
Or just leave your gaze soft at something in front of you.
And as we begin notice your body sitting here.
Sensations of your pelvis against your seat or the ground.
Notice how the body is breathing.
And then find where you can feel the breath Most clearly in your body.
So we use three stations of the breath in mindfulness.
The first one is at the rim of your nostrils.
The second one is the chest as you feel your rib cage expand and then contract.
And the third is the belly.
Notice how your belly has to subtly rise and fall to make space.
For the organs filling with breath.
Now you're going to choose one of these locations.
To rest your attention on the breath.
If you need a little more grounding today,
I recommend the belly.
If you want a little more alertness and mental clarity.
I recommend the nostril.
And if you want to tune in to a sense of feeling.
Maybe the chest.
And without trying to force it too much.
Let your awareness rest.
On the sensations of breathing here.
You'll probably find if you haven't already.
That the little tentacles of your mind start reaching out to other things.
So this is what the mind does.
It is a myth that you will stop your thoughts ever.
But you'll notice that.
.
.
The mind.
Might reach forwards into the future or reach back into the past.
And as soon as you notice that the mind is somewhere else,
That is the moment of awareness.
So when.
.
.
You find that you've been distracted.
You can celebrate.
Awareness has returned.
And you can make a choice.
To bring the mind back.
To the breath.
In the body So we continue.
The mind.
Gets distracted.
You become aware of the distraction.
You gently invite the mind back.
Chew the breath.
In the body So well done.
As we release this practice,
You can begin by letting your awareness notice any sounds in the space around you.
My voice,
Other people.
And when you feel ready.
You can lift your gaze,
Let your body move around.
Don't be hard on yourself if this practice feels difficult.
It's not about trying to sit in some state of thoughtless bliss.
It's like training for the mind.
Like going to the gym.
So you come back.
And you keep practicing a little more every day.
And you strengthen your ability to focus and you gain control of your attention.
Thank you for your presence.
