Hello and welcome to this Leaves on a Stream practice today.
When difficult thoughts and feelings arise it can be very easy to become hooked by them which can lead to excess worry or rumination.
You may find this exercise useful in such times whereby you are feeling anxious,
Worried or when you are stuck in a cycle of rumination.
It is your mind's job to keep you safe and because of this it is constantly in problem-solving mode but at times it can get a bit stuck and a bit negative.
By allowing our thoughts to just be rather than getting hooked by them and carried away by them we're able to allow our thoughts to show up,
Hang around and then move away in their own time.
So taking a moment to make yourself comfortable,
You might be sitting on a chair or lying on a couch or bed.
Often times when rumination is more present is when we're trying to get to sleep or in the middle of the night but obviously anxiety and worry can show up at any point in time.
So just making yourself comfortable on whatever surface you're sitting or lying on and just noticing what thoughts are you currently experiencing.
Are you able to name them?
I am having the thought.
Maybe closing your eyes or diverting your eyes downwards.
Ask yourself what feelings are showing up for you right now?
Just noticing your current experience.
I'm experiencing anger.
I am experiencing anxiety.
And noticing what your mind is doing.
Noticing what you are feeling and noticing that there is a part of you that is noticing.
In this exercise you are going to use this noticing part of yourself to observe your mind in action.
To watch your thoughts as they come,
As they stay and as they go.
To support this practice I invite you to visualize a gently flowing stream and on that stream there are leaves flowing past on the surface.
Just take a few moments here to visualize the setting,
The stream and the leaves on its surface.
Imagine it however you like,
Whatever comes to your imagination.
And now for the next few minutes just noticing thoughts as they arise.
And as they do gently pop them onto a leaf.
The objective here is not to push your thoughts away but to simply place them onto a leaf and let them move at their own pace.
Letting your thoughts come,
Noticing them,
Popping them on a leaf and letting them stay or go in their own time.
Some thoughts may flow quickly away and some might move more slowly.
Others might not move at all,
Getting stuck on the sides of the stream or piling up with others.
Just observe without involvement,
Without judgment,
Simply noticing what happens.
Noticing your thoughts,
Placing them onto a leaf.
If you find yourself becoming agitated or frustrated,
Acknowledge these emotions and put them on a leaf.
I am feeling frustrated.
If your mind says this isn't working or I'm bored,
Place those thoughts on a leaf.
There may be times when your thoughts hook you and you lose track of what you're doing.
This is completely normal.
At such times when you notice that this has occurred,
Simply bring your focus back to noticing your thoughts and your feelings and popping them on a leaf.
If a leaf becomes stuck or isn't moving,
Just observe it and leave it as it is,
Resisting the temptation to push it away.
Just taking a few moments here to continue to observe the thoughts that arise or the emotions that arise,
Popping them on a leaf.
You may notice that the thoughts might stop at times and that is absolutely fine.
Until they resume as they will,
Just focus on the stream.
Taking a few more moments here to notice your thoughts and feelings,
Placing them onto the leaves on your stream.
And continue this practice as long as it feels right for you to do so.
