Thoughts Meditation

This meditation invites us to use our thoughts as a tool to guide our attention as we begin to cultivate an awareness of the thinking process itself. We will practice noticing our thoughts as it rises, stays for a while, and passes with openness and curiosity.

Soft background music accompanies the track, and it concludes with the sound of a bell.

Transcript

Please come into a comfortable seated position where you can be alert and at ease. Making any movements that you might need and gradually settling into stillness. Know that it is okay to move any time during this practice. Gently closing down the eyes if that is possible or maintain a soft gaze in front of you. Take a moment to check in with how you are feeling today. Turning your gaze inwards. Rest your attention on the breath. Let's start by taking three deeper fuller breaths. Breathing in deeply, Breathing out fully. Now allow your breath to come back to its natural rhythm. Notice that you don't have to make any effort to breathe as the body knows exactly what to do. Just like how day turns to night. The inhalation will always accompany the exhalation. Bringing your awareness to your mind. Imagine your mind as a movie and the thoughts are like characters starring in a movie. We are simply watching them from a distance. Just noticing them like an impartial observer. We are not pushing them away or getting caught in the storyline. Neither are we trying to quieten them or stop the thinking. The mind will wonder as that is what the mind does. We are trying to see our thoughts not as distractions but instead we are bringing our awareness to the thinking process itself. The more we are able to notice our thoughts the easier it becomes to discern what is important or to let it go. And once we've acknowledged them we can kindly and compassionately guide our attention back to the breath. So let's sit quietly and practice this for a few moments and as this practice draws to a close acknowledge that your mind can have a mind of its own and we don't need to entertain it. We can become aware of our thoughts and coexist without attaching to them. In your own time begin to deepen the breath once again bringing some gentle movement into your fingers and your toes and when you are ready gently blinking the eyes open and become aware of your surroundings once again.