It's a weird combo, right? One brings to mind weightless flights of almost fancy, a careless way of being in the world where worries and concerns float away. 

The other is a grounding, immovable force, or at least the force that ties you immovably to the bottom.

The other morning, when I was sitting in the chair trying my best to focus on the words, or my breath, or studiously ignoring the snoring of the dog beside me or the antics of the cats as they played out their overnight rest - the other morning, I heard and understood the connection.

An anchor allows for pivoting around a given point. When you're out on the boat for a cruise, and you drop the hook, it's not like you are stuck in one place. It just means you have a place to pivot around. A place to swing from. You can safely leave the boat and venture away for an hour or more, secure in knowing the boat will be in the same general place. It might not be facing the same way, or with the same neighbors. But as long as the anchor holds (another post entirely) , the boat will be right there, ready for you to climb aboard and share more adventures.

As I work on understanding and incorporating this meditation thing into my life, I find this metaphor really really apt. My thoughts are still swirling. My emotions still flare. But if I can use my mindfulness practice as a place to pivot around, I'll be in much better control of my world.

The feeling of getting the hook set into the bottom after a long day of sailing is indescribable. There's a satisfaction. A quiet. A deep breath.

For now, my mindfulness practice is more like setting a lunch hook. It's good for calm relaxation while I eat a sandwich but won't do for an overnight stay.