Finding an Anchor

“The breath is an ideal anchor for our wayward attention. It keeps us in the present moment.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
 
I used to have panic attacks and the best advice I was given to cope with them was to “breathe, just breathe.”  Slowing down the breath and having long deep exhales got me out of the fight or flight mode I was in and brought me back to the present moment and calmed me down.
 
The breath is my anchor. Whenever I am aware that I am out of sorts, whether I am angry, grumpy, sad or feeling blue I go back to the my anchor and breathe deeply.  It slows my racing heart and gets me to come back to the present moment.  I then reflect on why I am having the reaction and bring awareness and love to the feeling and emotion.

An anchor is an object of your attention. It is something that you can use to bring your attention to the present moment.  The key is to be aware of times in your life when you are reacting to people or situations. Then use your anchor to come back to the present moment.
 
What is your present moment awareness anchor?

If you don’t have an anchor, use the breath and see how slowing down and taking deep breaths throughout the day will develop mindfulness.