This is a script of the first practice I do with my students.
Close your eyes and bring to mind the image of a ship at sea. Watch as it glides across the water and rides the waves with ease. Notice as the ship gently glides into port and drops anchor. What happens to the ship once the anchor has been dropped?
While the ship will still rock gently in the water, the anchor prevents it from straying too far from shore. An object of strength and stability, the anchor allows the captain to control the ship, to keep it from floating away unintentionally.
When we practice mindfulness, we also need an anchor to keep our thoughts from floating away unintentionally. Mindfulness is not the absence of thought; rather, it is paying attention on purpose to whatever is happening in our experience in the present moment. And in order to pay attention, we need something to pay attention to: our anchor.
While the anchor could theoretically be anything that you can focus your attention on, the most useful anchor is the breath, as it is always with us.
To find our breath anchor, we find the place in the body where the breath sensation is strongest. We typically experience the breath sensation in three places: the belly, the chest, and the area right outside of the nostrils.
To begin, sit up straight and comfortably in your chair.
Rest your hands on your desk or in your lap.
Allow your eyes to close or your gaze to soften.
Feel your feet flat on the floor.
Feel your body supported by the chair underneath you.
Breathe normally.
Gently place your hand on your belly. As you continue to breathe normally, notice how the belly rises and falls with each breath.
[Wait 10 seconds.]
Now bring your hand up to your chest. As you continue to breathe normally, notice how the chest rises and falls with each breath.
[Wait 10 seconds.]
And now bring your hand up to the area right outside of your nostrils. As you continue to breathe normally, notice the sensation of breath as it enters and exits the nose.
[Wait 10 seconds.]
Gently place your hands back on your lap.
Bring your attention to the belly, noticing the rise and fall of breath.
Bring your attention to your chest, noticing the rise and fall of breath.
Bring your attention to your nostrils, noticing the air as it enters and exits the nose.
Now determine which of those three places will be your anchor today: where was the breath sensation strongest? Allow your attention to rest on that place for the next minute or so.
[Wait for approximately 30 seconds.]
If you notice your mind wander into thought, just gently return your attention to your anchor.
[Wait another 30 seconds.]
To transition back into the room, begin to bring some subtle movements into the body by wiggling the fingers and the toes.
Notice how you feel.
Gently open your eyes.
Ms. Hastings 