Anchor Your Mind With the Breath

In meditation, you are instructed to watch the breath. Put simply, this means to observe and stay with the sensations of each breath. The focus can be at the tips of the nostrils, or on the rising and falling of the belly, whichever is easiest for you to focus on. The breath becomes the anchor into the present moment; an anchor that protects you from being swept away by the fierce ocean of wandering thoughts. Normally, wandering thoughts push and pull you all over the place. For example, you remember  hurtful words someone once said to you, and immediately your lost in a storm of rage. Or you reminisce about a time when things may have been better, and you begin drowning in sadness and yearning. During meditation though, you are able to see a wandering thought and let it go, returning back to the anchor - coming back to the breath. Without the anchor you would be endlessly sailing amidst wandering thoughts of an untamed mind. The breath allows you to see the mind when it moves, giving you the freedom to follow the thought, or simply let it go and come back to watching the breath. With practice, you get to know your mind and learn which thoughts to follow and which to let go. If you can stay with the anchor all day, you will be seeing every movement of the mind clearly and can use your own discernment to act skillfully in each moment, rather than habitually. So throw your anchor overboard and practice staying with the breath, both on the cushion in meditation, and more importantly, off the cushion in daily life. Wake up and free yourself from unnecessary suffering. Stay awake!