Day 6: Noticing Thoughts

This meditation offers a way to relate to thoughts with greater ease and openness. Rather than seeing thinking as a distraction, you’ll be invited to notice thoughts as they arise, without needing to follow or push them away.

As you observe thoughts coming and going, this practice supports a sense of space and clarity. Thoughts are allowed to be present, while your awareness remains steady and grounded.

This meditation is part of a 30-day series designed to support a consistent daily practice, whether you are new to meditation or returning again.

Nothing needs to be changed. Just notice what the mind is doing, and let it unfold.

Transcript

Welcome to day six of our 30-day meditation challenge. Today we'll be practicing with noticing thoughts. I invite you now to find a position that's going to be comfortable for your practice today. So you could be seated. You could be lying down. You can even practice standing with your back lightly resting against a wall. The key is to find a posture that allows you to remain both alert And also at ease. Not struggling in the body. And I invite you to close your eyes. Or you can simply leave your eyes one quarter of the way open, Just lightly gazing down towards the floor. And taking a few moments to just settle into your posture. And taking a slow, Intentional breath in through the nostrils. And slowly releasing through the nostrils. And letting the breath now return to its natural rhythm. And you might already notice thoughts floating around in your headspace. When we notice this, The most important thing is that we treat it with kindness and gentleness. Thinking happens naturally, Habitually. But today we're just going to bring awareness to the thoughts themselves. Just to this. Natural habit of thinking. So instead of getting caught up in a thought stream, Proliferating thoughts by following them. We're simply just going to lightly label Any thoughts as thinking. So as you practice, You might be resting in the breath and then suddenly a thought comes. And when it comes, Just noticing, Thinking. Silently labeling it to yourself. And then steering the attention back to the experience of your breath in the body. So let's practice in this way now, Just noticing thoughts gently. Softly labeling thinking. Remembering that there is no need to stop thinking. We're not forcing anything. We're simply noticing this is thinking. And again and again, Just returning attention to the breath. So we let the thoughts come. And we let them go. Not every thought needs thinking. They can simply arise and pass. Breathing in. Breathing out. Thoughts come and go. While awareness remains. And noticing how you feel now. What is your felt sense of the body? Thank you for practicing with me on day six of our meditation challenge, And I hope you'll practice with me again tomorrow. Namaste.