Today’s practice
Focused Attention
7 min, guided by Sean Fargo
Today is focused attention: notice the distraction, return to the anchor, and again.
There is no shame in the wandering. The return is the practice.
In your day
Picking one routine task, brushing your teeth, the shower, the coffee, and doing it with one anchor: the breath, or the sensations in the hands.
From Sean
For my first year as a monk I did only concentration practice: one point in the center of the belly. In the beginning it was a few inches wide. Over time I could narrow it to a pin drop. Nobody starts there. You start with a wandering mind and one honest return at a time.
A question to carry
What pulled your attention most often today?
Saved on this device only, and kept for all 28 days.
A few lines, for whatever they are worth
The mind wanders.
I bring it back.
The mind wanders.
I bring it back.
Somewhere in the hundredth return
is the whole practice.
If you want more today
- Script: A Breathing Anchor for Your Wandering Mind (PDF), to read aloud for yourself or someone else.
- Workshop: George Mumford on mindfulness for high performance, about an hour, for when you have it.
- Podcast: Taming the Wandering Mind Mindfulness Practice, for the drive or the walk.
Read the practice as text
Transcription
Let’s begin by taking a moment to settle your body into a comfortable position. You may close your eyes or keep them slightly open with a soft focus, looking downward with your feet in front of you. Allow your spine to lift and your shoulders to soften (2 seconds).
Today we will practice focused attention.During this meditation, you will focus on your breath.
Think of a metaphor of resting a snow globe or a jar of muddy water onto a table.
As we let it settle, it naturally becomes more calm and clear.The mind is similar.
As we focus attention on the breath, the mind and body begin to relax, settle, and become more clear and feel more free (5 seconds).Taking a full breath in and a long slow breath out (2 seconds).
Observe your breathing. Notice how your breath flows in and out.Make no effort to change your breathing in any way.Simply notice how your body breaths (2 seconds).
Notice the rise and fall of your chest as the air passes in and out (2 seconds).Bring attention to a slow inhale and a long slow exhale (2 seconds).
When your attention wanders, as it will, focus again on your breathing.Notice if any thoughts arise but don’t hold onto them.Simply let the thoughts pass and bring your attention back to your breath (2 seconds).
Notice the stages of a complete breath. From the inbreath (2 seconds),to the subtle pause (2 seconds), the exhale (2 seconds),and the pause before taking another breath.See the slight breaks between each breath.Feel the air entering through your nose.
See it in your mind’s eye, flowing through the nose, and then down to your lungs.Feel the lungs expand as they fill with air and relax again through the exhale (5 seconds).
As thoughts arise, simply allow them to pass and return your attention to your breathing (5 seconds).
Let’s finish now with a full deep breath in (2 seconds)and a long slow breath out (2 seconds) *ding* (15 seconds).
Integrated Practice:
Try a mindful listening practice today. In your next conversation or meeting, practice putting all of your attention on the person(s) with whom you are speaking.
Reflection Questions:
What impact does bringing your full attention to a conversation have on you or those around you?
Your progress
Day by day. No streak to protect.
Kept on this device. A missed day is part of the practice: pick up where you are.
Daily by email
This is Day 8 of the 28-Day Mindfulness Challenge.
One short practice a day for four weeks, sent to your inbox each morning with the worksheet and a podcast episode to go with it. Free.