Thought Soup Meditation

This guided practice addresses times when multiple lingering thoughts or anxieties feel like they are floating around together in the head, using the metaphor of a "thought soup". The instructor guides listeners to transition into the present moment by scanning the body for physical tension, softening the face and jaw, and taking a few intentional breaths. To externalize these swirling thoughts, listeners are invited to open their eyes and physically write down specific words, emotions, or phrases onto paper. The track concludes by returning to the meditation, offering self-compassion, and noting that writing items down allows the brain to seek solutions rather than letting thoughts continuously boil over.

Transcript

Thought soup. For this practice, You will need a pen and paper or something that you can record your thoughts onto. Okay, So this is about when you just have lots of different thoughts floating around in what feels like your head. And this is actually, We're going to do a meditation and a practical exercise to let them out. So if you go somewhere where you can sit, Where you can record these thoughts, Either on a phone or a piece of paper, I always like paper, I know I mention that a lot, But it's good to just be able to scribble it out I think. Okay, So let's just bring ourselves into the present moment. You can put the pen or device down. Gently closing your eyes for a few minutes. I'm just tuning into that support beneath you. I'm just allowing the body to just sink into that. Just noticing how it feels. To release any tension. On the out breath, Just releasing even more. Allowing your eyes to just relax in their sockets. Allowing your jaw and your cheeks just to be loose. Allowing that space between your eyebrows. To just feel a piece. As if it's like a screw becoming loose. Like a gradual opening, Loosening. If you haven't already, You might want to close your eyes. Scanning your body once more, Any areas of tension. Tuning into what's going on in your mind today. So I use the analogy of thought soup. Because our thoughts are made up of so many different ingredients. Might be worry, Planning, Guilt. Frustration. Anxiety, Resentment expectations. Everybody has different ingredients. But just sitting. I'm just noticing. Some of the thoughts. Connected with some of the different things you're dealing with. In your life at the moment. Trying not to get carried away by specific stories or narratives. So just touching on some of those emotions and thoughts. And as if you were panning out, Taking a wider perspective. Of your mind. Just seeing some of those emotions and thoughts just bubbling. And noticing how that feels. Not only in your mind, But all of your body. So using the analogy of Thought Soup, All those ingredients responsible for how you're feeling today. I'm going to turn on a tap as if it's an urn of soup. So, It's not hot, It's not going to burn you. But to get it out, We're going to write some of these things down. So, Just opening your eyes. Just noting down, It could be a word, It could be a phrase, It could be emotions. Just noticing anything that pops up. Writing them down. And this is allowing that tension in your mind with all those thoughts bubbling away. Just to lighten the load a bit. Just to let it out. You might want to keep closing your eyes, Tuning in. Once more to your mind and then when something comes to you. Opening your eyes and writing that down. Again, Not getting carried away with the story, Just letting it out. Things might come up that you've been trying to maybe bury or distract yourself from. Just let them out. If this is feeling quite difficult for you, Which it might, Especially if you're looking at things that you've tried to distract yourself from. And bury what might have been floating around in your mind and your body for some time, Just offering yourself some compassion. Perhaps putting a hand on your heart. On your face. Offering yourself kindness. Anything that you might be dealing with right now. Maybe you can write down kindness then, If this is a thought. Now bringing to yourself. So hopefully you have a list in front of you that you can look at later. But for now we're just going to go back into the meditation. Keep your hand where it is or just let them be in your lap. Closing your eyes. And just imagining a calmer mind. Once you've actually written those things down, Then your brain tries to come up with solutions rather than them just all bubbling around in your head. Just leaving those for the moment. I'm just feeling a sense of lightness. Scanning the body again for any areas of tension. And just softening them. Let's take in three healing, Bigger breaths. Just imagining that the air coming in is with kindness and affection. I'm just softening. All around your body. So just breathing in slowly through your nose. And then out through your mouth or your nose slowly. So if you're breathing in warmth and affection for yourself. And then gently opening your eyes. Maybe you want to look at your list now, Maybe you want to save it for a time when you're feeling a bit stronger, Maybe you have a bit more time. But this is a really important list, So keep hold of it and go back to it when you can.