Flowing Stream Guided Meditation

A key aspect of practicing mindfulness is being able to notice distractions and let them go without engaging in them. The flowing stream guided meditation uses the imagination to notice a steady stream of objects (thoughts) while continuously letting them go by. This is a tool to practice "letting go." When the exercise is over, reflect on what you noticed during the meditation and how you felt while you visualized the stream in your mind's eye.

Transcript

Get comfortable in your chair or if you're sitting on the floor,

Get comfortable in a seated position.

Close your eyes and clear your mind.

I want you to picture a stream with water lazily flowing by.

As you look more closely at the water,

You notice leaves,

Twigs,

Fish,

And tiny objects of all different sizes,

Shapes,

And colors flowing continuously by.

Now picture yourself standing beside the stream,

Watching everything coming toward you.

Imagine that what you are watching are your thoughts,

Wishes,

Feelings,

Or sensations.

Watch them come downstream.

As they come closer to you,

Just watch them come and go and get back to watching to see what comes down the stream next.

Try not to attach to or push away what you notice on the stream.

Just let it come and let it go.

Continue for a few moments.

If you are just starting this flowing stream exercise,

Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to five minutes of this visualization and meditation practice.

When you are ready,

Open your eyes and bring your attention back to the room.