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The Powerful Meditation Strategy to Stop Your Mind From Drifting & To Start Developing Your Focus Skills
Neuron #8: Your Meditation Anchor

What is your anchor in meditation?
Just as a ship’s anchor keeps it from drifting out to sea, what is your anchor to keep your mind from chasing infinite thoughts?
Without an anchor, your mind will wander—infinitely.
You will become so entertained with your typical thoughts that you will spend 30 minutes in distraction, not in meditation.
Choosing an anchor is easy.
Focusing on it is harder.
But, they are BOTH fundamentally imperative for your meditation practice.
EVERY legitimate meditation style has an anchor.
Your work is to become deeply familiar with your anchor.
In fact, the Tibetan word for meditation "gom" means "to become familiar”.
Another way to think of an anchor is your object of focus.
Here are some common examples:
A mantra or word: transcendental meditation typically focuses on a single word to repeatedly say mentally. Some cultures also chant the same sacred phrases over and over.
An emotion or feeling: loving kindness meditation focuses on producing feelings of compassion for others
A thought, question, or intention: focus on asking for clarity with a challenging topic or focus on a creative idea so as to generate better ideas
A mental image: focus on visualizing a desired outcome or a sacred symbol with meaning
Bodily awareness: focus on the sensation in your feet or hands, or focus on the space behind your eyes or a feeling in your chest
Breath awareness: focus on the breath going in and out of your nose or diaphragm
In my meditations, I practice creating a state of being inside of myself, such as enthusiasm or empowerment.
That feeling is my anchor.
When I get distracted, I shift my focus back to feeling the feeling and creating the feeling.
So, here’s what you need to do.
Choose an anchor that is meaningful and practical
Focus on it
When you mind drifts, become aware and then shift your focus back to your anchor
Repeat
Without your anchor, you will stand up from your meditation as the same person who sat down.
Your habitual concerns, thoughts, and desires will still be running the show.
So, what anchor will you choose to keep you focused and grounded?
What will be the anchor that helps you become familiar with who you really are and what you are here to do on this planet?
Happy meditating.
Love, Connor
P.S. If you need help understanding this or putting it into practice, send me a DM on Twitter or reply to this email. I'd love to connect with you.
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In Case You Missed It
“Death never takes a wise man by surprise; he is always ready to go.”
🗣️Jean de la Fontaine, French fabulist & poet
What if today was your LAST day on Earth?
— Connor Rankin (@iamcrankin)
3:55 PM • Oct 26, 2022
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