Like Bubbles In A Glass Of Lemonade

This meditation explores the idea that thoughts are temporary and ever-changing. By noticing them as passing events—like clouds, leaves, or bubbles—we begin to see that thoughts are not facts and that they don’t define us.

Starting with the body and sounds as an anchor, we gently practise observing thoughts with curiosity and a bit more distance, practicing what it might be like to not get quite so caught up in them.

Transcript

Of the many benefits of mindfulness practice, One of the most helpful is the ability to see, Even if only occasionally, The transient and fleeting nature of our thoughts. This can help us to recognise that thoughts are not necessarily facts, That we are not our thoughts, And that perhaps they don't define us, And that we don't need to become so caught up in them. Some might argue that our thoughts are none of our business. There are a number of helpful images used in formal practice to bring this idea to life. So we might imagine sitting on a riverbank, Watching our thoughts as if they were leaves gently floating past us. Or we might picture a sky where thoughts are like clouds, Forming and drifting by. We might even imagine sitting in a cinema, Observing thoughts playing out on a cinema screen. As with all analogies, It can also be helpful to create ones of your own. Examples might be waves on the ocean, Trains passing through a station, Autumn leaves falling from a tree, Perhaps birds crossing the sky, Or maybe bubbles rising in a glass of lemonade. One of my favourites, When my mind is particularly busy, Is to imagine I'm standing on a ledge behind a waterfall, Watching my thoughts as if they were the water flowing past. In this practice, We'll begin by grounding in the body, Then establishing an anchor point. And then we'll limber up by turning our attention to sounds. Practice meeting them with a sense of non-identification and curiosity before attempting to apply the same approach to our thoughts. Just starting now by taking a position that for you feels steady and grounding. It represents the intention to be awake, To be awake and aware. Maybe taking a couple of deep breaths, Maybe sensing into any points of contact, Maybe the feet on the floor, Maybe the body in a chair if you're sitting, And just tuning in and noticing what it's like to arrive here, To arrive here in just this moment. Maybe taking a few moments to tune into the breath, The full length of the in-breath and the full length of the out-breath, Maybe just noticing what's here in the mind, Maybe noticing any expectations about this practice, Just noticing these as thoughts, And as best as you're able to, Just letting them go, Letting them be, Just resting here in this moment. And now just identifying an anchor point for this practice that you feel you'd be able to return to, Somewhere that feels steady and grounding, Maybe the feet, The seat, Maybe the hands, Zooming in and noticing all and any sensations in your chosen anchor point, Knowing this is somewhere you can return to if you need to at any stage, And inviting you now when you're ready to turn your attention to sounds, Moving your attention to the ears, And imagine you've become a passive receiver of sounds, Maybe sounds inside the body, Sounds created by breathing, Sounds of digestion, Maybe even sounds of the heart beating, Maybe sounds from outside of the body, Sounds in whatever space you're occupying at the moment, Sounds in the road, Outside wherever you're practicing, And as sounds arise, Maybe just noticing their pitch, Frequency, Their tone, Noticing how they arise, Pass away, Maybe noticing any silence between sounds, You might notice the mind's tendency to want to label the sounds, To decide what they are. Some sounds may even come with a feeling tone, So feeling tired of being pleasant, Or unpleasant, Or perhaps neutral. Some sounds may even come with stories, Stories that create a conversation in your head, Maybe evoking memories or fantasies about the future, Just as much as you're able to, Just notice sounds as sounds, Allowing yourself to be a bare receiver of sounds, Just letting them move through you, Nothing you need to do. If you notice that a sound has triggered a memory or a thought, Maybe just returning your attention to the breath or another anchor for a few moments, And then gently returning your attention to being a passive receiver of sounds, Inviting you to be curious about any silence you experience, Maybe zooming in and noticing if it really is silence, Inviting you to be playful and curious, Maybe resting in sounds, And inviting you now when you're ready, Maybe just take a couple of deep breaths, Inviting you now to turn your attention to thoughts, Thoughts here in this mind right now, Just as you did with the sounds, Becoming a passive receiver and observer of your thoughts. You may notice as you turn to focus on your thoughts, Your mind can go quite quiet, Almost like it's become a little bit shy now that it knows that you're watching and listening, Inviting you, If it's helpful, To use one of the following analogies, Maybe imagining yourself sitting on the banks of a stream, Imagining your thoughts as leaves floating past you on the stream, Maybe imagining a big blue sky where the clouds represent thoughts, Maybe noticing thoughts forming as clouds, Maybe moving across the sky, Or perhaps imagining your thoughts playing out on a cinema screen whilst you sit in the audience, Inviting you to engage with one of these analogies if it feels helpful for you. Maybe inviting you to come up with one of your own, The possibilities are endless, Maybe waves on the ocean, Maybe birds flying across the sky, Maybe bubbles rising in a glass of lemonade, But just as you did with the sounds, Just watching your thoughts arise and pass away, Maybe noticing some of your thoughts are perhaps more sticky than others, Perhaps some of your thoughts come with a story, A history, Maybe some thoughts trigger a pattern of other thoughts, Knowing that you don't have to follow them, Noticing that if you get carried away by a train of thought, Knowing this is perfectly natural, Maybe just returning to your anchor for a few moments, And then returning your attention to being a passive receiver of thoughts, Maybe trying a different analogy this time, Maybe noticing any thoughts that come with a feeling tone, Just resting as a bare receiver of thoughts, Not getting in the way of them, Just letting them move past and through you, Knowing you can return to your anchor whenever you feel the need for more grounding, And when you're ready and there's no rush, Returning your attention to your thought, Thoughts just like sounds, Just noticing where the mind is, And inviting you now to let go of any analogy you've chosen, And returning your attention to this body, This body as it sits here and as it breathes, Maybe just taking a couple of deep breaths, Checking in with an anchor point, I thought I'd end this practice with a short poem by Royken, It's called Like the Little Stream, Like the little stream making its way through the mossy crevices, I too quietly turn clear and transparent, And as we bring this practice to a close, Just inviting you to bring this open, Expanded awareness, This ability to approach your thoughts in a slightly different way, Bringing you into the next moments of your day.