Freedom From Overthinking

The purpose of this meditation is to recognize that you are not your thoughts, so you can release the tension and stress of identifying with the thoughts you have—and with the thinking mind in general. Most humans are thinking most of the time. We seem to have an inner narrator who is forever commenting on, judging, comparing, assessing, and telling a story about pretty much everything that happens. In this meditation, you’ll discover the liberating realization of who you are beyond the stream of thoughts in your mind, so you can rest in the openness of that deeper Awareness.

Transcript

Freedom from thinking. You are not your thoughts. The purpose of this meditation is to recognize that you are not your thoughts, So you can release the tensions of identifying with the thoughts you have, And with the thinking mind in general. Most humans are thinking most of the time. We have a habit of narrating life. If you notice thoughts moving through your mind right now, That's the inner narrator who is forever commenting on, Judging, Comparing, Assessing, And telling a story about pretty much everything that happens. This inner voice is such a persistent experience for most people that it's natural to identify with this inner narrator and its stories. These thoughts, Opinions, And beliefs seem to be yours. They seem to accompany the felt sense of what it means to be you. A little introspection will show you that thoughts are fleeting. They can't possibly define this persistent feeling of being you. You may have upwards of 60, 000 thoughts a day. Do all of these thoughts define who you are? So if you're not thoughts, Maybe you are the thinker of thoughts, The one who thinks. While this may be slightly more accurate, We're going to dive even deeper in this meditation to the liberating realization of who you are apart from the thoughts you have, And even apart from the thinking mind. Let's begin by settling into a comfortable, Upright, Seated position to support alert attention and focus. If sitting in a chair, Make sure your feet are flat on the ground and parallel with each other, And you are sitting far enough forward so you feel some weight in your feet. If possible, Sit all the way on the front edge of your seat so your paranaum is resting on the edge of your seat. If sitting cross-legged, Make sure you feel well-balanced and anchored, Sensing your tailbone is weighted and your weight is centered directly over your paranaum. Rest your hands cupped in your lap, One resting in the other, With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly. Lightly, Close your eyes. Take a moment to check in inside. Notice how you feel right now. If you could sum up this feeling in a word, Phrase, Or image, What would this be? Now, Imagine a string attached to the top of your head, Drawing your spine gently upright. Tuck your chin just slightly to gently lengthen the back of your neck. Relax your shoulders down. Soften and relax your hands. Soften and relax your feet and toes. Notice any thoughts in your mind. As you observe thoughts, Practice mindfulness by paying attention, On purpose, In the present moment, Non-judgmentally, Like a curious observer. See if it's possible to be gentle, Kind, And compassionate with yourself as you notice any and all thoughts that arise. Is it possible to locate these thoughts? Is there a place they reside or seem to arise from? There's no right or wrong answer here. You may be able to notice a place where thoughts arise, Or different places they arise, Or you may not. That's all fine. Just see what you notice about your thoughts and where they arise. If you notice your attention gets lost in a thought, As if you drifted off into riding in a train of thought and forgot you are simply observing thoughts, Gently recognize the thought your mind was riding on and return to witnessing thoughts. Now, See if you can place your attention behind and slightly above your head. See if you can watch thoughts from here. If this feels a bit odd or disorienting, It's okay. You may wonder if you're doing this right. That's okay too. Whatever happens is fine. Just see if it's possible to observe thoughts and thinking from above and behind your head. What would it be like if you could do this? For some people, Shifting to this vantage point above and behind your head quiets thinking for a moment. If so, You can observe the momentary lack of thoughts. You can notice the gap between thoughts. Notice how this vantage point gives you a slightly different relationship to thoughts and thinking. Perhaps you have a little distance between you, The one observing thoughts, And the thoughts themselves. It's as if thinking is happening in one place and observation is happening from another. Now, Consider this. Anything you can observe is not you. There is you, The observer, And that which you observe. In this case, Thoughts and thinking. Can you notice that thoughts and thinking are happening on their own and you, The observer, Are separate from them, Watching them arise and dissolve? Continue to observe any thoughts that arise. You may find thoughts are becoming less frequent or less insistent as you maintain observational distance from them. Perhaps they are not as all-consuming as you stand apart and witness them. You are not your thoughts. You are not the thinking mind. Remember, Anything you can observe is not you. You are the one who is aware of thoughts and thinking. Now, Let's focus on the one who is aware of thoughts and thinking. Who or what is this one? Can you locate who or what is aware? Who or what is aware of thoughts and thinking? Who or what is aware of these questions? Who is trying to answer? What if awareness itself is the one observing all of this? Timeless, Boundless. What if awareness itself is like a vast open sky within which thoughts arise, Move, Shift, And dissolve like clouds? What if thoughts are not even yours? What if they arise spontaneously within the sky of awareness and dissolve back into this vast open space? Is it possible to simply rest as this vast open sky of awareness, Within which all thoughts arise and dissolve? Can you simply be the vast open sky? Rest as the vast openness of awareness itself. What happens to thoughts and thinking when you rest as vast open awareness? You may find relief from thinking for a few moments. You may feel slightly disoriented. You may just wonder if you're doing this right. Whatever you experience, See if it's possible to simply be aware of it and let it be. Rest as liberated, Vast, Open awareness. Rest as liberated, Vast, Open. As vast, Open, Liberated. Notice how you feel now. If you could sum up this feeling in a word, Phrase, Or image, What would this be? Slowly open your eyes and take in the feeling of vast space within you and all around you. Be vast, Open, Spacious awareness as you move through life. When you notice thoughts and thinking, See if you, As a wide space of awareness, Can simply observe them. Remember, You are so much more than thoughts and thinking. You can think as needed and let go of thinking when it's no longer helpful. You can simply be aware. You can rest and move as awareness. Take a few moments to write down anything you'd like to remember from this meditative experience. Well done.