Welcome.
This meditation is designed to help you observe your passing thoughts without strong attachment.
So often we get caught up in our thoughts.
Instead of letting them come and go,
We follow them wherever they lead,
Getting farther and farther away from the present moment.
But we can learn to watch them come and go without following them,
Which is what will be practicing today.
So let's begin by taking a comfortable position and gently closing the eyes or casting the gaze downward if you prefer it.
And we'll take a few long,
Deep breaths to settle in.
Breathing in,
And out,
And again,
And then letting the breath resume its natural rhythm.
And now I invite you to visualize yourself as the doorkeeper of a busy apartment building.
Imagine yourself positioned at the door,
Ready to open it for anyone entering or exiting the building.
Perhaps you wish to bring to mind an image of the spot where you're standing,
What the door and the building look like,
And what scene you're looking out on from your post.
You can even imagine your doorkeeper uniform.
Give this mental picture as much detail and richness as works for you.
So like any doorkeeper,
Your job is to open the door whenever anyone comes and goes.
You're not going to follow them into the street or get into a cab with them,
And you're not going to follow them into the building,
Down hallways and into stairwells or elevators.
You're simply going to watch them pass through the door.
So now I invite you to imagine that what is coming and going through the door is your thoughts.
Maybe you picture this in an abstract way,
If that works for you,
Or maybe you picture each thought on a sign in the hands of a building resident or written on their clothing.
Choose what works best for your visualization.
And now as thoughts arise in the mind,
Visualize them passing through your door,
Back and forth,
In and out.
You're standing at the door and letting them come and go without following them.
You don't need to stop or block them either,
Just allow them to pass in and out.
So now I'll offer a few minutes of just music to practice watching your thoughts pass in and out of the mind,
Back and forth through the door.
And if you find that you have followed a thought,
That you've ended up somewhere else,
Know that this is perfectly normal,
And with kindness just bring your focus back to the present moment.
You may wish to imagine yourself returning to your post at the door.
So I'll have another minute without my voice to practice being the doorkeeper,
Observing thoughts as they come and go through the door of the mind without attachment.
And whenever you're ready,
You can let the visualization gently dissolve,
Knowing that you can return to it at any time.
And now slowly open the eyes if they're closed,
And return to your surroundings.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
