Body as Anchor

Duration: 10-15 minutes daily

Level: Beginner-Intermediate

Goal: Anchor awareness in the timeless present moment, breaking the DMN’s time-bound narrative of rumination (past) and anxiety (future).

Why the Body?

The hijacked DMN pulls consciousness into:

  • Past → rumination, regret, trauma loops
  • Future → anxiety, catastrophic projections

The body exists only in the present moment. It is the antidote to time-travel.

The Practice

1. Arrive

Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes.

Take three slow, conscious breaths—noticing the breath moving in and out.

2. Scan for Sensations

Slowly bring attention to physical sensations, starting from the top of your head and moving down:

  • Head: Tingling, pressure, warmth
  • Face: Tension in jaw, eyes, forehead
  • Neck and shoulders: Tightness, heaviness
  • Chest: Rising and falling with breath, heartbeat
  • Belly: Expanding and contracting
  • Legs and feet: Contact with surface, temperature, pulsing

Don’t change anything. Just notice.

3. Anchor in One Sensation

Choose one sensation to rest your attention on:

  • The breath moving in and out of the nostrils
  • The rise and fall of the belly
  • The feeling of your hands resting on your lap

Let this become your anchor—a place to return to.

4. Notice When the Voice Hijacks You

Inevitably, the voice will pull you into thought:

  • “I’m anxious about tomorrow’s meeting.”
  • “I shouldn’t have said that yesterday.”
  • “Am I doing this right?”

This is the hijacking. The DMN is pulling you out of the present.

5. Return to the Anchor

When you notice you’ve been lost in thought (even if it’s been several minutes), gently return attention to your chosen bodily sensation.

Say internally: “Thinking. Returning to breath/body.”

No judgment. No frustration. Just return.

6. Ask the Key Question

Periodically, as you rest in body sensations, ask:

“The voice says ‘I am anxious.’ But what is actually here, right now, in this body?”

Usually, the body just is—breathing, pulsing, present. The catastrophe is in the voice, not in the body.

What You’re Training

Neurologically: Strengthening the Task-Positive Network (executive control) and interoceptive awareness, disengaging from DMN rumination loops.

Philosophically: You’re practicing presence—the state in which the Divine Spark exists eternally. The “loop of hell” (Samsara) is time-bound; the body is timeless.

Common Experiences

“I feel intense emotions when I focus on my body.”

The body holds emotions. When you bring awareness to it, suppressed feelings may surface (grief, anger, fear). This is not a problem—it’s the body releasing what was stored.

If overwhelming, return to a neutral sensation (like hands or feet). Consider working with a trauma-informed therapist.

“I get restless or bored.”

Restlessness is the DMN saying, “This is pointless. Let’s think about something more interesting.” Boredom is a thought. Notice it: “Boredom is arising.” Return to the body.

“I fall asleep.”

If lying down, try sitting. If exhausted, rest is what you need. Otherwise, open eyes slightly or focus on a more alert posture.

Integration: Body Check-Ins

Throughout the day:

  • Set a timer (every hour) to pause and notice three body sensations
  • Before eating: Feel hunger, taste, chewing—anchor in the sensory experience
  • When triggered (anxious, angry): “What does this feel like in my body?” (chest tightness, belly knot, etc.)

Next Steps

Combine with:

“The body is your passport to the eternal present. The voice can only travel in time.”