In today's meditation,
We're going to practice unattaching from our thoughts.
While people think that meditation is sitting in silence completely devoid of thought,
This simply isn't true.
Thoughts are part of everyone's experience.
You don't need to push them away in order to practice meditation,
But rather learn to bring your mind back from the thoughts.
How do you let go of those thoughts once they've come in?
This exercise offers you a way to detach yourself from those thoughts and simply let them be.
Without pushing those thoughts away or denying them,
You can become aware of the thinking mind while remaining unattached.
So settle into your space,
Whatever posture is most comfortable.
Close your eyes and notice the energy in your body and in your mind.
As you come into a period of mindful practice,
You may notice the energy of your day resting somewhere in your mind and body.
Maybe your mind is active or maybe your body feels worked up,
Energetic.
Perhaps there's a bit of lingering anxiety.
Think of a snow globe.
When you shake it,
All that energy swirls around.
But as you rest,
The little snowflakes fall gently to the ground.
Think of yourself as a snow globe and every snowflake as a thought.
In this way,
Watch as each and every snowflake falls down to the bottom.
Don't force yourself to calm down.
Let it happen slowly and organically.
After a minute or so,
Bring your attention to the breath in the body.
Choose one spot where the breath flows easily.
Maybe that's the center of the chest,
The belly,
The shoulders.
Maybe it's just the nostrils.
Observe these physical sensations of the body breathing.
Observe the breath for a few minutes and bring the mind back when it wanders.
Come back to that snow globe visualization as thoughts begin to rise up and observe those thoughts floating back down to the ground as they settle.
Continue to do this for a couple of minutes on your own.
Instead of returning to the breath when the mind wanders,
Check in with the mind and what it's doing.
Notice are you planning,
Fantasizing,
Replaying old tapes,
Figuring things out.
Whatever you observe the mind doing,
Just let it be.
When you recognize a thought,
What happens?
Where do you feel it in the body?
Try not to encourage the thought,
But don't push it away either.
Allow it to be and allow it to go on its own.
And see if you can watch the passing of these thoughts as they follow this natural trajectory and leave the mind.
Returning to the breath and patiently waiting until another thought arises.
Notice it.
Watch it.
Come back to the breath again.
Continue with mindfulness of the breath and the thoughts.
Notice when you're lost in these thoughts or when the mind wanders.
If self-judgment comes up,
Notice that just as you would any other thought,
Remembering that you are the being that is aware of the thoughts.
Continue to watch these thoughts come up and float back down for the next several minutes as you breathe and meditate on your own.
Now12 Begin to bring your attention back to your body,
Finding a little movement in your extremities.
Perhaps you want to stay in meditation for a few more minutes on your own or perhaps you allow those movements to get bigger and broader.
Sitting up and allowing those eyes to blink open when you're ready.
This meditation was adapted from mindfulexercises.
Com.
Thank you so much for joining me.
Have a beautiful day.
Love and light.
Namaste.
