Feeling stress and anxiety is often a result of overthinking or obsessive thinking.
But thought is okay and has its place.
It is only when we attach to our thoughts that they can start to bring us a sense of angst or feed our anxieties.
Meditation can soothe anxiety by training the mind to kindly distance itself from its thoughts.
We don't have to be carried along with everything that we think,
And we don't have to believe everything that we think.
Today we are going to practice a technique for letting go of thoughts with this mindfulness exercise.
It is useful to repeat this practice daily or as often as you can,
So that it becomes more and more natural and automatic for your mind to disentangle from thoughts or even more ideally to not entangle with them in the first place.
So sit up tall in a quiet place where you can be free from distractions.
Breathe slowly and evenly in and out through your nose.
Let your energy settle by anchoring your attention to this breath.
Soften your shoulders,
Soften your belly,
Soften your thighs.
Observe your breath with a sense of appreciation.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Soften your face,
Your forehead,
Your eyes as they sit in their sockets,
Your whole jaw.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of the body as the body breathes itself.
And let yourself drop into a state of being rather than doing.
Right here,
Right now,
Just being present with your breath is enough.
As you watch the breath,
You will notice that thoughts will still arise.
The mind is energy and always at play.
Today as you notice a thought,
Watch it as if from a distance.
Notice yourself being the observer of the thought rather than being the thought itself.
You are not your thoughts.
You are the witness of your thoughts.
And bring your attention back to your breath.
Breathing in,
Feeling your body rise as the breath goes in through your body.
And notice yourself settle as you breathe out.
As a thought comes up,
It can help to visualize this thought as if it is a cloud.
A thought arises,
It floats up and into our awareness.
And then if left alone,
It will also float on by and dissipate.
Watch as the particles and substance of your thoughts break up and fade or float away.
Stay focused on your breath to anchor yourself away from thoughts.
And play with your awareness of this process.
The arising and dissipating of thoughts.
The gentle movement of your attention from thoughts back to your breath.
Stay present with your breath,
But aware of thought clouds that arise.
Like clouds,
These thoughts are not solid,
Not fixed.
They take shape and they break apart.
They are continuously changing shape,
Blown by the wind.
They come and go.
We cannot grasp at a cloud and neither is there any point in grasping to thoughts.
So let them be.
Remain aware of the breath.
There is no point to chasing,
Following or attaching to a thought cloud.
There is also no use in trying to stop thoughts or push them away.
Like clouds,
They will shift with time.
Remain aware of your breath.
Aware of your gentle state of being.
No more doing.
Aware of your thoughts with no thinking.
Breathe in and breathe out.
If your mind has taken you to a new thought,
Practice lovingly allowing your thoughts to shift,
Change and flow.
Nothing to fight against.
Nothing to stop.
Love your thoughts.
Accept your thoughts.
And at the same time,
Let them go.
Remain present,
Right here and right now,
With your breath.
Take a deep breath in and breathe out.
Recall that you are not your thoughts,
But their witness.
Look upon each thought with soft detachment.
Again and again,
Anchor back to the breath.
Aware of your breath.
Present with your breath.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Notice the energy of stability.
Even breath.
Steadiness.
Peacefulness.
Ease.
If you've noticed that your mind has drifted towards thoughts,
Recall that you are not your thoughts,
But their witness.
Look upon the thought with soft detachment.
Imagine your thought as having the substance of a cloud.
Notice that it is not solid and anchor back to the breath.
Bring your awareness to the breath.
Present with your breath.
Notice yourself breathing in and breathing out.
