When the mind's spiking,
Racing from one thought to the next,
It can feel like you're being pulled along behind it.
On Chibs at Karakay.
And over the next few minutes.
We're going to take some of that speed out.
So settling into a comfortable position.
Sitting or however you're resting right now.
And letting the eyes close if that feels ok or keeping a soft,
Low gaze if the eyes are open And let's start with the breath,
Just to give the mind something simple to land on.
Breathing in through the nose.
And breathing out through the nose or the mouth.
Breathing in through the nose.
And letting the out breath be slow and unhurried.
Doing a couple more breaths in your own time.
No need to force anything.
Just letting each out breath be a little longer than the one before.
And now,
Let's gently turn toward those thoughts.
There's no need to push them away.
Just noticing that the mind's been busy.
And if there's a word for what's underneath the busyness.
Maybe naming it quietly inside the mind.
Maybe it's worry.
Maybe it's pressure.
Maybe it's something you can't quite name.
And that's okay too.
Just the act of naming a feeling can take a little of the heat out of it.
Now let's try something with the thoughts themselves.
Imagining we're sitting beside a slow stream.
And leaves a drifting past on the water.
Each time a thought arrives,
Placing that thought gently on a leaf,
And watching the leaf drift away downstream.
Without chasing it.
Without trying to finish it.
Just letting the next leaf carry the next thought.
And when we get pulled into a thought,
And we will,
That's completely normal.
The moment we notice we're already back,
Placing that thought on a leaf too and returning to the stream.
Now coming back to where we actually are.
Feeling our feet on the floor.
Feeling the weight of the body in the chair.
Feeling the simple fact of being here,
Breathing.
In this moment.
The mind can predict and race all it likes.
Click right here.
Right now.
You're okay.
Noticing the mind now.
Maybe it's a little more spacious.
Perhaps the thoughts are a little further apart.
And gently opening the eyes if they were closed.
Now this practice won't stop the thoughts from coming,
But it will give you a little bit of space between you and them.
And you can step back into that space anytime the mind speeds up again.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.
