Just because you think it doesn't make it true.
Hi,
My name is Lori Wald and for the next 10 minutes you have nothing to do.
Yesterday I had kind of a bleh feeling all over.
My head felt like there was something thudding inside of it.
My body felt just unmotivated.
And when I had this feeling I started going through all the possibilities for why it was that I felt this way.
And I basically came up with I hadn't eaten well the day before.
It's very cold outside.
I live in Cleveland.
There's an awful lot of snow piling up.
The sky is gray.
I had many theories for why I felt this way.
But the truth is I don't really know why I had the blahs.
I might think I know,
But perhaps it was that I hadn't had enough water to drink.
Or maybe I had something that I've never heard of before called a sleep hangover.
I didn't wake up until fairly late in the morning.
Much later than I normally do.
And maybe I had just gotten too much sleep.
We all try to figure out why we're feeling the way that we're feeling.
But the truth is our brain is very busy predicting theories and coming up with explanations.
But just because we have these thoughts does not make them true.
So when we sit in a mindfulness meditation practice,
What we're trying to do is instead of analyzing and curating our thoughts.
We develop a more constructive relationship with our thoughts,
Which means that we notice them,
But don't let them rule the roost.
So find yourself in your comfortable yet dignified position.
And now just notice your breath.
The gentle rise and fall of your belly.
The way your chest rises and falls.
Perhaps you can notice that whisper of air that comes in your nostrils cool and goes out warm.
We're noticing how we're feeling without trying to change how we're feeling.
And when you get distracted by a thought.
Perhaps by a pain.
Physical pain or an emotional pain.
Just notice what it is and instead of trying to change it or instead of trying to engage with that thought.
Notice it.
Mindfulness is an awareness of your present situation as it is,
Not as you would prefer it to be.
With compassion,
With curiosity and with courage.
Curious what is it that you notice?
The temperature.
The way your feet feel on the floor.
How you're planning,
Planning,
Planning what to do as soon as you jump up from your practice.
A sense of tranquility,
Satisfaction.
For right now it doesn't matter why you feel what you feel.
We'll be back for later.
Notice your breath.
No need to change it.
No need to change anything.
Let it be.
This is the comfort and the challenge of just noticing without trying to change.
You can be gentle with yourself.
Reminding yourself to notice without judgment but instead with curiosity.
For the last minute,
Just stop trying.
You can be gentle with yourself.
You can be gentle with yourself.
Let it be.
Thanks for meditating with me.
