Counting To Enhance Mindful Focus

In this session, we practice 'Mindfulness' with the additional tool of counting to help with focus, followed by 10 minutes of silence. Being with breath-focused mindfulness: Turn your attention towards the sensations of the breath at the nose; if your mind wanders, gently bring it back.

With the breath, add a count. From 1-10, count internally. If you get lost in thought, or make it to 10, begin again.

Our goal is not to get a high score, but rather to become aware of where the mind is at any one moment!

Transcript

And welcome to the session. I invite you to take a seat. Lie down. And get yourself comfortable. Close down the eyes if you wish let's just begin by slowing down the breath Taking some slow deep breaths. In Through the Nose. And low into the belly. Just taking a brief moment to scan the body in the mind. Or any points of tension or anything that can be let go of taking another slow deep breath, And then allowing your breath rate to return to its normal and turning your attention towards them. Fixing all of your attention upon the sensations of the breath. Entering. And leaving the nose. If at any time you find yourself lost in thought. Distracted. That's okay. And lovingly. Return your focus back to the breath. Best meditation is the one that you are having. If your mind is focused. Or if your mind is chaotic. Either way. Both meditations are worth the same. We notice our mind wandering. We bring it back. Mindfulness is the awareness that arises from purposely paying non-judgmental attention to the present moment. Of her mind in this moment. Is calm. We witness it without judgement. If our mind in this moment is chaotic. Unfocused. That's okay. We witness it in this moment. And then return its focus back to the breath. Today we're going to use the tool of … counting. To maintain focus on the breath. With each breath. Internally recite the number one. As you're breathing in you're saying to yourself once. As you're breathing out. We once again repeat the number one. Then as you breathe again, You repeat the words. And so on. All the way up to ten. If at any time. You get distracted. Forget to practice. Or realise you've become lost in thought? You begin again. At one. And if you make it to 10. You also begin again. At one. So focusing on the breath counting each breath. From one to ten. And if you make it to ten or get distracted, Begin again. Let's try this now. Okay. Counting is a useful tool for some people but provides a negative impact for others. I encourage you to explore the practice of counting. If it's working for you. But don't get discouraged. If you only manage to count one or two before getting distracted. We'll make it all the way to ten. The awareness of that knowledge. The awareness of where your mind is in this moment. That is the practice. Your mind happens to be calm. Your mind happens to be unfocused. That you've become aware of that fact. And that is the practice. And the awareness itself should be celebrated we are non-judgmental of what we are aware of. In a moment. We're going to sit in silence for 10 minutes. I encourage you to explore the practice of counting. And marvelous with the anger of the breath in general. Really paying attention. To all of the sensations. Really noticing each and every part of the breath. If at any time you find your mind wandering. Or lost in thought. It's okay. Game again. And again. And again. Let's begin. Okay. So if you'd like to maintain the meditation You're more than welcome to do so. With everyone else just gently returning. Back to their bodies. Back to the session. Back to their day. Today we took a look at Mindfulness Meditation using the breath as an anchor. Adding the tool of counting. To assist our focus. With each breath. You at account. From one to ten. If you make it to ten. Or at any time you find yourself lost begin again from one. The reason we begin again if we make it to 10. Because they're gold. Is not to make a high score. It's not to get the best count. Indeed if you investigate that process deeply. You will discover that you've added a layer of craving. A way of craving the wool. Impede. Cloud. The actual focus of the sensation of the breath at the nose. So we begin again alternatively, If you're only making it to one or two. Do not get disheartened. That is the practice. That is the nature of your mind. In some moments. It will be focused. In others, It will be scatty. It is what it is in this moment. Are not practicing mindfulness meditation to get good at meditation on the mat. We are practicing mindfulness. The benefits it brings to our lives off the meditation mat. The more you practice, The more you'll be aware of where your mind is at any one state. When you're with your family. Your friends at work. Or just out and about at any time. You may notice your mind getting distracted. May notice thoughts arising. Moods overtaking. And rather than being caught in them. You'll just witness them. Like every other stimulus arising. Or there's a thought. There's a sound. Someone speaking. I'm feeling this thing in my body. Anger is present. The more you practice. The more this skill will develop. The more choice you will have to make different actions in everyday life. The action we take on the meditation mat. Is to return our focus back to the breath. We witness where our mind is. You return it to focus. In everyday life we witness where our mind is? And we can choose what to do with it. So I encourage you to continue practicing, And I want to remind you that this is all a skill. Almost everything in life is a skill. Some people are naturally more inclined or gifted starting out. But if you practice the skill. You will improve. And that is true for every skill, Including mindfulness and meditation in general. So keep practicing. And I'll see you in the next session.