Hello,
And welcome.
In this meditation,
We will practice observing our thoughts and becoming more curious and familiar with the nature of the mind.
We'll do this by taking on the role of a mental observer or a witness,
Gently watching thoughts as they arise and pass.
Our aim is to cultivate a more objective,
Stable awareness of the thoughts,
Images,
And content we're paying attention to,
And to approach our thoughts with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment and aversion.
Let's begin by getting grounded and settled into a comfortable seated or lying down position.
Take a moment to check in with yourself,
Allowing any distractions or obligations to gently fade into the background.
Give yourself permission to be fully present here and now with nothing else to do and nowhere to be.
Now bring attention to your breath to get centered and notice the natural rhythm of your breathing.
Notice the steady inhale and exhale without any need to change anything.
Simply observe how your breath moves in and out of your body naturally and unconsciously.
It's okay to explore the quality of your breath and how deep or rapid you might be breathing.
Simply acknowledge it without any need to change or control it.
Now let's deepen our connection to the breath by gradually elongating the exhale,
Allowing it to be slightly longer than your inhale.
Take a few slower,
Deeper breaths in this way and then settle into a nice natural pattern of breathing that helps you get settled and comfortable.
Continuing to ground your attention and focus in this moment,
Bring your awareness to the contact your body is making with the surface under you.
Notice the feeling of your feet touching the ground or the way your body is supported by whatever's beneath you.
Allow yourself to fully feel this connection as if you're rooted to the earth,
Stable and supported.
From this grounded,
Calm state,
Let's begin to turn our attention inward towards our mind.
You may have already noticed thoughts arising as we've settled into this practice.
Instead of trying to push them away or immediately return to your breath,
Now allow yourself to curiously observe the natural wandering of the mind.
What kinds of thoughts arise?
Are they words,
Images,
Or something else?
Are you able to make out the content of your mind?
How clear or murky,
Pleasant or unpleasant is the mind right now?
Remember that you're witnessing your mental activity,
Taking that observer's perspective.
You are not your thoughts.
It's okay if the mind is racing,
Or thoughts are hard to track,
Or even unpleasant.
As you observe,
See if you can identify where in your mind these thoughts seem to originate.
Perhaps you notice the mental chatter in the sides of your head near the temples,
Or maybe you notice images playing out like a movie on a screen in front of your mind's eye.
Whatever you notice,
Allow yourself to be curious.
There's no need to judge or analyze.
Just observe.
Imagine you're watching your mind like a scientist might observe a new discovery with interest and openness.
If at any point you find your mind feels hectic,
Chaotic,
Or difficult to follow,
Remember that you can always return to the steady rhythm of your breath.
Noticing the rise and fall of your stomach and chest,
Feel the support of the ground beneath you.
These sensations can serve as a safe harbor,
Anchoring you in the present moment when the mind feels more turbulent.
While it's helpful to use the breath as an anchor.
The goal of this practice is not necessarily to escape from our thoughts,
But rather to become more familiar with them,
Trying to learn to relate to our mental experience with greater objectivity and compassion.
It can be helpful to consider the mind as a river,
Sometimes churning,
Sometimes more smooth and serene.
When we're being mindful,
We're on the riverbank,
Observing the flowing water and the state of the rapids,
Instead of being in the water,
Struggling to stay afloat or swim against the current.
So if you find yourself amidst the churning waters,
See if you can gently climb to the riverbank,
Returning your awareness to observing the mind as thoughts come and go.
Notice the natural shifting nature of your mind,
And how our attention drifts and wanders.
And if we need to,
We can use the breath as that anchor on an ongoing basis.
And while doing that,
Continue to observe with curiosity and as nonjudgmentally as possible,
Our thoughts and mental activity.
Noticing the stream of consciousness as thoughts flow,
Come and go,
And how we can take more of that observer perspective,
And helping ourselves stay in the driver's seat of our day-to-day life.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
Take a moment to appreciate the time you've spent with yourself,
Observing the nature of your mind,
And know that this practice of mindful observation can be a powerful tool,
Helping you to cultivate a deeper understanding of your inner experience.
As you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings.
Gently roll your shoulders and bring some movement back into the body.
Taking another deep cleansing breath,
And slowly open your eyes.
Thanks for listening,
And take care.
