There is an easy approach to relaxing into focus and thus calm. It’s a concept I created called Bowl Bottom Centered.
Imagine a curved bowl. The center of the bowl is balance. It’s the calm and focus you seek.
As George Mumford says in the 10% Happier app, the goal of mindful meditation is to be “Resting in the body. Resting in the breath.” It is to slip into focus.
If you see yourself off track and off task as George might say, observe that you’re crawling up the side of the bowl and out of focus. You’re not in the bottom of the bowl. So, let it all go. Begin again.
Allow yourself to slide back down the side of the bowl and be centered. Observe yourself sliding down the side of the bowl into the center. Be in the center.
Everything slopes down to the center of the bowl. Harmony, goodness, peace, tranquility, and focus is in the bottom of the bowl. Let it all go and rest. Be “Bowl Bottom Centered.”
Bowl by Rebecca Siegel
That’s a nice idea. Reading your post I imagined myself crawling up the side of the bowl. And as you told me, I slid down gently into the center. I was standing there alone but suddenly I felt harmony, goodness, peace slid down to me. 🙂 Thanks very much! I’ll bring this experience with me!
My pleasure! I am glad it served you well.
Great idea Mike! I’ll try this whenever I get unfocused. Thank you! 👍🏻
Thanks, Yuri! For your advanced state, there’s the sliding down into the center and then beyond that step there can be another step. Let everything unfold until you are the center. Let it all go. Now, let it all explode. Feel all of you expand out in an explosion. See this to get a feeling of what I am writing: https://www.pond5.com/after-effect/58475169/particles-explosion-light-logo-reveal-intro-elegant-dark-bus.html (Of course, ignore the words in the center of the example I linked to.)