This meditation is for moments when the mind feels stuck in repetitive or negative thoughts.
Rather than trying to stop or control the mind,
We'll practice noticing thoughts with kindness,
Allowing them to be present and gently returning to the breath and the body.
You can come back to this practice anytime you feel caught in mental loops.
You can begin by settling into a comfortable position.
You may be sitting or lying down.
Allow your body to be supported by the surface beneath you.
There is nothing you need to fix right now,
Nothing you need to stop.
Just arrive.
Take a slow breath in through the nose and a gentle breath out through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Let your breath find its own natural rhythm.
You don't need to control it.
Just notice that it is happening.
Now bring your attention to the physical sensation of breathing.
Perhaps you notice the air moving at the nostrils or the rise and fall of the chest or belly.
Choose one place where the breath is most noticeable and gently rest your attention there.
The breath is your anchor,
Not to escape your thoughts,
But to stay grounded while they come and go.
At some point during this meditation,
Thoughts may arise.
Some of them may feel repetitive,
Urgent or distressing.
This is not a mistake,
The mind is doing what minds do.
When a thought appears,
See if you can gently name it thinking or more specifically worrying.
Planning Judging Replaying You are not trying to get rid of the thought,
You are simply recognizing it.
Diffusion Now try this practice of diffusion.
Instead of being inside the thought,
Imagine you are stepping back just a little.
Silently say to yourself,
I'm noticing the thought that For example,
I'm noticing the thought that something is wrong.
I'm noticing the thought that I can't let this go.
See how this creates a small space between you and the thought.
You are the one noticing,
The thought is something being noticed.
If the thought feels sticky or obsessive,
See if you can allow it to be there without arguing with it and without obeying it.
You might imagine the thought as words floating on a cloud or written on a leaf drifting down a stream.
You don't need to push it away.
You don't need to follow it.
Let it move at its own pace and gently return your attention to the breath.
Each time the mind pulls you back into the thought.
This is not failure.
This is the practice.
Notice,
Oh I've been carried away and kindly patiently come back to the sensation of breathing.
Over and over again.
This is how we train psychological flexibility.
Now bring awareness to your body.
Notice your feet,
Your legs,
Your hips and spine,
Your shoulders,
Arms and hands.
If there is tension,
See if it can soften just a little on the exhale.
You are here in this moment.
Breathing.
Thoughts may still be present.
And you can still be grounded.
If it feels helpful,
Place a hand on your chest or belly.
Feel the warmth and pressure of your hand.
This is a signal of safety to the nervous system.
You might silently say,
It's okay for this to be here.
I can make space for this.
I don't have to solve this right now.
Notice that even with thoughts present,
You are still breathing,
Still supported.
Still here.
Thoughts rise,
Thoughts fall.
You are the space in which they appear.
As we come toward the end of this meditation,
Take a moment to connect with what matters to you.
Perhaps it is calm.
Or kindness.
Or presence.
Or taking care of yourself.
You don't need to feel these values perfectly.
Just remember them.
Even one small breath taken with awareness is a step toward what matters.
Take one more slow,
Gentle breath in and a long breath out.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes or bring your awareness back to the room.
Carry this practice with you.
Not the absence of thoughts,
But the ability to notice them and return again and again to the present moment.
Thank you for practicing with me.
