Developing Focus

Hey there, welcome. In this meditation we're going to explore how to focus better. Have you ever noticed that your mind likes to jump from one thing to another to another, kind of like a frog jumping on lily pads? It's very common. And if you have trouble focusing know that you're in good company. The mind likes to think about a lot of different.

But, there is a way for us to train ourselves, to train our brain, to pay attention to the things that are important in each moment. Whether it's listening to someone, paying attention to our school work, or being present to something fun that we're doing. Let's start by closing our eyes, if that feels comfortable for you. And we'll take a deep breath to settle in. Breathing in through the nose.

And slowly out through the mouth. Letting your jaw relax. Your teeth don't need to be clenched right now. You can let your shoulders be at ease. Notice if they're a little bunched up to your ears.

Just invite them to relax. As well as your hands and your belly. To train our brain to be able to focus, we basically just need to give it something to pay attention to. And then when it wanders off, we just bring it back. Sort of like training a puppy to sit.

We ask it to sit, it goes in another room. And then we remind the puppy, Hey, remember what we're trying to do? We're just trying to sit. And then it comes back and eventually it does. So let's give our mind something to focus on. How about the breath? To feel your breath, place your hand on your belly.

Did you notice that it's moving? This is your body breathing. So all we're going to do is see if we can pay attention to the body breathing. Notice what it feels like to breathe in. What happens? For me, I feel sensations. I feel the belly expanding like a balloon being inflated.

See if you can feel that. How about the exhale ? What do you feel when you breathe out? For me, I noticed the belly gets really relaxed, kind of like a balloon being deflated. So all we're going to do is continue to pay attention to our belly, rising up as we take an inhale. And then falling as we take an exhale. Like a balloon inflating and deflating.

Now you may notice that the mind wants to think about a lot of things. And maybe you feel a lot of energy in your body that's telling you, oh, I want to do this instead. I don't want to focus on the breath. Well, just notice. These are thoughts.

This is a sensation in your body that makes it feel a little uncomfortable to be here. But see if you can watch that happen and then just decide, you know what? I'm just going to focus on the breath right now. And then come back to the breath. See if you could do that for one moment. Just be with one breath.

If you're still listening, you're doing great. You may notice again, another thought comes up. Aah, I'm bored. I want to do something else. Just remember, this is just a thought.

You don't have to listen to it. You can just say, oh, there's a thought. And then bring the attention back to this breath and this moment. It will only be for a little bit longer. I'm going to give you a few moments in silence.

See if you can pay attention to three breaths in a row. How'd that go? Were you able to do it? If not, that's okay. If so, great. Let's try again. Three more breaths in a row.

Great job. So you can use this strategy throughout the day. When you find your mind wants to do something else, or doesn't really want to focus on what's here, just take a breath. And see if you can bring your attention back to what's happening right now. When you're ready, if you'd like to open your eyes, you can.

And this will conclude our meditation. Good job today. You can come back to this practice as many times as you want throughout the day, you can listen to this meditation over and over. It's a great training to exercise your brain to be able to focus on your life as it's happening. Thank you for your practice.

I'll talk to you soon and take care.