We all have trouble focusing when we meditate from time to time. And sometimes there are just days when it's tough to stay in the present moment.
Fortunately, there are things we can do to troubleshoot when that happens. One way is to hold an object - any object - and take a few minutes to really observe it. What does it look like? What colors does it have? Is it smooth, soft, or rough? Round, flat, square, or something else? How heavy is it? Does it have an aroma? How was it made?
We can use this technique when we get "monkey brain" during meditation, or to take 30 seconds out of a busy, stressful day to recenter ourselves and remember to stay in the moment.
You can use just about anything around you to do this exercise, but if you'd like a cool, pocket-sized tool to help, check out my handmade Mindfulness & Meditation Coins on Amazon. The coins come in a set of 5 so you can keep one in your purse, one in your desk, etc. Here's the link: