This is a guided meditation practice from Buddhism Guide called Come to Go.
If you have disturbing thoughts,
You're overthinking,
Or you just need a break from your busy mind,
This meditation practice is for you.
Sit on a chair or lie down somewhere quiet and gently close your eyes.
Now breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose.
Hold the breath.
Now gently release the air out through your mouth.
Slowly breathe in.
Hold.
Now gently release the air.
One more time,
Slowly breathe in.
Hold.
And gently release the air.
Now breathe naturally and bring your focus to your breath entering and leaving your body.
Feel your chest rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath.
I want you to visualize yourself sitting on the bank of a stream.
Take a moment and listen to the stream gently flowing over the rocks.
Listen to the birds singing in the trees.
Smell the beautiful flowers growing along the bank.
Feel the warmth of the sun on your face.
Feel yourself starting to become calm,
Peaceful and relaxed.
For the next few minutes take each thought that enters your mind and place it on a leaf and let it slowly float down the stream.
Do this with every thought,
Whether they're pleasurable,
Painful or neutral.
Even if you have happy thoughts,
Place them on a leaf and let them float slowly down the stream.
Just let your thoughts come to go.
If your thoughts momentarily stop,
Just continue to watch the stream gently flowing.
Sooner or later your thoughts will start up again.
Allow the stream to flow at its own pace.
Don't try to speed it up or rush your thoughts along.
You're not trying to hurry the leaves along or get rid of your thoughts.
You're allowing them to come and go at their own pace.
If your mind says,
This feels silly,
I'm bored or I'm not doing this right,
Place those thoughts on leaves and let them float off.
If a thought comes up again and again,
Gently put it on another leaf and watch it float off again.
Thank you for watching.
If a difficult or painful feeling arises,
Simply acknowledge it.
Say to yourself,
I notice myself having a feeling of boredom,
Impatience,
Frustration.
Place those thoughts on leaves and allow them to float off.
From time to time,
Your thoughts may distract you from being fully present in this meditation.
Don't worry,
This is normal.
As soon as you realise that you have become side-tracked,
Gently bring your attention back to sitting by the stream.
There may be other things in your life you wish to let go of,
Such as memories,
Painful experiences,
Attachment to people.
Whatever it is,
Just place it on a leaf and let it go gently floating down the stream.
We're now coming to the end of this practice.
But before we finish,
I'd like you to focus your awareness on what it was like for you to engage in this visualisation meditation.
If you found yourself struggling to remain fully present and mindful,
Don't worry.
Be patient and compassionate with yourself.
This practice becomes easier the more you do it.
When you are ready,
And there is no rush,
I want you to very slowly open your eyes and gently introduce yourself back into the world.
