Practice returning to your chosen anchor after briefly visiting mild physical discomfort to build resilience and lasting calm.

English

For anyone who can settle for a moment, then gets pulled straight back into tension, this is practice for the trip back. You pick an anchor—sounds, one still thing, or your hands—and settle there. Then come three short visits to something mildly uncomfortable in your body, a stiff knee or a clenched jaw: a two or a three out of ten, never the worst thing. Each visit is about eight seconds; you're called back every time, and the stays at the anchor get longer. You learn the way back, in small doses and on purpose. A body-based, somatic practice for when calm doesn't last, for restlessness and feeling on edge, and for anyone whose stress or anxiety keeps pulling attention off the anchor. It is not a way to work through the big things, and staying with your anchor the whole time is a complete practice. Sitting or standing, eyes open or closed; eight and a half minutes, voice only, one bell at the close.
This is education and practice, not treatment. You can stop at any time.

When Calm Doesn't Last: Practice Coming Back

Hello, this is Malcolm. This is a practice for those of us who can settle for a moment only to be pulled straight back into tension. going to make that trip on purpose. A short visit to something a bit uncomfortable, then back to an anchor. The visits are small and I'll call you back each time. This is practice at coming back. It isn't a way to work through the big things, and we'll stay well away from those. You'll need an anchor, a place for your attention to rest. If you have one, use it. If you don't, pick one now. the sounds around you, one thing that isn't moving to rest your eyes on, or your hands resting one in the other. A couple of choices before we start. You can sit on the floor or in a chair, or you can stand. Your eyes can be open or closed. and the first choice is whether to make any visits at all. Staying with your anchor the whole time is a complete practice and some days it's a better one. you can stop at any point. Stopping, shifting around, opening your eyes, sitting out a visit, all of that counts as the practice. Start by looking around the room you're in. Find the door. Find something that's pleasant or neutral to look at. 10 seconds. Now settle on your anchor, the sounds, your one thing, or your hands. When your attention wanders, come back. I'll be quiet for about a minute. Notice how settled you are. It doesn't have to be much. Settled enough will do. Now we choose somewhere to visit. Look for a sensation in your body that's mildly uncomfortable. clenched jaw, a stiff knee, a muscle spasm. On a scale of 10, we want a 2 or a 3, not an 8. Annoying is the right size. If the first thing you find is big, leave it where it is and choose something smaller. And if nothing is bothering you, a spot that's a bit less comfortable than the rest will do. About 15 seconds to choose. Here's the first visit. It will be about eight seconds, and then I'll call you back. Let your attention go to that spot. You don't have to fix it or figure it out. Notice its size and its edges. and come back to your anchor, the sounds, your one thing, or your hands. The spot is where you left it and it can wait. I'll be quiet for about 40 seconds. So it's time for a quick check-in. How was the trip back? Quick, slow, a bit sticky? If the spot got bigger when you visited it, or started pulling in other things, that's the cue to stop visiting. Stay with your anchor, open your eyes, and look around the room. That is complete practice. If the spot stayed about the same size or got a bit smaller, there are two more visits. Second visit, the same spot or a different one that's a 2 or a 3. About 8 seconds. and come back to your anchor. Sometimes the trip back is easier with a little movement. You might turn your head or press your hands or your feet into something solid. 45 seconds this time. Last visit, before you go, notice that you know the way back, about eight seconds. and come back. This is the last day at the anchor, and the longest. There's nothing more to visit, and I'll be quiet for about a minute. That's a minute. Let's widen back out. If your eyes have been closed, you might open them now. Look around the room. Find the door in the farthest wall. Name a few things that are here. Three or four, silently or out loud, will take about 10 seconds. It's time to move something. You could roll your shoulders, stretch your fingers, or stand up if you've been sitting. You went somewhere a bit uncomfortable and you came back. Or you stayed with your anchor, which was the other choice. Coming back is what we were practicing. That's the whole practice. Thank you for practicing with me. you