In this technique, hands and the sense of touch (tactile sensation) are utilized to enhance mindfulness. Before starting your day in the morning, take a few minutes in solitude, and mentally affirm that today, whenever you apply pressure with your hands or feel something pressing on your hands, you will quickly become mindful. Following that, you will engage in a real-time assessment of the situation. To test this, press your hands against something and try to immediately become aware of yourself and your surroundings (become alert). Once you are conscious, proceed to assess the reality.
The pressing or squeezing of hands should act as a trigger, rapidly making you self-aware. This can be executed in the morning by spending a brief period (less than five minutes) with closed eyes, contemplating deeply about it, or imagining situations where your hands are in such a position. While your eyes are closed, press your hands on your knee or elsewhere and strive to become aware of yourself and your surroundings (in this case, your surroundings refer to the sounds you hear), and then perform one of the reality assessment exercises.
This act is referred to as an anchoring in cognitive linguistic programming. Although "anchoring" is not a perfect translation, it is better to use the term "tying a knot" or "knotting." Knotting implies that a movement, feeling, mental image, or specific word subconsciously connects with another feeling, mental image, or something else. For example, someone who bites their nails when anxious becomes accustomed to nail-biting, and the act of starting to bite nails triggers anxiety. In other words, anxiety is linked with nail-biting, and even if the person is not in a stressful situation, the act of starting to bite nails brings on anxiety. Numerous examples of this nature exist.
The concept of tying a knot involves intentionally performing the act of knotting consciously. It means consciously connecting two things that have no inherent connection (touching something with hands and mindfulness, reality assessment). When you perform this exercise with closed eyes, the stronger your ability to create mental images, the tighter your knot will be.
For example, tapping can act as a mental trigger when opening the door of a car. The pressure of your hand on the handle functions like a mental spark, making you quickly aware of yourself and the surrounding environment (if you have engaged in a habit or had scattered thoughts at that moment). In this state, rapidly pose this question to yourself: Am I asleep or awake? and assess the reality. This can occur when shaking hands with someone, grabbing a bag or purse, or even when placing your hand on top of the other.
In the initial days, your knot may not be tight and stable, and you may frequently forget. However, if you do not interrupt the practice, after a few days, your knot becomes so firm and stable that in relevant situations, without consciously intending to, it makes you self-aware and alert.
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