Mar 21 2020 8 mins
Mindfulness of the breath (MOB) or mindful breathing is a classic practice and there are so many simple, straight forward, while also nuanced ways to practice. This is an introduction to mindful breathing as an anchor. Metaphorically, an anchor of attention is where you place your attention, intentionally, during meditation (or drop your attention, like the anchor of a boat.) It is something we can locate easily at anytime so we never feel adrift or lost. An anchor is always in the present moment and something we can reliably return to over and over again to re-inhabit the present moment. All of the senses can be also an anchor (more on this later). The breath happens to be one of the easiest because it's often the most accessible and contains so much tailored information about our wellbeing in any given moment. The breath is also transportable and thankfully, happening without our conscious awareness or control most of the time.
In my own practice, I like to think of the breath as the key to the doorway of my awareness, or the key to the quality of my attention. Each breath is an opportunity and an invitation back to myself. Beginning again, by noticing the sensations of breathing, is like standing on my own doormat in the doorway of the present moment. From here, I can enter the next moment with great awareness and responsiveness to whatever happens next.
(spoiler alert: we are rarely where our body is physically located. We are time travelers and we have sneaky, clever and -and sometimes important -reasons for leaving, fleeing and ignoring the moment we are in...more on this in another episode).
Have a listen...