What Are Your Thoughts? (5 Minutes)

We all love our thoughts, but our thoughts are not necessarily reliable. This is a 5-minute practice anyone can do and is especially useful for those looking to take the first step in establishing a mindfulness meditation practice. For the next five minutes, you have NOTHING to do.
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Transcript

Just because you think it does not make it true.

Hi,

My name is Lori Wald and for the next five minutes you have nothing to do.

I have so many thoughts and so do you and I love my thoughts and my analyses.

And all the things that I figure out I get so attached to it.

But just because I'm thinking a thought doesn't mean that the thought is true.

For example,

I always thought that I saw with my eyes.

That's what my eyes are for,

To see.

But it's really not true.

You don't see with your eyes.

You see with your brain based on a combination of what's in your head and the sense data coming from your retinas.

So strictly speaking,

You don't see with your eyes.

This is all a way of saying that as we sit here for the next few minutes,

Try to notice what you're feeling without the analysis,

Without figuring out exactly what it is.

So sit in your comfortable yet dignified position.

Notice your breath,

Your natural breath.

The way your belly rises and falls and your chest expands and contracts.

And the air comes in your nostrils cool and goes out warm.

You might be having some thoughts about some things that happened to you earlier today or yesterday or a year ago or who knows when.

Just notice without interacting.

Notice how your body feels without assigning an explanation.

Perhaps your jaw is tense or your belly.

Try to notice it without trying to explain to yourself why it is.

You might notice a part of your body that feels very comfortable.

We tend to try to assign less explanation to parts of us that feel good.

Just notice.

As you get distracted,

Come back to your breath,

Your anchor.

If a story starts in your head about your to do list or a conversation you had before or anything at all,

Don't interact with it.

Notice it.

It's okay.

Be curious.

What do you feel?

What do you notice?

Observe.

For the last few seconds,

Just stop trying.

You don't see with your eyes,

You see with your brain.

I'm Lori Wald.

Thanks for meditating with me.