Meditation · Focus
Anchor at the Belly
Aya Fujimoto · 11 min
11:00
remaining
What to do, minute by minute
1. Settle in
0:00–2:12Sit or lie down somewhere you won't be disturbed. Let your shoulders drop, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and take three slow breaths.
2. Follow the breath
2:12–4:24Breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six. Let the out-breath be longer than the in-breath — that's what calms the nervous system.
3. Scan and release
4:24–6:36Move your attention slowly from your jaw to your shoulders, hands, belly and legs. Wherever you find tension, breathe into it and let it go.
4. Rest in stillness
6:36–8:48Stop steering. Let thoughts come and go like passing traffic — when you notice you've wandered off, that noticing is the practice. Return to the breath.
5. Come back gently
8:48–11:00Deepen your breath, wiggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes slowly. Carry a little of this quiet into whatever comes next.
A single point of contact to steady a wandering mind.
Rest a hand low on the belly. Feel it rise, feel it fall. That movement is your anchor for the next few minutes. Each time thinking pulls you out to sea, the hand is still there, and the belly is still moving. Return without commentary, as many times as it takes.