Hello and welcome.
Now today we're not going to try to force the mind to be quiet and we're not going to battle with thoughts or fix ourselves.
Instead we're simply going to bring a little gentleness,
A little space and a little order to a mind that may feel just that little bit tangled.
So if your thoughts have felt noisy lately,
Busy,
Looping,
Confused,
Pulling you in different directions,
You're not doing anything wrong at all.
The mind can sometimes become like a plate of spaghetti.
Thoughts twisting around thoughts,
One idea catching another,
Emotions tangled into stories,
Stories tangled into worries,
And more stories.
And the more we try to grab at the mess,
The tighter everything can seem to become,
Or perhaps I should say,
The more slippery.
So today we do something quite different.
Today we're going to soften.
So let's begin.
Find a comfortable position and just allow your shoulders to loosen and drop slightly.
Unclench your jaw.
And take a wonderful big deep breath into the diaphragm.
Holding perhaps for a few seconds when you fill the diaphragm fully.
And then just let go.
There is nowhere else to be right now but here.
And let's take another wonderful big deep breath when you're ready.
Perhaps in through the nose on the in-breath.
And out through the mouth on the out-breath.
And just notice how your body softens with each breath.
Moving in and out.
Without trying to perfect it or achieve anything.
Just be in this moment.
Just be with this one breath.
And as you breathe,
Imagine the mind beginning to slow down.
Just enough for you to actually see it.
And not from inside but from slightly further away.
Like stepping onto a quiet balcony overlooking a busy street.
You're no longer trapped inside every thought.
You're simply observing.
Watching.
Being spacious and curious.
Now imagine that as you're observing your thoughts.
The picture in front of you turns into a large plate of wonderful spaghetti.
A huge tangled magnificent pile.
Of the many thoughts that may be going through your head.
The what-ifs.
The I should-haves.
The did-I.
What happens if?
Why did they?
What's wrong with me?
What do I do next?
Why is this so confusing?
Every thought crossing over everything else.
And perhaps part of you is already adding more thoughts to the pile.
Maybe the inner critic is awakening.
But today we don't need to go there.
We don't need to attack the spaghetti.
We don't need to throw the plate up into the air.
We don't need to judge ourselves for having a human mind.
Instead.
Just sit for a moment and let it be.
As you're sitting and observing.
Notice that next to you.
Lies a really wonderful big wide tooth comb.
Or a beautiful fork with gentle prongs.
We don't need any sharpness today.
And as you look at this item quite surprised to find it there.
Why not decorate it with your imagination?
Turn it into an incredibly beautiful tool.
A tool that resembles kindness.
Playfulness.
And a tool.
That's going to help you create a little bit of space.
And with absolutely no rush when you feel ready.
I'd like you to move over.
To that spaghetti of thoughts of yours.
And very softly.
I'd like you just to place the comb or the fork into the spaghetti.
And very slowly.
Just start to comb through it.
One strand begins to loosen and then another.
Not perfect.
Just softer.
Just more spacious.
And notice how with just a little movement.
Things start moving by themselves.
You're not having to pull at any of the thoughts.
Or push them.
You're not trying to win against the mind today.
This is not about control.
You're simply creating a little bit of space.
Between thoughts.
And as you comb gently through all these strands.
And you see some of them now lying in straight lines.
You may notice something very surprising.
That none of these thoughts are trying to hurt you.
Or confuse you.
In fact all the thoughts are trying to organize your life.
They're trying to protect you.
To prepare you.
To hold any uncertainty so you don't have to.
So now you bring your kindness in.
And you slowly continue.
To patiently just comb through all the different thoughts.
And just give them a little bit of a rest.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
And out.
Combing as you go.
Thoughts becoming clearer and straighter.
Not disappearing necessarily.
Just no longer knotted together.
And every time the mind leaps back into the tangle.
Or you notice thoughts trying to loop into each other again.
You simply smile softly.
And comb again.
With love,
With compassion.
And with gentle patience.
And perhaps now strands are all lying side by side.
In straight lines.
And maybe for the first time in a while.
Your mind doesn't feel like an emergency.
You have breathing room between every thought.
And from here they can just be.
And perhaps you notice that some of the thoughts are fading.
Because in the peace of this moment.
Some of them don't feel the need to fight.
And they can totally just let go.
And I invite you to also notice that you are not the spaghetti.
You are not the thoughts in your mind.
And you're not even the comb.
You are the calm presence holding all of it.
You are the awareness beneath the noise.
The gentle witness.
Thoughts can come,
Thoughts can go.
And some days the plate will become tangled again.
But now you know something very important.
You do not need to fear the chaos.
You can meet it differently.
With softness.
With patience.
Even a little humour.
And perhaps you can even imagine yourself smiling right now.
Looking at your beautiful calmer mind.
Not empty,
Not perfect.
Just lighter,
Kinder and more yours.
And notice what it feels like to just allow yourself to be.
And to allow your thoughts to just move through you.
And to give your thoughts a little bit of space.
You may wish to sit back now.
And just look at the beauty of all that your mind has created.
Lay down the fork.
Or the comb.
Perhaps it now feels as if there is a light breeze moving through your head.
And you know it is slowly time to come back.
Taking a deeper breath in now.
And slowly breathing out.
Just feel the body again.
The weight of you against the chair.
The ground beneath your feet.
The air soft and steady on your skin.
And when you are ready.
Begin slowly wiggling your fingers and toes.
Coming back into the room where you began today.
And gently just open your eyes.
