Let The Thoughts Drift By: A Cloud Meditation

A 14 minute mindfulness meditation using the image of clouds moving across an open sky. Thoughts arrive, drift through, and pass on, and you practise letting them go by without following them. You can sit or lie down, whichever lets you stay alert and comfortable.
The sky stays the sky no matter what moves through it. That is the whole practice: noticing what appears, and returning to the openness behind it.
Suitable for all levels, including anyone new to meditation.
If any thought or feeling is uncomfortable to sit with, you can let it pass and rest your attention on your breath instead.
Music: Relaxing Piano Ambient by Surprising_Media.

Transcript

So taking a few moments. Too. Find a comfortable position for this meditation. Either seated or lying down, Wherever you are, Just make sure you're grounded and comfortable. If you're sitting in a chair, Make sure your spine is tall and your feet are flat on the ground. You're seated on the mat. Lengthen your spine. Allow the parts of your body that are touching the ground to feel heavy. If you're lying down like me. Allow your fingers and your toes to be soft, Your hips and your shoulders heavy. A slight tuck of the chin so the back of your neck is long. Wherever you are, Start to scan your body. From the crown of your head all the way down to your fingers, Your toes. Just noticing if there's any part of your body that you can soften and let go of. Just a little bit more to get comfortable here. Anything you're holding on to that. You don't need right now. Maybe it's your job, Maybe it's. . . Forehead. And then just notice if you need anything else. Maybe you need a blanket to cover up or a pillow to sit on. Just making sure that you have everything for the day. Respiratation. And you're physically settled and grounded. Start to slowly soften your gaze or close your eyes if that feels comfortable. And then take a deep breath in through your nose. Open your mouth and sigh it out, Let it go. You Let's do two more like that. Deep inhale through the nose. Exhale, Sigh it out, Let it go. One more deep breath in. And exhale, Side. Now allow your body to breathe naturally. So that means breathing in and out of your nose or in through the nose and out through the mouth. Just allow your body to breathe for you. Feel comfortable. With your breath. Just noticing it. Notice the air as it enters your body. And then notice as it moves out. Now as you breathe here, Start to visualize yourself. Sitting or lying down. Somewhere where you can see the sky, So maybe your. . . Living room, Looking out the window. Maybe you're in your bed where you can see the sky out the window. Maybe you're lying down or sitting somewhere outside where feel comfortable. Maybe it's on a beach, Maybe it's your back deck. Don't know where you can see. The vast blue sky. Let's visualize what that looks like. Healing. The air. Feeling maybe the sun on your skin. Somewhere where you're comfortable. You can just watch the clouds. So as you breathe here. Just notice. Any thoughts? Feelings, Emotions start to come up. And just visualize them as clouds in the sky. So when the thought comes up. Just picture it on a cloud. And just watch it move away in the sky. You can watch it. Whoa. Move out of your eyesight. You can't grab it or hold on to it. You're just watching it. Continuing to breathe. Watching. Your thoughts and feelings on cloud nine. Moving across the sky. Without judgment or attachment. Without feeling bad about why they're coming up. They're just clouds in the sky and you have no control over them. They're just coming and going. Notice that you're starting to hold on. To a thought or a feeling. Let's take a deep breath in. With the next exhale, Feel a breeze. Moving the cloud away. Out of your eyesight. Without judging yourself or. . . Feeling bad. About what the clouds look like, There may be. Soft or fluffy. Dark. To tread the ground. Big or small. Just watch them. As you breathe. Notice anything that's coming up. Let it drift away. All the other clouds. You Deep breath in. In a while. One more like that, Deep inhale. Full and complete exhale, Let it go. Slowly start to let go of Visualization starts to come back. Into your body. Maybe bringing some movement back to your fingers, Your toes, Your wrists and your ankles. Gently rocking your head from side to side. Bringing your awareness back to. . . The physical environment you're in right now. Slowly make your way to a comfortable seat if you're not there already. Sitting with your spine tall. Your neck straight, Chin parallel to the mat. Soften your shoulders, Down your back. Take a deep breath in. Exhale all the air out. I'm already here. As you exhale, Bring your hands to your heart, Bow your head to your hands. And thank yourself for spending this time for yourself. Bring your thumbs to your third eye, The space between your eyebrows. May your thoughts be kind. Thumbs to your lips. May your words be caring. On the Sear Heart Center. May your heart be filled with love and gratitude. Thank you so much for practicing with me today. Namaste.