Nina

A meditation anchor is something you can draw your attention back to when you catch yourself starting to get lost in thoughts.

Anchors are ideally derived from observing your body or one of your five senses.

my favorite 2 choices are breath and sound:

1. Breath:
   
   Don’t force your breathing. Just let it happen naturally observe it and feel the resulting sensations/movements of your body (the rising of your belly or the air going in and out your nose)
   
   
2. Sound
   
   E.g. bird song, rain, waves, or flowing water. The free meditation app InsightTimer offers a large number of options to chose from.

You know why you need to meditate, but you’re not sure if you’re doing it the right way.

Know this:

1. It is uncomfortable

When you meditate, you switch from a state of doing to a state of being = doing nothing. This alone goes against everything we know. It takes practice to get used to “just sit” and not move.

2. There will be thinking

We think involuntarily, just like we breathe. Thoughts will always arise. It is not a “mistake” to think while meditating. The key lies in becoming aware of everything that is going on – including your thoughts. It’s about noticing when we think, and then gently moving your attention back to something else other than your thoughts (an anchor or focus point, e.g. your breath).

3. you’re not doing it wrong

Even a “bad” meditation is a good meditation; it still has all the benefits. Tell yourself that when you rub your leg that has fallen asleep during the last 15 minutes of sitting cross-legged on the floor.